Access to Top-Tier Resources with Support+

Want expert engineering support and tool for your product? Discover how Support+ avoids costly delays with detailed hardware reviews and optimized wireless performance.

Published on July 19, 2024

Access to Top-Tier Resources with Support+

In our last Support+ post, we introduced SOM Support+ and discussed Ezurio’s enhanced support which addresses industry pain points and provides a framework for tackling challenges during product development.

Today, we shift our focus to the “Access to Resources” pillar of Support+, highlighting how it provides engineering teams with the tools and expertise needed to make sure your product succeeds. From ensuring optimal hardware design with unlimited schematics and PCB layout reviews, to enhancing wireless performance through 3D antenna patterns, Ezurio provides not only support but also critical services to streamline your processes and maintain the highest standards of quality and security.

Let’s explore some of the tools and resources Support+ provides to help reduce design risk and accelerate your time to market.

Continuous Hardware Layout and Schematic Support

Developing high-quality hardware is a complex process that requires thorough attention to detail and continuous optimization. Design errors lead to costly delays and redesigns, creating significant risks to project timelines and budgets. This is why access to expert resources that provide thorough reviews and guidance throughout the development cycle is crucial.

Having experts who offer ongoing reviews and feedback is essential for keeping designs on track and on time. Ezurio’s Support+ provides unlimited access to a global FAE and engineering team, to make sure your design functions correctly from the first board spin; this reduces the likelihood of errors that can commonly derail projects. Our FAE and engineering support extends beyond the initial design phase, continuing to review your schematics and layouts throughout the development process. This proactive approach minimizes risks, controls costs, and accelerates your time to market, ultimately enhancing the competitiveness of your product in the fast-paced IoT device market.

Achieving Optimal Wireless Performance

As crucial as hardware design is, having optimal wireless performance is equally important. Optimizing RF performance is critical as it significantly impacts the functionality and reliability of wireless products. Proper antenna placement can reduce interference and enhance connectivity, but it requires specialized expertise and tools that many companies may not have in-house. Poor antenna performance can lead to connectivity issues, product failures, customer dissatisfaction, and increased support costs.

To tackle these challenges, companies need access to state-of-the-art facilities and experienced RF engineers who can create detailed 3D antenna patterns using prototype designs under real-world conditions. This ensures that antennas are positioned optimally for the best possible performance. Ezurio, a wireless connectivity expert for many decades, excels in design, simulation, and prototyping to test and refine performance. Our EMC compliance services will help guarantee that your antenna designs meet all necessary standards and achieve compliance quickly and efficiently.

Ensuring Product Reliability with Audits

Speaking of maintaining high standards, the manufacturing process is just as crucial for product reliability and compliance. For companies operating in highly regulated industries such as medical, aerospace, and some industrial, maintaining strict quality and compliance standards is not just beneficial – it’s mandatory. These sectors require full traceability of products, including detailed test results and material lot codes, to follow rigorous standards. The lack of traceability can lead to non-compliance, product recalls, and even severe reputational damage.

To meet these high standards, it is crucial for companies to conduct thorough audits of their manufacturing facilities. On-site quality audits provide transparency into production processes, making sure that each component meets the required specifications and delivers products that customers can trust. Ezurio’s system-on-modules are assembled in Irvine, California, allowing customers to schedule an on-site quality audit to address any potential issues and satisfy necessary manufacturing requirements.

Custom Programming for Market Needs

Customization also plays a vital role in meeting market-specific needs. It is often necessary to meet the specific needs of different markets, but it is a complex and resource intensive process. Companies face the challenge of developing custom programming while managing tight timelines and limited resources. This involves not only creating a custom SOM part number, but also making sure that the programming aligns with the company’s security standards.

To address this challenge, companies need a streamlined process for custom programming that eliminates the need for initial programming at their production facilities. This can save significant time and reduce costs, allowing teams to focus on other aspects of their product development. Ezurio’s Support+ provides customers with a custom part number programmed with whatever software image they specify, eliminating this laborious process. This service can also be combined with our Summit Suite Chain of Trust Device Security service to manage and secure device keys and certificates.

Use Case Example

Let’s bring up a customer use case that was supported by Support+. This company was developing a factory equipment monitoring device for real-time diagnostics, designed to monitor the health of machinery, such as motors and pumps, by collecting data on vibrations, temperature, and other variables. However, the engineering team faced several critical issues:

Interference: the factory environment was filled with electromagnetic interference from heavy machinery, which disrupted data transmission.
Antenna Design: the team lacked RF expertise, resulting in poor antenna placement and connectivity issues.
Customization: they needed custom programming to collect and process data from multiple sensors while following industry-specific security protocols.

Ezurio helped solved these pain points through the SOM Support+ package. To resolve the connectivity issues, Ezurio’s RF engineering conducted EMC testing to understand the specific requirements, developed tailored test plans, and troubleshooted issues at their antenna chambers in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Alongside the antenna support, our FAEs identified and resolved several design flaws in their PCB before they could cause delays, streamlining the development process with full-service support.

Ezurio also provided a comprehensive custom programming solution. This involved integrating sensor data from multiple sources into a cohesive real-time monitoring system. Custom SOM part numbers were created, loaded with software images specifically tailored to the company’s needs.

By leveraging Ezurio’s Support+ package, the company successfully overcame the challenges in developing their factory equipment monitoring device. Ezurio not only addressed the immediate connectivity and design issues, but also ensured a long-term reliability and security solution through their custom programming.

With Ezurio’s expert resources and tailored solutions, your engineering team can similarly reduce design risks, optimize performance, and accelerate time to market.

To learn more about Support+, visit: https://www.ezurio.com/system-on-module/support-plus