BackgroundWhen a small start-up company approached Logic Product Development (Logic) with a request to design a new product, it presented a unique opportunity to innovate in the fast-growing field of genomics, or the study of the genes.
Specifically, the client wanted to create a more affordable and portable device for array scanning, which breaks down genes into various proteins that are then "tagged" with a light-emitting compound that lets researchers better understand genetic information, including DNA.
Traditionally, array scanners are expensive and large and typically found only at major research labs and universities. In addition to being affordable and having a small "footprint," the client wanted the device to be easy to use and have flexible connectivity options that would allow it to be easily hooked up to desktop PCs or common peripherals.
Proposed solutionLogic chose to use Microsoft Windows CE .NET 4.2 to help create a medical imaging scanner that runs on a compact Card Engine single-board computer designed by Logic. The Card Engine contains a Renesas SH7727 32-bit RISC processor with USB support for plugging into a host PC, as well as Ethernet support, a serial I/O port, and an LCD graphical user interface.
Using Windows CE .NET, Logic was able to quickly create a small-footprint device that met the client's requirements for a more portable and cost-effective device that will open the field of genomics to more researchers and smaller companies. Additionally, the Microsoft Windows platform enabled rapid application development for the device, with development work handled by Logic's services businesses with design guidance from the customer.
"The scanning portion of the design could have been accomplished with a 16-bit processor, but substantial effort would have been required to develop firmware with the control functions, connectivity, and extensibility required in the product specification," says Dr. Scott Nelson, Logic's chief technology officer and general manager of the company's services business. "Additionally, the customer had upgrade requirements that included moving from a design that is tethered to a PC to supporting mobile handheld devices with LCD displays."
"Based on these requirements, we recommended using the Microsoft Windows CE .NET operating system," he continues, "because it provided core functionality that enabled the client to put their focus on the scanning engine and the application software " which is where the value of their intellectual property resides."
ResultNelson says Logic has long been a proponent of using Windows CE as the operating system for embedded devices. Windows CE .NET provided particular advantages in the design of the scanner, including:
- A powerful and complete tool set for designing the scanner to the customer's specifications. This includes Platform Builder, which expedited the design of the operating environment for the device.
- Support for real-time controls that are needed for the precise operations of the scanner.
- Rich connectivity options, including the support for USB, Ethernet, and I/O connections.
- Support for widely used Windows development tools that enable this and other customers to rapidly and cost-effectively create and modify applications as needed.
"As a result of using Windows CE .NET, the software platform development was removed as a critical path task for the product development," Nelson says. "In particular, the software expense really went down because Windows CE .NET comes with USB support, which eliminated the need to develop a custom device driver for the scanner."
Nelson says that due to the customer's limited staffing resources, it turned over application development to Logic's services business, which used Microsoft Visual Studio 6 in the creation of the prototype. Other customers that have in-house development resources also benefit from Windows CE .NET platform because it gives them easy access to a wide range of tools and the Windows development community for building and modifying software, Nelson says.
According to Nelson, the success of this project highlights the benefits of using Windows CE .NET. He says Logic was able to deliver a fully functioning prototype in four months. It also lowered its overall risk due to the rapid prototype development and resulting quick customer feedback, and reduced its platform development cost by more than $250,000 over previous, similar projects. Moreover, he says, the use of Windows CE .NET helped deliver a project that turns the focus of development efforts toward market-defining " and profitable " intellectual property.
"This customer had a truly innovative idea for a new method of performing high-resolution medical imaging scanning that is significantly less costly than traditional methods but provides performance characteristics that are equivalent to the current gold standard," he says.
"More and more, our customers are seeking more connectivity to standard network systems, richer GUIs, and less of the proprietary embedded systems and specialized firmware. This makes it very easy to sell the benefits of using the Windows CE embedded operating system because it provides all the basic, rich functionality and connectivity that customers expect, allowing them to turn their attention to more customized development efforts that help differentiate them and their products in the marketplace."
About Logic Product Development: Logic Product Development is a fast-growing development and consulting firm that provides an array of electronic products, solutions and services to medical, industrial, and consumer markets. These include single board computers called "Card Engines" that contain embedded designs on compact PCB boards, application development kits, board support packages for Microsoft Windows CE-based products, and kits for creating customized LCD displays for task-specific devices.
Copyright 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduced by WindowsForDevices.com under license.
