嵌入式系統開發之挑戰-以一數位照片儲存盒衍生至數位音樂儲存盒產品為例

Abstract

嵌入式系統(Embedded System)產品種類豐富，由早先單一應用功能發展至今成為多樣應用功能，致使產品設計的複雜度快速增加，如果是從事消費性電子產品的設計，則消費性電子產品通常具有產品週期短及為求其新穎性產品更新快速的特性，所以產品設計的時程大都被嚴重的壓縮；近年來拜ASIC在製程上的長足進展，使得嵌入式系統可以大量應用SoC(System-On-Chip)之技術進行產品開發，現今SoC 的IC設計廠商在開發嵌入式系統晶片時能在有限的產品設計期間內，針對產品市場需求規格，選擇適當的軟硬體開發策略，以致於能在產品開發階段迅速且確實的開發新產品，最後達成產品及時上市之目標；所以能夠精準的掌握整個SoC產品開發時程為其必須要具備的競爭能力。 本論文就以一數位照片儲存盒(Photo-Bank)衍生至數位音樂儲存盒(Music-Bank)產品為例，說明將已量的數位照片儲存盒，為增添下一代產品的新穎性而在原產品中增加MP3數位音樂播放功能，而開發名為數位音樂儲存盒的衍生性產品，文中將探討在衍生性產品在產品概念發展及規劃階段所面臨的挑戰，然後將經由所提出之評估的指標及方法進行開發策略的評估流程，透過評估流程決定對數位音樂儲存盒的開發策略，同時也提出測試及確認策略正確性的方法，其最主要的目標就是要縮短開發時間然後達到即時上市(TTM-Time To Market)的目的，最後也提出在縮短SoC產品開發時間，日後可以持續研究的方向。

There comes a variety of embedded systems in the market. From signal function in early days to multiple functions today, the design complexity of the embedded system is increasing rapidly. If the embedded system is a consumer product then the product life cycle will be short. The next generation product emerges to the market in a very short period due to keep the fresh of a consumer product. Therefore, the product developing cycle of a consumer electronic product is squeezed seriously. For the sake of the progress of ASIC process, the SOC technologies are widely used in embedded products. How to develop a product in a limited developing cycle is required by an IC design company of consumer electronic product. It should be able to make a proper decision of product developing strategy for the software and hardware in order to have product TTM. The decision of product developing strategy is made by a well-defined evaluation process dependent on the resources of existed IPs and others from a previous product. The IC design company should have the capability to overcome issues encountered during the concept and plan phase of product developing life cycle. This thesis will use a case study of evolved product from Photo-Bank to Music-Bank to deploy these challenges of an evolved product. The first generation product named Photo-Bank is required by the market to value-added a function of MP3 player function as a evolved product named Music-Bank. It will explore the challenges on the product developing life cycle of the evolved product and how to define the product developing strategy from a series of evaluation based on the previous product. It also proposes several directions of the SOC technologies in the end of the thesis for future research.