HardwareDesign

HardwareDesign

Hardware design is performed through a formalized development cycle that includes the following main activities:

  • Definition of hardware requirements starting from system requirements, with allocation of functionality to be implemented in hardware
  • Hardware architectural design, including block diagrams and selection of electronic components
  • Detailed design of the individual circuit sections and topologies, including component values calculation and, where necessary, simulations and/or experiments
  • Unit testing on prototype of individual circuit sections, under all operating conditions, including fault conditions
  • Hardware – software and system integration verifications
  • Traceability of requirements throughout the development cycle
  • Configuration management and versioning of all design items

Technologies and architectures

Microcontrollers

The preferred approach in most applications is to use one or more microcontrollers as the main architectural element.

This choice makes our hardware solutions extremely flexible, upgradeable, and scalable. Our consolidated expertise allows us to manage all microcontrollers on the market, from small 8-bit 8-pin, up to powerful Cortex-A. 

Our main developments are based on:

Cortex-M

  • NXP Kinetis Cortex-M
  • Microchip SAM
  • ST STM32
  • TI SimpleLink

 

Application Processors Cortex-A

  • NXP i.MX Application Processors based on ARM® Cores

 

8 and 16 bit microcontrollers

  • Microchip PIC1X MCU
  • Microchip PIC2X MCU
  • Microchip dsPIC3X DSC
  • Microchip AVR

Data communication

MediCon Ingegneria offers solutions of proven reliability and performance, designed to integrate data communication capabilities into electronic devices and embedded electronic boards.

In the wireless field, we have great expertise in low-power technologies, increasingly strategic in most mobile applications.

We also design antennas optimized for each individual application.

Wireless connectivity

  • 4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4
  • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
  • Sub-1 GHz
  • LoRa
  • NB-IoT / LTE-M
  • Wi-Fi

 

Wired connectivity

  • CAN
  • RS232/485
  • Ethernet
  • USB

 

Security

  • Hardware asymmetric sign, verify, key agreement
  • Hardware symmetric algorithms
  • Hardware Turnkey PRF/HKDF calculation for TLS 1.2 & 1.3
  • Hardware high-quality Random Number Generator (RNG)
  • Secure, hardware-based, key storage for keys, certificates or data
  • Hardware high-endurance monotonic counters

Sensors and actuators

Around the digital core of our architectures, strong analog design skills allow us to develop hardware optimized to meet system interface requirements. The strengths of our approach include:

  • Technology scouting of transducers
  • Design of low-noise analog amplification stages for inputs
  • ADC selection and configuration
  • Design of linear and switching amplification stages for power outputs

Equipment

Our laboratory includes the following main equipment

Oscilloscopes

TEKTRONIX DRT TDS2014
TEKTRONIX THS720A
TEKTRONIX DPO3034
PicoScope 2205
PicoScope 5444B

Function generators

TTI waveform generator TG315 TTI waveform generator TG5011 PicoScope 5444B

Multimeters

FLUKE Digital multimeter 179 FLUKE Digital multimeter 287

Transducers

FLUKE Temperature probe 80T
Delta Ohm Temperature Pressure transducer HD2304.0
Delta Ohm Pressure probe TP704-2BAI
Delta Ohm sicram module PP471
LTL Electronic centesimal gauge
Testo Termoigrometer 608-H1
Chauvin Arnoux Current Probe E3N

Debugger

IAR Systems I-jet
Microchip ICD3
Microchip ICD4
Microcip REAL ICE
Segger J-Link
Freescale CodeWarrior USBTAP
Renesas E8a

Protocol analyzers

TRIDONIC PC interface for DALI systems 24138923
Kvaser CAN analyzer CG150
Picoscope 2205
PicoScope 5444B

Benchtop Power Supplies

RND Power supply 320-KD3005D
LYTRON Power supply NG-2500

Leakage current testing tools

BENDER Tester Unimet 810ST

Variable transformers

Carroll & Meynell Variac CMV 3E-1

Soldering stations

JBC CD2BB
JBC CD2E

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