The problem We needed two cameras on a TI AM62A7-Q1, and the SoC gives us exactly one MIPI CSI-2 receiver. It is a 4-lane port, and the cameras we picked are IMX708 modules in the Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 class, each running 2 data lanes. The first idea everyone
Introduction Most hardware protection systems are designed around a simple assumption: One fault happens, the system responds, and recovery begins. Real products rarely fail that cleanly. In a deployed device, multiple fault conditions can appear at nearly the same time: * A power rail collapses while an overcurrent protection circuit activates.
Introduction Modern embedded products are becoming increasingly modular. A single hardware platform may support: * Multiple sensor configurations * Different communication modules * Optional accessories * Replaceable compute modules * Expandable peripheral boards This flexibility improves product scalability, but it introduces a hidden reliability challenge: What happens when someone tries to change the system configuration
Introduction In early bring-up, time looks like a solved problem. The SoC has an RTC. A 32.768 kHz crystal is fitted on the low-frequency oscillator. The board boots, the network connects, NTP sets the clock, and every log line carries a sensible date. Then the product is unplugged. Power
Introduction Most embedded systems are designed assuming that the required power will always be available. The power supply is selected based on: * Maximum processor load * Peak peripheral consumption * Worst-case communication activity * Sensor requirements The calculation looks simple: Available Power > Maximum Expected Load But real products rarely operate in perfectly
Building thermal systems that behave the same across every manufactured unit Focus: Mounting pressure control, TIM selection, screw torque, mechanical tolerance stack-up, and unit-to-unit thermal repeatability Introduction Thermal design failures rarely happen because a heatsink was completely ignored. More often, they happen because the design worked perfectly on the first
Building Hardware That Remains Stable After Years of Real-World Operation In early hardware validation, voltage rails usually look perfect. The regulator output is measured at room temperature. The load is controlled. The board passes functional tests. The oscilloscope shows clean waveforms. Then the product spends three years in the field.
A controlled-impedance PCB is easy to get right once. The difficult part is getting it right again six months later, when the board has a different connector, a new processor, a changed power section, a second PCB supplier, and someone opens the original layout and says, “We can keep the
A redundant power input is one of those features that looks finished the moment the second connector lands on the board. Two sources, one rail, a pair of diodes. It powers up. It passes review. Then a unit in the field runs for four months on its backup pack because
Building products that protect themselves without turning every fault into a service nightmare A hardware protection circuit is usually designed with one question in mind: "How do we prevent this fault from damaging the board?" That question is important, but in real products it is incomplete. A product