Electronics development, production and evaluation

One area of technology in which Linetec excels is the development of electronic products. Whether simple circuits, complex controller-based appliances; one-off projects or mass production; analog, digital or combined technology: Linetec is capable of realising many different types of systems. Some examples of these are found further down this page.
The key concept in product development is simplicity, in accordance with Linetec's business philosophy. This means that time and effort is directed towards achieving the simplest solution possible. Experience shows that this approach almost always results in the best quality products for a given price. Another important factor in efficient product development is Linetec's familiarity with all design stages and the ability to implement most of these stages. Consequently, Linetec can provide an excellent overview of all aspects of a project.

A specialised area, tightly linked to product development, is product evaluation. More information on this is given below.

Developmental stages

Developing an electronic product is often quite complicated and comprises several distinct stages. Depending on the situation, some stages may have to be repeated several times, while other stages may be skipped. The stage "mass production" for instance will naturally be omitted for a one-off product. All the possible developmental stages are shown in the following diagram.

Functional description	What exactly must a product do? Who will use it?
Functional requirements and parameters	Which additional requirements must the product meet? Under wich circumstances and in which environment must it function? What budgetary limits apply?
Basic design	A preliminary design is presented, and evaluated for compliance with the desired functionality and other requirements.
Production process	Depending on the design selected, an appropriate production process is chosen.
Prototype	The first tangible result: one or more prototypes are produced.
Test stage	The prototypes are tested.
Final product	Depending on the outcome of the test stage, the prototype is perfected, resulting in the final product.
Documentation	Any required documentation is written, if necessary for separate target groups (such as end users, manufacturers, maintenance technicians, etc.)
Mass production	Mass production is started, if applicable.
Evaluation, after-sales service and support	Does the product live up to expectations? Did any unexpected problems occur? Are any modifications necessary?

Available technology

As a small business, Linetec has at its disposal a limited, but versatile, range of technological possibilities. These include the following:

	Development of both analog and digital electronics
	Capability of using surface mounted technology
	Software development for, and programming of, controllers (PIC and 80Cxx series, Z80)
	Design and manufacturing of single-sided and simple double-sided printed circuit boards
	Design and tooling of simple mechanical parts (such as casings)
	Purchase and sale of of components and materials

Even if the development of a certain product requires more complex technology, Linetec can still handle a major part of the production process; and then, for specific stages, external companies will be contracted. This applies for instance to the production of metallised through-hole multilayer printed circuit boards, and most mechanical parts and casings. In most cases, mass production is also best contracted out, both for reasons of production capacity and cost.

Product examples

The following is a small, somewhat arbitrary selection of products, previously developed by Linetec / Richard Rasker:

	A digital 20 channel 24-bits audio processing system, based on DSPs, for modifying the acoustic properties of concert halls (partial assignment).
	A very robust 500 Watts audio amplifier, primarily designed for discotheques and music halls. Technical detail: unlimited short circuit handling.
	Several types of controller/driver modules for electric motors, including for use with precision dosing pumps.
	Several controller circuits for central heating systems, both for industrial and domestic use.
	Countless smaller sensor and driver circuits for particular projects, including several high tech art projects.

Product evaluation

Sometimes the desire or need arises for the evaluation or assessment of an existing product. Perhaps a product must be improved or adapted to new requirements, or a second opinion concerning the design and production efficiency is desired. Often, a particular design is functional, yet significant improvements can be achieved. Maybe the original designer lacked the skills to take certain mechanical aspects into account, or failed to spot the most efficient technology.
As mentioned before, the skills offered by Linetec are not limited to the electronic design stage alone, but cover all of the design and production stages. This enables Linetec to investigate all aspects of an existing product, make comparisons and to produce a report with conclusions and suggestions for improvements. In several cases, this specialised service by Linetec has led to significant improvements in products, often combined with production cost savings above twenty percent.