Reference design pitfalls
Generic designs, by definition, require compromise and efficiency trade-offs.
By Nicholas Cravotta, Contributing Technical Editor -- EDN, November 8, 2007
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Related Article:
Reference designs worldwide: understanding the IP imbalance |
With up-front investment so high, component vendors want to get as much impact as they can from a reference design, so they choose an application that isn’t specific, making designs somewhat generic. But generic designs, by definition, require compromise and efficiency trade-offs. For example, getting a motor to spin is relatively straightforward. But working with the characteristics of a motor and increasing performance by adapting algorithms require an understanding of the basic design. Thus, a cursory use of a reference design—that is, using it as is—and receiving a time-to-market advantage tends to reduce quality, increase BOM (bill-of-materials) costs, or both.
Just because a reference design is available does not mean it is the component vendor’s most appropriate part for an application. Certain processors, for example, sell better in certain countries. The most likely candidates for worldwide sales, then, are the components that have the largest market share or more widespread branding. As a consequence, you are more likely to see a reference design for a low-range to midrange digital camera using a part that is available worldwide than you are for a higher end camera using a chip primarily limited to use in North America.
Language and cultural differences introduce significant barriers to design, as well. Vendors don’t translate all documentation, so a reference design is less accessible and therefore less effective when they export them to other countries. If most of a company’s reference designs target China, for example, an imbalance in the distribution of intellectual property will result.
Language barriers and time zones also make it difficult for engineers to get help understanding a reference design or making custom modifications. In these instances, design centers play large roles in increasing the effectiveness of reference designs because they provide more easily accessible personal support.
