Requirements Capture
The Requirements Specification defines exactly what will be created. Appian creates this formal list from the discussions and documents provided by you and we add lower level detail as required
Capture
Capture your ideas and requirements for the design. This is a shared spreadsheet between us and you to ensure we have all the details.
Agree
Agree the full set of requirements with you the customer.
Clarificaton
Where required, add comments and clarification to the list of requirements. Add the details that can easily get missed or assumed.
Sign Off
Sign off the design against the requirements on completion.
Schematic Capture
The Schematic designs are a logical representation of the circuit board design. It holds the component information and the connections between them.
Select Components
Selecting the right parts for the job is a key requirement. This drives cost, functionality and timescales.
Create the schematic
Appian uses Altium Designer as its EDA toolset for schematic capture.
Add to libraries
Add any new parts not used before to the CAD libraries.
Export
Export the design to the PCB editor
Circuit Board Layout
The circuit board layout is the physical representation of the design.
Board Outline
Create the outline / shape for the board. This can be simple or complex shapes
Track the Board
Connect component pads, add power planes and thermal relief.
Place Components
Place the components in optimal positions
Optimise
Optimise and tidy routing and placement
3D Export
and Video
Appian will create a 3D export of the board to allow either our own industrial designers or yours to import the board into the mechanical design to check it all fits nicely.
Prototype Manufacture and Test
Bareboard Manufacture
Appian will get the bare board manufactured using one of our trusted PCB suppliers. Depending on the complexity of the design, the board can be anywhere from a single layer up to around 16 layers. Most designs are in the range of 2 to 10 layers
Assembly
Appian will either assemble the board in house or using one of our preferred assembly houses. This tends to be driven by board complexity and quantity. For high volume products Appian will interface with the assembly house at an early stage to ensure the design is optimised for their assembly line.
Test
Once the board is assembled and inspected, testing can begin. This usually starts with some basic measurements prior to powering the board. Power supplies and clocks are checked and then communications with any programmable parts such as microcontrollers or FPGAs. Detailed testing will then follow to ensure the board meets the specification.
Software Development
We specialise in a range of embedded software programming languages
Design
Plan and design the architecture for the application.
Debug and Test
All code needs debugging. Run simulations on the computer and test on the hardware.
Code
Write the code, import libraries, drivers and utilities.
Integration and Test
Integrate the code onto the real hardware
FPGA Development
Create complex logic functions with a single programmable device
Architecture
Creating the correct architecture design is key to good FPGA development
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Simulation
Simulate as much of the design as possible within the development toolchain
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Code
Develop the design using a combination of VHDL code and IP logic blocks
Integration and Test
Integrate the design onto the hardware, test and debug using the toolchain and JTAG programmers
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Mechanical Design
Trust our industrial design partners to develop the mechanical design
