An embedded core board (referred to as a core board) is also known as a System-On-Module (SOM) board, which is a high-integration board that packages embedded processors (MPU, Micro Processor Unit), memory (DDR), storage (eMMC or Flash), power management (PMIC, responsible for MPU power-up sequence and output of various voltages required by the MPU), and other integrated chips together. It usually connects to the baseboard via board-to-board connectors, postage-stamp soldering, gold fingers, COM Express, etc., and the core board typically exposes all or most of the functional pins of the MPU. Users only need to design the peripheral circuits for the functional interfaces when designing products, thereby reducing hardware development difficulty and saving development time.
In terms of software, core boards generally have completed the adaptation of embedded operating systems such as Linux (Build Root), Ubuntu, Android, and WinCE. While improving the drivers for various interfaces, they will also adapt Uboot, file systems, and graphical interface migration development. The final product presented to users is a complete operating system with a graphical interface, which maximally facilitates users’ secondary development.
As a unique form of embedded board, core boards have significant advantages over integrated boards, not only reducing product design difficulty and accelerating time-to-market, but also facilitating product iteration and upgrades and reducing maintenance workload. Therefore, they are widely used in product areas involving embedded systems. For some experienced software and hardware engineers, they may not be familiar with or trust the product model of using core boards, so they often start designing integrated boards anew for new projects, and they also need to re-port Uboot, operating systems, etc. in software.
If there is enough time and experience, this method is feasible, but many companies have relatively weak foundations in hardware and low-level drivers. If there are errors in the design process, it can lead to the entire project being shelved, affecting product launch. In the case of insufficient manpower, such work is undoubtedly a matter of reinventing the wheel, consuming a large amount of human and material resources.
In fact, Forlinx Embedded core boards have matured significantly in terms of integration, stability, and professionalism after years of technical development and quality accumulation. Forlinx’s enterprise-level boards bring a lot of value to users for product development. Next, we will discuss how core boards solve some pain points encountered during development from the perspective of product development.
Pain Points in Embedded Product Development
Embedded processors are widely used, but there are some unavoidable pain points in hardware design, software development, and production maintenance when developing terminal products.
In Hardware Design
High Design Difficulty：With the development of embedded technology, the performance of embedded processors is becoming increasingly high, and correspondingly, the development difficulty is also increasing. It is no longer the era where microcontroller engineers can handle both hardware and software. From SDRAM to LPDDR4, memory speeds are getting faster, and the number of PCB layers has increased from the early 4 layers to now often 8-12 layers, which places significant demands on high-speed routing and hardware simulation, resulting in high implicit costs for development investment.
Long Design Cycle：From familiarizing with the MPU’s startup, memory selection to power architecture design, it often requires more than half a year to complete hardware design and testing with hundreds of connections. After the internet era, the demand for product launch efficiency is very high, and time is money. The market will not wait for you due to design difficulties.
Complex Stability Testing：High and low temperature testing, pressure testing, signal integrity testing, power load testing, long-term operational stability testing, frequent power outages, and power-on/off testing all require complete testing equipment and experience to complete. Any failure in one testing link may require a redesign, increasing the pressure on engineers.
In Software Design
Long System Porting Cycle：Adapting an operating system that meets product requirements requires a long development cycle. Trimming file systems, interpreting documents, adapting hardware, debugging bugs, and various tasks undoubtedly increase development difficulty and prolong development cycles.
Repeated Development：When enterprises have different product R&D projects, they choose different brands or models of embedded processors based on product characteristics. These processors differ in performance and price. If the same processor is used to develop different products, it may lead to performance overcapacity or insufficiency. However, if different models of processors are chosen for each project, it will lead to repeated development and insufficient energy. Importantly, software development efforts for terminal product companies are more suitable for investing in application program development, while kernel layers related to hardware need to be modified with processor changes.
In Production Maintenance
Difficulty in Controlling Production Yield：Products developed with embedded processors often have multiple PCB layers, and most of them are high-speed signals, which require high quality of PCB materials, material quality, and soldering quality. If production consistency is not achieved, it will directly lead to a decrease in yield and may even cause instability of the board in the field.
Long Product Maintenance Cycle：High-speed signals impose high impedance requirements on PCBs, and slight changes in material may lead to adjustments in memory parameters. Additionally, some industries have long product lifecycles, often exceeding ten years. Any discontinuation or update of a chip during this period requires modifications to both hardware and software drivers. Although the difficulty is not great, maintenance is always necessary, which disperses energy.
Summary
Different industries and products such as medical, industrial control, transportation, electric power, and the Internet of Things have different demands for embedded processors. Some require high performance, some require low cost, and some require rich functional interfaces.
In the flourishing market of embedded processors, Forlinx Embedded has established strategic partnerships with many domestic and foreign chip manufacturers such as NXP, TI, Rockchip, SAMSUNG, and Renesas, launching a series of core boards tailored to the characteristics of different embedded processors. There are dedicated network acceleration NXP DN product processor core boards, as well as multimedia general-purpose processor core boards. There are core boards that can stably operate in medical devices and industrial sites, as well as fully domestically produced core boards that meet power system requirements, eliminating the need for different industry users to develop multiple boards due to different project needs.
The stable and reliable embedded core boards not only reduce R&D difficulty, shorten R&D cycles, but in the long run can also save hidden costs after product mass production. This is why more and more companies choose to use core boards for product development because for engineers and business owners, it not only saves effort and labor but also makes products more stable.
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