1. Computer tools for Scheduling
There are several alternatives for doing automated scheduling. The “gold standard” program is Microsoft Project. It is very powerful for larger projects, but is still useful for smaller efforts.
The Open Software initiative developed a knock off for Project, called, “Project Libre” which is a free download and basically works just like Project, even with the same file types.
And, “GanttProject” is another program that is free to download and is advertised as being compatible with Project files.
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

2. Prototyping and Design Standards
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

3. Iomega HipZip Case Study
History: events
Iomega had been successful designing and selling the Zip drives, but sales had begun to fall.
They were using the “razor and razor blade” product concept. The media was the big money maker.
Their core technology was designing contact recording heads that could “fly” over flexible magnetic discs.
Marketing was trying to get into another mass consumer market.
Engineering prototyped a miniature Zip like drive, code named Clik!
Clik! had a 40 MB disc capacity in a PCMCIA Type II card slot.
What other product ideas come to mind?
Engineering prototyped an audio player called HipZip built around the Clik! mechanism.
Analyze the product potential. What are the strengths, weaknesses?
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

4. Iomega HipZip Case Study Cont.
What steps would you take in developing a product build around this technology?
In depth customer needs evaluation!
Thorough competitive benchmarking!
What did the development team miss?
The semiconductor technology was continuing to improve areal density at the rate of ~ 2X every 18 months. (Moore’s Law)
There wasn’t a simple source for generating music content.
Actual results;
Product was introduced, but never really went into high volume production.
Product was dropped within 9 months due to lack of market interest.
Estimated that this project cost Iomega over $25 million
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

5. What are prototypes used for?
Prototyping Concepts
A Prototype is “an approximation of the product along one or more dimensions of interest.”
What are prototypes used for?
Learning. How well does it meet the customer needs?
Communications. Help to visual the product or key components.
Integration. Ensure that the components work together as planned.
Milestones. Illustrate that the product has reached a certain level of functionality.
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

6. Other uses of Prototypes
Often we don’t know enough about the final design.
We may be using a new technology that hasn’t been proven.
We may have two or more concept alternatives that are “too close to call”.
You may have designed an expensive subsystem that requires a long lead time for fabrication.
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

7. Prototyping Concepts Physical Comprehensive Focussed Analytical
Component
Evaluation
Production
Prototypes
Comprehensive
Focussed
Not Generally
Feasible
Component
Modeling
Analytical
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

8. Why not prototype everything?
Costs
prototypes can be a major development cost
10,000 unit prototype run!!!
Time
it takes time to build prototypes and time to evaluate them.
Risk
prototypes often don’t represent the final product, and decisions made on prototype performance may be wrong.
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

9. When to build Prototypes
Analytical Prototypes used
extensively
Carefully planned comprehensive
prototypes
Often sell the prototypes
Many comprehensive
prototypes built
Technical or Market Risk
Few prototypes may be
built for verification
Very few comprehensive
prototypes built.
Cost of Comprehensive Prototype
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

10. How to save time by Prototyping
Identify long lead time assemblies that are part of the critical path
Prototype in parallel with actual part development
Use prototype to help detect unanticipated design problems. You can’t model everything.
Most prototypes allow the designer to make quick changes.
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

11. Define carefully what each prototype will be.
Prototyping Concepts
How do you keep your project from being caught up in the “hardware swamp”? (prototypes that do not really contribute to the goals of the project.
Define carefully what each prototype will be.
Purpose. Why are we building this prototype?
Level of approximation required. How close do we need to come to the final design?
What experiment are we trying to perform, and how does the prototype fit into this plan.
Develop a schedule for construction and test.
Prototype with a plan
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

12. Prototyping Concepts Physical Comprehensive Focussed Analytical
Analyze your project concepts and decide what prototypes you will need.
Place the prototypes on this chart.
Physical
Analytical
Comprehensive
Focussed
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

13. Design Standards What are ‘Design Standards’?
Specifications or values that have become generally accepted as common for similar designs.
Where did they come from?
General use, industry committees, market success, government agencies, etc.
List some examples.
How do they impact your design?
Are Design Standards a constraint or an advantage to the designer?
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

14. Design Standards Assignment for the final report.
Include a section in your final report that includes a list of the industry standards that impact your project, and how each standard affected your design.
Fall 2016
ECEn 490

15. Homework Assignment: Continue to work on the project schedule
Homework Assignment: Continue to work on the project schedule. It will be due Thursday Feb 18th.
Also, begin to look at a Test Plan for at least one of the major design criteria for your project. This should include the test set up, procedures and expected results. Due March 1st.
Next lecture is on “Managing your boss” or How to survive in any work group.
Fall 2016
ECEn 490