Miniaturisation and power management
Our in-house electronics team is highly integrated with the other skill groups at DCA. This results in a more efficient system-level design and an optimally packaged end product.
As part of a recent connected device project we designed a series of very high-density PCBAs with over 60 components on a board smaller than 15mm in diameter. Our miniaturisation expertise is paired with low power design, enabling use of the smallest batteries whilst maintaining operating lifetimes, often a key driver for overall product performance.
Sensors and actuators
You can’t always find a sensor or actuator that does exactly what you want, and it’s often a question of balancing performance against physical size and power consumption for a given connected device. Choosing when and how to drive these components, or choosing appropriate sensors when they must always be powered, can be key to maximising battery life.
Clever design and innovative uses of existing parts can be the key to the successful implementation of sensors or actuators, but sometimes a customised device will need to be developed to suit the unique requirements of a particular application.
We can work with other DCA skill areas to create custom designed elements to modify or enhance a standard solution, such as custom mechanical switching elements that fit within the product and consume no power until activated. Good interdisciplinary design can also balance electrical and mechanical functionality to suit the space and power available.
Low-power design
In designing portable, handheld or wearable products, every nano-amp of current consumption matters, so it’s important to select low-power components and use an adaptive control strategy to ensure current consumption is low, both when the device is in operation and when it is not in use.
Developing a mathematical power model of the product at an early stage is key when designing low power systems, allowing deep insight into the electrical energy consumed in each product operating mode. This methodology can also applied to reviewing existing products in order to understand and reduce their power consumption.
Using mathematical modelling for low power system design
Battery power
For portable devices, battery selection is crucial. Make the wrong choice and either your battery needs changing or recharging too frequently, or your product will be unnecessarily large and heavy.
There are other factors to consider when choosing batteries such as peak current delivery, self-discharge, state of charge monitoring and form factor. At what rate will the battery be charged? Will this be done hard-wired or wirelessly?
Our extensive experience in designing battery-powered products will help you navigate this potential minefield.
