Challenges of Agile Product Development

In the adoption of Agile project management practices to the development of hardware or combined hardware-software engineering projects, and the adaptations to common Agile techniques that may be applied for best results with hardware projects, let’s consider some of the challenges that may be faced and how you might address them.

For example, do you develop software and firmware only after you’ve developed and assembled an iteration of physical prototype hardware? Or do you develop an iteration of your software and firmware concurrently with the development and assembly of the corresponding hardware and use other methods such as simulation to stand in for the hardware until an iteration of the physical hardware is ready?

When using Agile project management techniques, it is desirable to be able to rapidly produce and demonstrate a working prototype of your technology and to rapidly iterate and refine and build on each prototype without necessarily having a perfectly engineered product ready to go at the first iteration.

When you’re working with hardware, however, you need to deal with the lead time required to source components, to fabricate printed circuit boards, to have prototype layouts assembled by an external pick-and-place assembly contractor or to have custom plastics injection-moulded and so on.

What if the lead-time required for these processes is longer than the time allocated to a particular iteration or sprint? These types of external supply and manufacturing dependencies are unique to hardware, and aren’t present in software development – so they present a unique challenge when trying to apply agile methods to the management of hardware projects.

While these constraints may seem like a daunting challenge to adoption of Agile in the hardware engineering industry, techniques and tools such as in-house rapid prototyping, 3D printing, CNC milling of simple PCBs and the like present part of a potential solution, allowing for rapid, agile iteration of hardware prototypes.A prototype iteration of a hardware system doesn’t have to physically involve hardware, either. Simulation and visualisation tools can play a valuable role of validating the design and performance of all the components that come together into a new product, even before a prototype is actually physically constructed. FPGAs and logic synthesis may also be valuable tools here, allowing for validation of soft cores before physical hardware is constructed.

One of the challenges for combined software and hardware development is that software can normally be developed fairly rapidly and the development broken down into smaller iterative chunks. Hardware, on the other hand, may require months to show a working component or feature, which has been implemented starting from scratch.

If the software development must wait for the hardware to be created before final testing, this can create significant testing delays. Hardware must also often follow strictly defined process models, meet compliance standards, and it can be difficult to make late changes to hardware. This means that feature creep can be difficult and expensive in hardware engineering, although Agile methods are traditionally more accepting of “feature creep” compared to traditional “waterfall” management methods.

Traditionally, the priority for embedded software, for example, would be to write the hardware drivers first, to allow evaluation of the new device and to allow testing. Testing is more complex when software must fit within a small, cheap microcontroller with limited resources in an embedded system, with timing well controlled to prevent race conditions and other timing issues. This means that at some point testing on the actual hardware is generally important.

A problem often seen when businesses who create hardware and the software that runs it face when trying to “go Agile” is that they attempt to take methods and practices developed for software (such as Scrum, an Agile project management framework), and try to use it for everything, including hardware development.

Scrum is based upon “sprints” of relatively short lengths (two weeks to 30 days), with highly defined tasks that must be completed during the sprint. The nature of software development makes this an excellent framework for rapid progress; but scrum isn’t necessarily the best framework for hardware development. If the products are in a highly regulated industry, such as medical or aviation hardware, then the documentation must follow industry requirements for specification and design, as well as normal testing and functional requirements documentation.

This makes it extremely difficult to use scrum by itself, since the processes for hardware are frequently much more rigid, defined, and design-oriented than those normally defined by scrum.

On the software side, because software must interface, communicate with, and control hardware, development issues using Agile are more complex for combined software/hardware projects, and the stories (definition of the functions for a specific feature) that the developers define for each sprint are accordingly more complex. Large projects with large amounts of hardware and software dependencies can be even more challenging.

One method of dealing with hardware that isn’t ready to test is to decouple software and hardware development, via an abstraction layer, to allow software development to continue more rapidly. Can the interfaces to the hardware module be specified, and the specifics abstracted away to allow other parts of the hardware and software development to continue around the hardware component that is behind schedule?

The challenge is to find a method that allows the rapid development of software with concurrent development of the hardware, that can best meet the requirements of each process. A good approach can be the use of different Agile techniques for hardware projects than those used in software projects. Agile techniques are not abandoned – simply implemented a little differently, with different specific Agile techniques chosen for the most effective results.

With Commitment-Based Project Management (CBPM), which has been described as an “agile without using Agile” technique with broad applicability outside the software engineering sector, the emphasis is on the delivery of at least a component or piece of the hardware that works, in the case of an embedded computing or other combined hardware-software project, in order to allow the development or testing of the software that will work on that hardware component.

This is very different from the traditional “waterfall” project management approach, where the entire hardware system needs to be built first. While the “scrum” method for software projects is based on sprints with small portions of the software completed at a time, hardware development can benefit from a different approach.

With Agile, both hardware and software features are broken down into smaller chunks – only the Agile methodology can be a bit different for each. Once software is working, it can be deployed either on any available hardware modules that are ready, or in a test or simulation environment.

This allows the early identification and fixing of race issues and bugs that arise, and reduces the amount of “fixing” and lengthy hours reworking that must occur during late integration and testing when the hardware is ready.

And that’s the goal of successful agile development – to reduce the total time required, decreasing errors, mistakes and the chances of unforseen events, which will increase the time to market for your new or revised product.

Here at the LX Group you can leverage our product development expertise and experience for your total benefit. Our consultants, engineers and experts in many fields can guide you to your goal of product success.

To get started, join us for an obligation-free and confidential discussion about your ideas and how we can help bring them to life – click here to contact us, or telephone 1800 810 124.

LX is an award-winning electronics design company based in Sydney, Australia. LX services include full turnkey design, electronics, hardware, software and firmware design. LX specialises in embedded systems and wireless technologies design.

Published by LX Pty Ltd for itself and the LX Group of companies, including LX Design House, LX Solutions and LX Consulting, LX Innovations.

Wearable Computing and the IoT

Wearable computing – the use of personal computers, displays and sensors worn on one’s person – gives us the potential for advancement in human-computer interaction compared to traditional personal computing – for example the ability to have constant access and interaction with a computer – and the Internet, whilst going about our daily activities.

This could be considered the ultimate in multitasking – the use of your computing device at any time without interrupting your other activities. For example, the ability to read an email or retrieve required information while walking or working on other tasks. Wearable computing potentially offers much greater consistency in human-computer interaction – constant access to the computer, constant connectivity, without a computing device being used in an on-and-off fashion in between other activities.

Once contemporary example of this is the new Google Glass, which represents an advanced, sleek, beautifully designed head-mounted wearable computer with a display suitable for augmented-reality applications – or just as an “ordinary” personal head-mounted display. Even before its public release, the frenzy surrounding Google Glass amongst technology enthusiasts demonstrates the potential level of market demand for wearable computers.

However, with a price of at least US$1500 price tag of Google Glass, (at least for its “Explorer Edition” beta version) this leads many to consider what potential might exist for the deployment of wearable computing and wearable sensor-network technologies – however at a lower cost.

One example is the category known as “Smart Watches” such as the Sony SmartWatch and Pebble Technology’s “Pebble” e-Paper watch – which both offer constant, on-the-go access to information from the Internet – and thus become a member of the Internet of Things – at a glance of the wrist. Text messages and email notifications are amongst the most simple, common examples of data that can be pushed to a smart watch, but the display of information from a multitude of other Internet-connected data streams is possible.

With the growing popularity and increasing hardware capabilities of smart phones, it is increasingly taken for granted that a smart phone carried on one’s person can act as a gateway between the Internet (connected via the cellular networks) and other smaller, lower-power wearable computer or sensor devices worn on the body and connected back to the smartphone via standard data links such as WiFi or Bluetooth. In using the smart phone as an Internet connection, the size, price and weight of the wearable device can be significantly reduced – which also leads to a considerable reduction in cost.

Furthermore, apart from providing mobile Internet connectivity, the smart phone can also provide a large display and an amount of storage capacity – which can be harnessed for the logging, visualisation and display of data collected from a network-connected sensor node wearable on one’s body, or a whole network of such sensor nodes distributed around different personal electronic devices carried on the person and different types of physical sensors around the body.

The increasing penetration of smart phones in the market and the increasing availability and decreasing cost of wireless radio-networked microcontroller system-on-chips, MEMS
sensors and energy efficient short-range wireless connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth 4.0 are among some of the factors responsible for increasing the capabilities of,
and decreasing the cost of, wearable computing and wearable Internet-of-Things and sensor platforms.

Speed and position loggers, GPS data loggers and smart pedometers intended for logging and monitoring athletic performance, such as the Internet-connected, GPS-enabled,
Nike+ system; along with biomedical instrumentation and sensor devices such as Polar’s Bluetooth-connected heart rate sensors are other prominent examples of wearable Internet-of-Things devices which are attracting increasing consumer interest on the market today.

Combined with display devices such as smart watches, smart phones and head-mounted displays such as Google Glass. these kinds of wearable sensors create a complete wearable machine-to-machine Internet-of-Things network that can be self-contained on one’s person. Which leads us to the next level of possibilities – what do your customers want a device to do? And how can it be accomplished? And do you have the resources or expertise to design, test and bring such a system to the market?

It isn’t easy – there’s a lot of technology to work with – however it can be done with the right technology parter. Here at the LX Group we have the experience and team to make things happen. With our experience with sensors, embedded and wireless hardware/software design, and ability to transfer ideas from the whiteboard to the white box – we can partner with you for your success.

We can create or tailor just about anything from a wireless temperature sensor to a complete Internet-enabled system for you – within your required time-frame and your budget. For more information or a confidential discussion about your ideas and how we can help bring them to life – click here to contact us, or telephone 1800 810 124.

LX is an award-winning electronics design company based in Sydney, Australia. LX services include full turnkey design, electronics, hardware, software and firmware design. LX specialises in embedded systems and wireless technologies design. http://www.lx-group.com.au

Published by LX Pty Ltd for itself and the LX Group of companies, including LX Design House, LX Solutions and LX Consulting, LX Innovations.

Robotics in Mining – Dig Deeper, Dig Faster, Dig Safer

If you’ve had your eye on a career in the mining industry, which pays well and offers above average job security, here’s some advice. Brush up on your knowledge of robotics, electronics and automation. Even go a step further and obtain a relevant degree or certificate in the robotics and electronics field. The fact of the matter is simply that electronic robots are the next in the evolution of industry in general, and the in the mining industry specifically.

At What Cost?
Though improvements in excavation techniques have made mining such safer than it once was, it’s still an endevour inherent with hazards. Cave-ins, explosions and toxic gases are just a few of the better known dangers associated with mining, often with catastrophic results.

The fact that these dangers are so rampant means that it’s more difficult to attract the right people to the field, it’s harder to keep them and it costs a lot to insure them. By using electronic robots in some of the harder and more dangerous aspects of mining, the cost of all these three factors and more can be drastically reduced.

As old as the Hills?
Using electronic robots in mining is certainly not a new concept. Most mines in the world have a at least a few robots, and several mines have been using automated machinery for more than forty years. What’s new is the expanding roles robots can now take on, thanks to improvements in electronics and automation design. Just a few years ago, technology such as automated controls and virtual intelligence were not advanced enough to fully utilise robots in the roles they could best perform.

Remote Mining
The large mining firm Rio Tinto, which operates a substantial network of ore mines in Western Australia, is one of the early innovators in using electronic robots in their operation. In fact, the company envisions a time in the near future when the majority of their mining work will be performed by purpose designed and manufactured electronic robots. It is envisaged that many of these robots will be controlled from Rio Tinto’s headquarters in Perth, located hundreds of kilometers from the nearest mine. Though humans will still need to be present on site to deal with unforeseen occurrences, the on-site staff will be drastically reduced and that will translate into reduced operating costs. In addition, onsite staff will be less likely to be exposed to extreme situations; instead electronic robots will take on this role. Dig Safer.

Currently, Rio Tinto operates a small fleet of robotic trucks. The trucks are controlled by several forms of electronic technology that allows them to be aware of their environment. For general navigation, the trucks are fitted with GPS. For obstacle detection, they have laser rangefinders and avoidance radars. Vehicles fitted with the same technology currently traverse the highways of California as part of Google’s Streetview project. So far, no accidents can be attributed to the robotic vehicles.

Electronic Robots in the 21^st Century
Rio Tinto is also developing a variety of electronic robotic technology to be used deep inside the mine. This includes robotic drilling devices, robotic blasting machinery and several other items to replace human labour in the most dangerous part of mining operations. Plans are already underway to increase the fleet of robotic trucks from around fifteen to well over one hundred. Dig Faster.

For modern life to function as we expect, extensive mining operations are essential. But mining has always been dangerous, expensive, labour-intensive work. As mineral deposits are depleted, the work involved becomes even more difficult. Often the mines have to be expanded thousands of feet deeper to continue to find deposits. Dig Deeper.

Electronic robots are the logical step in ensuring that mine operators can continue to extract the needed minerals without drastically increasing the costs and risks associated with the industry. If mining work is in your future plans, it’s time to become friendly with and knowledgeable about electronic robotic applications. Welcome to the 21st Century!

LX is an award-winning electronics design company based in Sydney, Australia. LX services include full turnkey design, electronics, hardware, software and firmware design. LX specialises in embedded systems and wireless technologies design. www.lx-group.com.au

Published by LX Pty Ltd for itself and the LX Group of companies, including LX Design House, LX Solutions and LX Consulting, LX Innovations.

LX Group and ITL Designs have just delivered the first production quantity for a collaborative design and manufacturing project.

LX Group and ITL Design have just delivered the first production quantity to their client for a collaborative design and manufacturing project, completed within 12 months.

http://www.prlog.org/10802097-lx-innovations-and-itl-designs-have-just-delivered-the-first-production-quantity-for-collaborative.html

ITL Design provided the mechanical design and manufacturing, adding value to the client’s existing IP through innovative industrial design, mechanical design and manufacturing using their Malaysian based manufacturing facility.

LX Group provided the system level design, electronics, firmware, PC software and off-shore manufacturing co-ordination. The system has passed certification for commercial sale.

Project:The Nero post is a point-of-sale theft control device, designed to display consumer electronic products. It attaches to the consumer product via a magnetic head, allowing customers to interact with the product. The post can be shelf or wall mounted and rotated to suit the most appropriate display angle.The design is intended to complement the modern retail environment in order to maximise the visual impact of retailer’s products, which can vary from small mp3 players to mobiles phones, digital cameras and camcorders.

http://www.ferret.com.au/c/LX-Innovations/LX-Innovations-and-ITL-Designs-have-just-delivered-the-first-production-quantity-for-a-collaborative-design-and-manufacturing-project-n844871

Published by LX Pty Ltd for itself and the LX Group of companies, including LX Design House, LX Solutions and LX Consulting, LX Innovations.

 

LX Group & ITL Design Introduce ‘Nero’

ITL Design and LX Group collaborate to design and manufacture ‘Nero’, a retail display and theft control device for small consumer electronic devices.

http://www.prlog.org/10802090-lx-innovations-itl-design-introduce-nero.html

The first production quantity of the product, which were manufactured at ITL’s Malaysian based manufacturing facility and in South East Asia, have been delivered to the client all within a 12 month time frame. By blending ITL Design’s extensive industrial design and manufacturing capabilities with LX Group leading electronic design services, Nero is now the most innovative and unique retail theft control device on the market.

Nero is a retail display and theft control device, designed to display consumer electronic products, which attach to the device via a magnetic head, allowing customers to interact with the product. The design is intended to complement the modern retail environment in order to maximise the visual impact of retailer’s products, which can vary from small mp3 players to mobiles phones, digital cameras and camcorders. The post can be shelf or wall mounted and rotated to suit the most appropriate display angle.

ITL Design provided the mechanical design and manufacturing, building upon and adding value to the client’s existing IP through innovative industrial design, mechanical design and manufacturing using their Malaysian based manufacturing facility. LX Group provided the system level design, electronics, firmware, PC software and off-shore manufacturing co-ordination. The system has passed certification for commercial sale.

About ITL Design Background:
ITL Design & Manufacturing is part of an Australian listed company that has been providing clients with complete, innovative solutions to develop their ideas into commercially successful products for the past 15 years.

About LX Group Background:
LX Group is an innovative contract electronics design company based in Sydney and Canberra, specialising in the design of embedded systems and wireless technologies. They offer clients a range of professional solutions designed to take a new product idea from concept through to production.

Published by LX Pty Ltd for itself and the LX Group of companies, including LX Design House, LX Solutions and LX Consulting, LX Innovations.

ITL Design and LX Group collaborate to design and manufacture ‘Nero’, a retail display and theft control device for small consumer electronic devices.

http://www.prlog.org/10802090-lx-innovations-itl-design-introduce-nero.html

The first production quantity of the product, which were manufactured at ITL’s Malaysian based manufacturing facility and in South East Asia, have been delivered to the client all within a 12 month time frame. By blending ITL Design’s extensive industrial design and manufacturing capabilities with LX Group leading electronic design services, Nero is now the most innovative and unique retail theft control device on the market.

Nero is a retail display and theft control device, designed to display consumer electronic products, which attach to the device via a magnetic head, allowing customers to interact with the product. The design is intended to complement the modern retail environment in order to maximise the visual impact of retailer’s products, which can vary from small mp3 players to mobiles phones, digital cameras and camcorders. The post can be shelf or wall mounted and rotated to suit the most appropriate display angle.

ITL Design provided the mechanical design and manufacturing, building upon and adding value to the client’s existing IP through innovative industrial design, mechanical design and manufacturing using their Malaysian based manufacturing facility. LX Group provided the system level design, electronics, firmware, PC software and off-shore manufacturing co-ordination. The system has passed certification for commercial sale.

About ITL Design Background:
ITL Design & Manufacturing is part of an Australian listed company that has been providing clients with complete, innovative solutions to develop their ideas into commercially successful products for the past 15 years.

About LX Group Background:
LX Group is an innovative contract electronics design company based in Sydney and Canberra, specialising in the design of embedded systems and wireless technologies. They offer clients a range of professional solutions designed to take a new product idea from concept through to production.

Published by LX Pty Ltd for itself and the LX Group of companies, including LX Design House, LX Solutions and LX Consulting, LX Innovations.