Option® services for embedded modules Enabling your device with
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1. page 6 of 12 OO OOPTION OO 5 Integration Services for modules only When a module has passed all required certifications it is ready to be integrated into the mobile broadband enabled device that you wish to bring to market Both from a hardware as well as from a software perspective certain services are offered by Option 5 1 Hardware integration 5 1 1 Pre integration services Before a module can be integrated into the device the device itself needs to be prepared to accept the module e First step is a full review of the device itself to select the optimal module gt Regions where you want to sell your device gt Operator s you target in these regions gt Type of device you want to bring to the market and key design considerations Super thin or ultra low power Android and or Windows 7 Option has many years of experience in assisting its customers with device reviews Based on careful analysis the optimal module is selected e After selection the first connection tests can be started There is a development kit for each module in Option s portfolio This kit makes it possible to connect the module to the device by using a standard USB cable By doing so the manufacturer can setup a 3G connection for the device without physically inserting the module The module development kit contains following parts gt Evaluation board with module power supply and SIM card holder gt Antenna cable that can be connected2. by the parties thereto Option Copyright Reproduction transfer distribution or storage of part or all of the contents of this White Paper in any form is prohibited without the prior written permission of Option Copyright 2011 OPTION All rights reserved Option uCAN and the Option logo are registered trademarks of OPTION All third party trademarks are the property of the respective owners page 2 of 12 Patrick Willekens Product Line Manager Embedded Solutions OO OOPTION O O 1 Contents About Option 2 1 Contents 3 2 Introduction 4 3 Overview of Option modules services 4 4 3G Design certification amp manufacturing services 5 41 3G Design 9 4 2 3G Certification 3 4 3 3G Manufacturing 6 5 Integration services r 5 1 Hardware integration T 5 1 1 Pre integration services 8 5 1 2 Services during integration process 8 9 1 3 Post integration services 8 5 2 software integration 8 6 Software customization services 9 7 Extended module and device certification services 10 71 Extended module certification services 10 7 2 Device certification services 10 7 3 Device Field Testing services 10 8 After sales support services 11 9 Conclusion 11 page 3 of 12 White Paper Option services for embedded modules v 3 0 February 2011 2 Introduction Option offers a complete portfolio of services from design manufacturing and integration up to certification of embedded modules and devices These se
3. modules v 3 0 February 2011 4 3 3G Manufacturing e While Option can perform the manufacturing of the EVT DVT and PVT builds at the moment of market introduction production needs to be transferred to your manufacturer of choice This manufacturer needs to take over the procurement of the components required to build the 3G device and setup a production line for the manufacturing Option has experience with every step of this process and can assist if desired e Option has developed a state of the art production monitoring customization calibration and testing software suite called CALPRO CALPRO is used to streamline the entire production process which allows the device to be manufactured calibrated and tested in high volume with high yield If not available yet in your factory of choice Option can additionally lease specialised radio testing equipment to be used in combination with the CALPRO suite e Since yield is the most important factor for controlling the cost of the finished goods Option can share its experience to bring the yield to the highest achievable level by analyzing test failures running CALPRO in manual mode and making small improvements to the design and or production process where needed Typical CALPRO based setup of production process CALPRO STATIONS OPERATOR WEB CPK PARAMETER MANUFACTURING PLANT TOOLS ANALYSIS MANAGER ENGINEER SAP DATA WAREHOUSE PRODUCTION R amp D DEPT
4. to the evaluation board gt USB cable to connect the evaluation board to the device gt Detailed manual User manual Power supply for cradle Antenna cable SMA female to UFL for connecting other antenna or 2nd div antenna USB cable A male to B male for connection to PC Power supply for cradle page 7 of 12 White Paper Option services for embedded modules v 3 0 February 2011 e The module is only one element of the 3G system that you will need to plan for in your device The antenna s and SIM card reader for WCDMA networks need to be selected as well Here are some of the services that Option can perform in this step of the integration process gt Providing strategic advice on antenna vendor selection gt Providing advice on optimal antenna and SIM card reader integration in system board design gt Testing of passive amp active antenna performance in antenna chambers for the selected antennas gt Custom antenna design for specific module integrations where the available space is limited and or there are many noise or antenna signal blocking elements in the device such as a metal housing 5 1 2 Services during integration process e The integration of 3G functionality in a device is often an iterative process especially when the device never had a 3G module before e When the module is integrated on an early evaluation board Option can already do TRP TIS testing Total Radiated Power Total Isotropic Sensiti
5. e gt Telecom industry approvals PTCRB GCF JATE etc gt Regulatory approvals FCC CE etc gt Operator approvals AT amp T DoCoMo Verizon T Mobile etc Option is your perfect partner to take over this certification task partly or entirely by performing tests on your device before presenting it for certification saving costly lab access 7 3 Device Field Testing services A good user experience is every device manufacturer s primary concern Because of the nature of 3G communication the situation is different in every area in the world So no matter how well you prepare your device for communicating over the 3G network it is best practice to include some live testing in the field as well Imagine selling a Personal Navigation Device with embedded 3G module for live traffic updates Are you sure the connection will not drop when travelling in Europe from Germany into Austria over the Alps into Italy Option has sent its engineers all over the world with their backpacks filled with laptops and other connected devices buying local SIMs driving local cars and measuring the connectivity performance under various and often extreme conditions With a specialised program called OATS Option Automated Test System the field trial process of hardware and software can be simplified reproduced analysed and stored in a central database location over the web with the GPS coordinates of the test location Interfacing with protocol tester RF tes
6. gy Option can offer you the right expertise equipment and tools to assist you with the design certification amp manufacturing of your own custom 3G module or device Although the remainder of this chapter talks about modules only the same service tasks can be performed to create any 3G enabling or 3G enabled device whether it is a USB stick a PCI Express module or even the full system board of a smartphone 4 1 3G Design e As a first step in the 3G device design process we can assist you in defining detailed specifications based on our market knowledge and capability to translate your customer s expectations into technical specifications e To validate your business case a transparent costing proposal containing a detailed COGS estimation Cost of Goods Sold and overview of the projected NRE cost Non Recurring Engineering is typically the next step e After validation of the business case we can continue with a detailed design proposal and project plan with timelines and milestones including software configuration of firmware amp drivers e After schematics and layout phase a more detailed BOM cost Bill of Material can be calculated in coordination with your manufacturer who will need to buy the components for mass production and therefore needs to approve Option s choice of components e The required components will be ordered after which the first prototypes can be created for EVT Engineering Verification Tests Based on
7. le broadband enabled devices to market Whether you are looking for full project management or highly customized individual services Option is the right choice The information presented in this document can serve as a first guideline on the portfolio of available services For more detailed information about our module services capabilities and the exact commercial terms for these services please contact services option com For more sales information please contact sales option com page 11 of 12 C OPTION OO WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY
8. lo White Paper OPTION OO WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY White Paper Option services for embedded modules v 3 0 February 2011 About Option Option the wireless technology company is committed to bringing mobile broadband solutions to market that can help you acquire new customers retain your existing ones and enable reductions in supply chain and customer support costs A pioneer in wireless data communications since 1986 Option is headquartered in Leuven Belgium Our Research amp Development is carried out in Leuven Our specialist software develooment team is located in Augsburg Germany while our ISO 9001 production engineering and logistics facility is based in Cork Ireland We also have sales offices in Europe US Asia Japan and Australia For more information visit www option com BD Mobile Jat Broadband gt Routers Consumer Broadband Solutions CONS Mobile Security Manager amp Solutions Embedded Mobile Broadband Legal notice This White Paper is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer This document does not include any information on prices costs and or possible royalty burdens This White Paper is not to be relied on to make any business decisions and Option disclaims any and all liabilities in relation to this White Paper Any binding agreement as to the hardware software and services described in this White Paper must be set forth in a separate agreement signed
9. rvices facilitate wireless 3G integration in a wide range of mobile broadband enabled devices such as the traditional laptops and netbooks but also e readers MID s portable navigation devices and cameras This document intends to give an overview of the different services Option can offer to its customers that want to bring mobile broadband enabled devices to the market some of the services described here after are standard and offered free of charge when purchasing a sufficient amount of modules from Option Other services can be offered against a certain fee For more detailed information about our embedded 3G services please contact services option com For more sales information please contact sales option com 3 Overview of Option modules services Whether you are looking for a partner to design a custom made 3G device or wish to integrate an existing Option module into your device we can leverage the knowledge of our technical experts and good understanding of customers needs to provide just the right solutions Overview of modules services ak SAY device Manutacturing assistance Customer specific 3G module device Gertification module Option standard module Extended module certification Module Device integration certification page 4 of 12 OO OOPTION G O 4 3G Design certification amp manufacturing Services With over 20 years experience as a global leader in wireless technolo
10. s not yet been achieved might face an easier approval process if the module was approved first depending on that country s regulations or operator s guidelines After such module approval device ap proval usually consists of a delta approval only an easier and faster process 7 1 Extended module certification services e When Option s module is not approved yet in the target country where you want to launch your device Option can perform the full approval process e The same service extends to Mobile Network Operators Also here some operators have specific test requirements or demand the availability of certain features in the software Option has worked with all major MNO s and can again offer its valuable experience to fulfill specific requirements page 9 of 12 White Paper Option services for embedded modules v 3 0 February 2011 7 2 Device certification services Even when all module approvals have been achieved you will not be able to launch your device without additional certifications The reason is that module approvals are typically done with modules in development cradles and with standard antennas Devices have a different module encapsulation which changes the radiation characteristics and uses different often customized antennas again impacting the cellular transmission characteristics Additional measurements on this customized hardware are therefore unavoidable The required certifications are multipl
11. st System e Customization of firmware flashing application When the firmware is present in the module and you want to allow your end customer to upgrade the firmware a flashing application needs to be present on your device This application can be customized as well to your desired look and feel e Customization of driver package to support a certain feature or specific operating system s e Customization or extension of the RIL package Typically not all functions in the RIL have been implemented because there was no perceived need for these functions e Customization or extension of the functions available in the SDK Also for the SDK it can occur that a function you desire is not present yet and needs to be added e Customization of the user interface of uCAN Connect our connection manager software uCAN Connect offers very powerful skinning capabilities and can even change skins automatically based on the SIM that was inserted e Customization or integration of dashboard applications such as integration of WiFi Bluetooth GPS control Wifi offloading etc This list is just a selection of the possible customizations A detailed list with customizations is available on request 7 Extended module and device certification Services It is practically impossible to certify a module in all countries and with all operators However devices that are planned to be launched in a country and or with an operator for which module approval ha
12. ter and live network can be compared Option s automated test system DUT Environment Config A TestsetN Config B Test set N meee Config X Test set N Config A Test set 1 Config B Test set 1 Config X Test set 1 Protocol aptop4 RF External tester link to DUT tester Laptop DUT network manual or automated IP network Central test server Remote test config PC1 Remote test config PC N Test configuration and management environment page 10 of 12 OO OOPTION G O 8 After Sales Support Services Option s involvement does not have to stop after your device has been sold to your customer The following after sales services are offered e Warranty on module design and manufacturing issues for the agreed period This is typically 12 months 3 months integration time can be extended up to 3 years e Support for on site quality monitoring and module debugging e Development of failure analysis tools and flowcharts e Detailed RMA analysis of customer returns 9 Conclusion Option has a large amount of experience delivering services that bring mobile broadband connectivity to your device whether this involves designing a customized module a wirelessly enabled system board or integrating an existing Option module When the desired development approach is selected Option can further assist with the integration and certification tasks when you need to bring mobi
13. the test results improvements can be implemented leading to a second batch of prototype that are tested in the DVT phase Design Verification Tests This leads to a third batch for the final PVT phase Production Verification Tests This batch is typically used for the various certification tests that are needed Typical module design timeline Module Specifications Validation Business Case Design amp Project Plan BOM Calculation Prototyping Testing 4 2 3G Certification e n order to be approved for introduction into the market 3G devices need to pass 3 sequences of tests gt Regulatory approvals are needed for the countries where the device will be used CE approval for Europe and FCC approval for US are done by default but other countries can be covered on request gt Telecom industry approvals are typically required For Europe this is regulated by GCF Global Certification Forum for the US by PTCRB PCS Type Certification Review Board Other specific certifications can be requested if other regions need to be addressed gt Operator specific tests may be required before an operator will allow the device to be sold for operation on their network some of these operators like DoCoMo and AT amp T require specific features in the firmware Option can implement these features on request therefore it is important to specify in advance which operators are targeted page 5 of 12 White Paper Option services for embedded
14. vity in its antenna chambers These measurements allow early detection of antenna and or design issues so adjustments can be made before the final PCB is created Specific values are needed to pass certification for your device e The same applies to the SAR measurement Specific Absorption Ratio required by FCC for devices where the antenna can come within 20cm of the human body like cellular phones but also eBook Readers or Tablet devices Also here specific values should not be exceeded in a given time period Option has developed a proprietary algorithm called EPA Exposure Protection Algorithm for this purpose This program can be integrated in your device to monitor the conducted power and adjust the module operation where needed Several eBook readers have already implemented this algorithm so they can pass the FCC regulations 5 1 3 Post integration services When the module SIM card holder and antenna are integrated in the final design the device needs to pass a series of tests to meet the certification standards for the region s and operator s you target with the device Before doing expensive tests in certified labs it is often safe to request Option to do a spot system check first Following tests are advised e Asystem noise evaluation for key frequency bands Option s antenna chambers are equipped with noise measurement instruments For modules with a Qualcomm chipset an additional noise evaluation tool is available that allo
15. ws us to evaluate and compare noise charts for the tested device e TRP TIS testing and SAR testing e Electromagnetic Compatibility EMC testing Application Dashboard 5 2 Software integration Equally important as the hardware integration is the proper installation and functioning WWAN CM of the software layers that are required to bring the hardware to life The following software layers are present in a typical device SDK and or PIL e Firmware that is running on the module e Drivers for the operating system that is running on your device e Radio Interface Layer RIL for selective operating systems such as Android e Software Development Kit for the operating system that is running on your device Hardware drivers e uCAN Connect our Connection Manager Software to allow the user to connect the module manually or automatically to the wireless network and integrate it with network operator services e Applications using the wireless functionality in the system 3G GPS WiFi BlueTooth SMS etc Many of these applications can be made available in uCAN Connect page 8 of 12 OO OOPTION OO 6 Software customization Services Since software is easier to customize than hardware the list of available software customization services is long e Customization of firmware to support desired operation Typical examples are the support of a specific A GPS server or the integration of specific features such as CBS Cell Broadca
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