201305.pdf 43279KB May 08 2013 11:07:04 PM

Special SectionTips for designengineers: tapping intoonline design toolsSupporting the engineer from prototype to productionBy Brian GermanWhen it comes to productdesign, engineers havemultiple goals: Designwell, design withinbudget, and design fast.Companies trying tocompete and move products to market faster arealways looking for ways to decrease design timewhile improving quality and efficiency. Thesefactors, combined with budget constraints andother complexities, mean today’s engineers needall the help they can get to bring a new product tomarket, whether in the prototype or productiondesign phases.One resource designers can tap into for help isa collection of reference designs. These designs areproven solutions and act as a starting point for aspecific product design, to be used as-is or modifiedas needed.Some reference designs are a complete end-toendproduct design solution, while others offerpartial solutions designed to meet common engineeringneeds. Examples of full solutions wouldbe DC/AC inverters, LED bulb drivers, or AC/DCwall converters, while partial solutions addresssuch areas as DC/DC conversion, audio amplifiers,or motor drivers.The main purpose of a reference design is tospeed the development of new products usingthe latest technologies. Because engineers knowthey can start with a proven platform targeted forspecific applications, they can shorten the designcycle, minimize errors, and get a product to marketmore quickly.Manufacturers often provide reference designs,but it can be challenging to search across multiplesuppliers and sites. A library that has consolidateddesigns from many suppliers can greatly decreaseresearch time up front.This type of cross-supplier library:• Helps designers search for specific designs bycategory, supplier, and performance• Provides access to detailed schematics witheach design• Eliminates extra steps in the design process,saving precious time• Offers easy access to useful product ideas anddesign platforms/eval boards• Offers BOM and Gerber files, when availableWith engineers as its primary focus, Digi-Keyknows how important it is for engineers to haveeasy access to two things: parts and information.But, with vast amounts of knowledge and manythousands of parts, the key is making it easy forthe engineer to find useful content, proven designs,and the right parts quickly.It can be frustrating to design a product onlyto discover that the parts required for prototypeor production are not in stock. A good referencelibrary should provide thorough supportingdocumentation, including BOM, schematics, andother materials, and ensure that the main ICs usedBrian GermanS-16 Top 25 Global Distributors May 2013