As technology stocks boom and there is a rush to get into the electronics design industry, many small businesses find that they cannot keep up with the front runners out there. Here are a few tips to keep you in the race.
1 Do Not Waste Time Re-Inventing the Wheel
If you are in the electronics game and are creating, make sure you do not re-invent the wheel – look around to see who else may have made something similar and adapt it. The cleverest inventions are those that simply improve an existing idea that has proven essential. So, upon existing platforms and reliable components you can build and innovate.
If you are looking for an electronic component and want to understand its specifications then simply find datasheet that has this information, check the specs carefully and then decide whether the component you need exists out there already or not. The best electronic datasheets out there have over 10 000 small parts and components listed, with detailed specs, prices and uses. This process is the equivalent of speaking to a host of manufactures out there. Professional data sheets will have all the product specs and a host of associated use data that will allow you to save time and money. Use what is out there first.
2 Test, Test and Re-Test
The key to good electrical design is to test the prototype as hard and as often as you can and is financially viable. You will need to sequentially test the hardware components of your prototype thoroughly. It is best for the product or component to fail in your testing phase than for it to be recalled from the shelves due to safety or component failure issues. This must be done before any money is spent on production or the product is marketed to prospective buyers. A failed test is a learning process, while a public failure of the product can sound the death knell for an emerging device regardless of its innovative nature or market demand.
The testing of electrical components and products in the US can also affect accreditation and licensing. Once your internal/at home testing is complete you will likely need Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accredited testing as well, with all test data submitted to the TCB. All to be done before production and sales.
3 Persevere
If you are in the electronics game, you will need thick skin and the perseverance and determination of a true entrepreneur. In the tech design game, you will need to overcome the obstacles in a working prototype rather than jumping from one brilliant idea to the next. It is about developing the idea into a useful performance-oriented product.
The sector is changing so fast that you may find that the product you design today is no longer needed tomorrow. As aforementioned if you want to stay ahead of competitors, then be informed, use the datasheets to know and understand your competitors just as they can be used to understand your components. The more you know the better you can deal with problems. You need to stay current and in the game, and aware that should you not succeed the first time, then you will need to try again and continue to do so until the idea becomes the success you want it to be.
Our current tech enabled and driven society is founded on ideas, the essential component of development, yet you need to ensure that you follow a clear process of development starting with the above tips to ensure its relevance.
