Advantech RSB-3720 User Manual page 59

problem solving. Our services not only enable customers to effectively distribute their
resources, but also reduce R&D costs and hardware investment.
Because of our close relationship with leading CPU and chipset manufacturers such
as ARM, TI, and Freescale, Advantech helps solve communication and technical
support difficulties, which also reduces the uncertainties of product development.
Advantech's software team focuses on providing comprehensive BSPs and assists
customers with establishing a software development environment for RISC platforms.
Advantech's RISC Design-In services help customers overcome challenges to
achieve a faster time-to-market. Along with our multi-stage development process,
which includes planning, design, integration, and validation, Advantech's RISC
Design-In services provide comprehensive support during the following phases:
Planning Stage
Before deciding to adopt Advantech RISC COM, customers must go through a com-
plete survey process, including product features, specification, and compatibility test-
ing with software. Advantech offers a RISC customer solution board (CSB) as an
evaluation tool for carrier boards, which are simultaneously designed during the
development of RISC COMs. During the planning stage, customers can use the CSB
evaluation board to assess RISC modules and test peripheral hardware. Moreover,
Advantech provides standard software BSPs for RISC COMs to allow customers to
define the product specifications and verify I/O and performance. We not only offer
hardware planning and technology consultations, but also software evaluations and
recommendations regarding peripheral modules (such as Wi-Fi, 3G, and Bluetooth
modules). Resolving customer concerns is Advantech's main target at this stage.
Because product evaluation is the key task in the planning stage, especially regard-
ing performance and specifications, we try to help our customers conduct all the nec-
essary tests for their RISC COM.
Design Stage
When a product moves into the design stage, Advantech will supply a carrier board
design guide for reference. The carrier board design guide provides pin definitions of
the COM connector with limitations and recommendations for carrier board design.
This gives customers a clear guideline to follow during carrier board development.
Regarding different form factors, Advantech offers a complete pin-out checklist for
different form factors, such as Q7, ULP, and RTX2.0, to enable customers to examine
the carrier board signals and layout design accordingly. In addition, our team is able
to assist customers with reviewing the placement/layout and schematics to ensure the
carrier board design meets all their requirements. For software development,
Advantech's RISC software team can assist customers with establishing an environ-
ment for software development and evaluating the time and resources required. If
customers outsource software development to a third party, Advantech can also
cooperate with the third party and provide consultation services. With Advantech's
expert support, the design process becomes much easier and the product quality is
enhanced to meet all customer criteria.
Integration Stage
This phase comprises hardware and software integration, application development,
and peripheral module implementation. Because they may lack the knowledge and
experience of certain platforms, customers may need to spend some time analyzing
integration problems. Additionally, the implementation of peripheral module depends
a lot on the driver designs on carrier boards, and RISC platforms typically have less
support for ready-made drivers on the carrier board. Thus, customers may have to
figure out the best solution through trial and error. Advantech's team has years of
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