The Advantages of Building Blocks in Embedded Solutions
Designing Smart, Building Fast
Ever since the start of Hectronics journey we have used and extended our expansive library of building blocks. Building blocks are like “LEGO” pieces for technology, allowing our developers to create new solutions efficiently by combining and adapting already tested, pre-validated and verified elements. By using building blocks, we are able to save time, reduce costs, speed up technical development, and improve the overall quality of the product.
Here you’ll learn everything you need to know about building blocks and how to make your next full custom development project more time- and cost efficient.
Embedded development
Building Blocks
What is a Building Block?
A building block refers to pre-designed, pre-verified, and validated components or systems that can be readily incorporated into the development of new solutions. At Hectronic, we’ve found that using a reference platform as a starting point for creating a custom design system is a successful strategy. The platform is a library of Hectronic’s pre-made and verified building blocks including schematics, PCB layout, Bill of Materials, BIOS and firmware for the CPU, chipset and memory as well as power supply circuitry and I/O interfaces.
So instead of starting from scratch, our work involves adjusting and combining these building blocks. All these different building blocks are already designed and tested, which makes it faster and more efficient to create new products by combining and adapting these existing elements. The use of building blocks helps save time, reduce costs, speed up technical development, and improve the overall quality of the final product.
Think of building blocks like “LEGO” pieces for technology. Just as you use pre-made “LEGO” bricks to build various structures quickly, building blocks are pre-designed components. They’re combined like “LEGO” to create new products efficiently, saving time and costs while maintaining quality.
Since the beginning, we’ve embraced a culture of reuse. We believe that by following this principle, the development process primarily involves adding the necessary functionalities to achieve a completed product.
The Advantages of Using Building Blocks
Key Benefits
- Accelerated Time-to-Market: Hectronic’s useage of building blocks from its extensive library significantly reduces development time. By leveraging these pre-designed, verified components, the integration process becomes the primary focus, accelerating overall project completion. It’s not until the new or updated solution reaches the market that it can contribute to the financial result of the customer. The sooner the product delivery starts the better for our customers.
- Cost Efficiency: Building blocks contribute to cost savings by minimizing non-recurring engineering (NRE) expenses. One other advantage is that building block usage enables Hectronic to quote a fixed NRE cost. Customers pay only for the unique functionalities and the integration efforts required, rather than bearing the full brunt of an entirely new development cycle. The aim is to deliver products after the development project is complete, not to focus on billable hours.
- Quality Enhancement: The reuse of established building blocks ensures a high level of product quality. These blocks, including schematics PCB layouts, BIOS, firmware, and more, have been thoroughly tested and proven in previous designs, minimizing the risk of errors.
- Strategic Reuse: Hectronic’s strategy of reusing reference platforms allows for efficient adaption and integration of building blocks. This approach shifts the focus from reinventing the wheel to optimizing existing solutions, resulting in quicker product completion.
- Volume Production: By reusing building blocks across diverse computer platforms, a higher production volume is achieved. This deliberate reuse strategy improves economies of scale, resulting in reduced costs. In essence, producing a larger quantity of products contributes to significant cost reduction.
- Comprehensive Reuse: Hectronic’s philosophy extends beyond hardware to include software elements. Pre-designed BIOS, OS drivers, production test systems, and I/O functionalities are readily available, minimizing the effort required for customization and shortening the development timeline.