What you’ll learn

Why developers are using hobbyist platforms in products.
What industrial solutions are available?
Problems that can arise when moving to an industrial solution.

If you’ve looked at a development kit lately, it may be compatible with one of the popular hobbyist/maker platforms like Raspberry Pi or Arduino (Fig. 1). It’s not surprising given the ecosystems that have grown up around these popular platforms. This is partially due to the software infrastructure and available tools and applications, but it really comes down to the hardware compatibility.

This Electronic Design article examines the rise of platforms like Arduino in industrial applications.

Using Popular Platforms in Industrial Settings
June 28, 2022
This article examines the rise of platforms like Raspberry Pi and Arduino in industrial solutions, including COM and SOM versions.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/article/21245354/electronic-design-using-popular-platforms-in-industrial-settings

What you’ll learn

Why developers are using hobbyist platforms in products.
What industrial solutions are available?
Problems that can arise when moving to an industrial solution.

If you’ve looked at a development kit lately, it may be compatible with one of the popular hobbyist/maker platforms like Raspberry Pi or Arduino (Fig. 1). It’s not surprising given the ecosystems that have grown up around these popular platforms. This is partially due to the software infrastructure and available tools and applications, but it really comes down to the hardware compatibility.

Expansion boards like the Arduino 4 Relays Shield (Fig. 2) is why these platforms have become so popular. It’s allowed third parties to give developers access to peripherals from wireless communication to gas sensors. The original platforms had standard interfaces such as USB, but they typically lacked features like wireless communication. Though later versions of these platforms included more features along these lines, there was no way a single board could address the needs of all users or vendors.

The Raspberry Pi’s 40-pin, dual inline header has 3- and 5-V power plus digital I/O pins that include dedicated pins for a serial port, SPI, and I2C in addition to pulse-width-modulation (PWM) signals.

The standard Arduino has multiple headers that make board layout interesting.

Not all cards are stackable, and conflicts abound as interfaces like SPI can’t be shared by default. Multidrop interfaces like I2C can handle multiple devices, but only if there are no address conflicts, which is often the case with the peripheral adapters. Having fixed addresses makes programming easier, at least for the provider of an adapter. However, that means two boards of the same type could not be used at the same time.

Rugged Design Issues
Some development boards are designed for ease of use, but they ignore things like mounting holes that are needed to provide consistent and reliable connections in industrial applications. Many peripheral boards simply rely on the interface headers to provide the electrical connection as well as physical stability. This tends to be a non-issue when using the system on a workbench, but it can lead to major problems in the field. For instance, when using prototypes in the field, shock, vibration, dust, and so on may become problematic.

Transitioning to Products
These days designers are more cognizant of semiconductor availability. The general availability issues arise with Arduino-based solutions. However, a range of similar chips often can be used when building a new solution from scratch. The board schematics for these platforms are readily available and distributed as open-source hardware. Thus, they could be used as the basis for a customized printed circuit board (PCB).

Creating a custom PCB is a reasonable approach for Arduino platforms at the chip level, but not necessarily for Raspberry Pi platforms.

One alternative is to utilize a Raspberry Pi Compute Module. This computer-on-module (COM) uses the same processors but lacks the connections, thus requiring a standard socket instead (Fig. 3). The Compute Module 3+ and Compute Module 4 are currently available in two different form factors.

Arduino has recognized that providing a more rugged solution is useful for both production as well as prototyping. The Arduino Portenta family is an industrial-grade system-on-module (SOM) that comes with Linux already installed in flash (Fig. 4).

These industrial-grade modules come with industrial-grade prices as expected. There’s no such thing as a free lunch

Designing carrier boards for these COMs is usually much easier than designing a custom PCB that would host the SOM.

The carrier board often is simpler, with fewer layers than the COM PCB, since the carrier PCB usually isn’t as dense as the COM.

Designer Issues
Designers must consider their own background and expertise when turning a prototype into a production solution. Though not a new issue, it’s possible to generate a working prototype with these platforms very quickly. The assumption might be that a product could be created just as quickly. It’s not out of the question, but infrequent.

If a module approach like the Raspberry Pi Compute Module is chosen, it can streamline the design process. However, other considerations should not be overlooked. For instance, the designers’ backgrounds often determine how well these issues are addressed.

Analog, power, and communications tend to be the major issues when transitioning from a prototype to production. Analog interfaces can be some of the most difficult to contend with unless you have a background in this area. Noise, interconnects, and the operation of the analog interfaces can cause reliability and accuracy issues that may not have shown up in a prototype.

The same is true for power. Providing headroom from a single power source may be sufficient for some applications. However, everything from power surges to noise can be an issue when it comes to a production solution.

Communications also covers a lot of ground, especially for wireless communication. Industrial and even office and home environments can be electrically noisy. Though testing in different environments with different problems may be costly, it’s necessary to provide a product that works and doesn’t require significant support.

Finally, don’t forget to design for production as well as design for serviceability. Usually, solutions based on platforms like Raspberry Pi or Arduino are simple and oriented around the software added to the system, with a few peripherals and minimal space constraints. In these cases, production and serviceability aren’t significant issues. On the other hand, trying to pack a solution within a tiny footprint or having something with long-term support requirements may warrant design changes.

Reducing time to market has always been a goal for developers. Platforms and development kits are one way to speed the design process. Addressing the limitations and issues of moving from a prototype platform to production can help as well.

Arduino/Genuino Products Warranty
Arduino/Genuino products intended for sale and use in worldwide markets comply with the applicable international requirements for product safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), essential safety & usage information, WEEE, RoHS, quality, and for use in hazardous locations. Products delivered into the European Economic Area (EEA) comply with the directives of the European Community (EC). Products delivered into North America comply with their respective directives. The products bears CE and/or FCC marks which is tested and certified by Arduino to comply with the EC and/or USA directives.

Can I build a commercial product based on Arduino?
Yes, with the following conditions:

Physically embedding an Arduino board inside a commercial product does not require you to disclose or open-source any information about its design.
Deriving the design of a commercial product from the Eagle files for an Arduino board requires you to release the modified files under the same Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license. You may manufacture and sell the resulting product.
Using the Arduino core and libraries for the firmware of a commercial product does not require you to release the source code for the firmware. The LGPL does, however, require you to make available object files that allow for the relinking of the firmware against updated versions of the Arduino core and libraries. Any modifications to the core and libraries must be released under the LGPL.
The source code for the Arduino environment is covered by the GPL, which requires any modifications to be open-sourced under the same license. It does not prevent the sale of derivative software or its inclusion in commercial products.
In all cases, the exact requirements are determined by the applicable license. Additionally, see the previous question for information about the use of the name “Arduino”.

Sayanee Basu’s Video Walks Through the Design
https://www.hackster.io/news/sayanee-basu-s-video-walks-through-the-design-considerations-in-moving-from-an-arduino-to-a-pcb-cdcefa277b05

Considerations in Moving From an Arduino to a PCB
Having built a prototype on a breadboard, Basu’s video will explain the whys and hows of transferring the design to a custom PCB.

“There are some design considerations to take note,” Basu explains in the introduction to the video. “For example the power management circuit, or how to upload the bootloader and the firmware, LEDs, buttons, or switches, and integrate the various sensor circuits.”