Sanchez_TV_Signal_Splitter_HW8
TV Signal Splitter
Design 6 – Homework 8
April 27, 2011
A m i l c a r J a v i e r | C P E / C S
D a v i d L e o n | E E
H e n r y V i z u e t e | E E
R i c h a r d S a n c h e z | C P E
T o n y D o m i n g u e z | E E
Table of Contents
HDMI (Sources)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…9
TV Splitter, Communications Case/Housing……………………………………………………………………………………11
Power Supply………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...13
1
Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….24
2
Section 1: Introduction
Since its creation, the television has become such an integral part of a family’s household. From the beginning, the television was simply used for watching cable channels but over time it has become used for so much more. It has grown so popular that many new technologies such as the Video Home System, DVD players and video game consoles have all been created to work with televisions.
To meet the increasing demand of external devices, television sets have added multiple inputs to its system, ranging from HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), VGA (Video Graphics
Array), S-Video (Separate Video) and RCA connectors.
Currently, when external devices are connected to a television set, only one input signal can be viewed at a time. An individual can change from one input to another but never can there be two different inputs simultaneously viewed at the same time. An example of an existing technology which attempts to solve this problem is Picture in Picture (PiP) which works by using two signal sources, or independent tuners, to provide for both the main display and the smaller, in-picture display. The feature works by displaying a program, known as a channel, on the full television screen while one or more programs are displayed on small windows on the screen. The sound heard is from the main program while the other is muted. [1]
Although the PiP technology is neat, it is not very useful because of the fact that one picture is smaller than the main picture. To improve upon this technology, our design group has decided to create an external device which can split multiple signals from HDMI cables and output them on the television so that multiple HDMI inputs can be displayed simultaneously without having to change the input channel.
The reason behind establishing this technology is to accommodate for the growing demand of inputs on television. Rather than trying to change between inputs, one will be able to have a split screens of two different HDMI inputs so that on one side, for example, you can be playing a video game while on the other you can be watching the news.
The main difference between PiP and our design is that PiP is a feature that comes with a television. Our project is a standalone device, with four HDMI inputs, that can be connected to any HDMI compatible television.
Section 2: Technical Information
Section 2.1: Functional Description of the Design and its Components
3
Below are some of the group ’s original ideas and designs
Figure 1 – (Left: design drawing by Amilcar; Right: design drawing by Tony)
Figure 2 –Block Diagram Rough draft 1
4
Figure 3 –Block Diagram rough draft 2
Figure 4 – Block Diagram rough draft 3
5
Figure 5 – Final Block Diagram
Section 2.1.1 - Progression of our Block Diagram
The group began by drawing out how our actual device would look like. In figure 1, one can observe some of the ideas the group came up with for design of the device; the one on the right was created by Tony and the other one was created by Amilcar. Both of the images contain
HDMI in ports either on the front or back of the device to connect to the sources. The opposite side of each design has an HDMI out port that connects to the screen to show the different images on a display. The designers also added vents to keep the device cool and added switches to change the display sources, a power button that turns on the splitter, and LEDs to indicate if the device is on.
The group then proceeded to create a block diagram. The diagram in figure 2 has two sources sending their signal to a point, which then sends the combined signal into the splitter through
HDMI. The splitter gets power from an external source like a battery or a plug to an outlet. The splitter then sends the divided images to the display. We realized that this design was too simple and did not account for an interface to control how the source would be displayed on the screen. It also did not account for how sound would be handled.
With this image in mind, the group went on to create our second block diagram as seen in
6
Figure 3. This diagram displays two sources sending their signals to the TV splitter separately. The splitter again gets its power from a battery or outlet. After receiving the signal, the device checks to see if the user interacted with it through a remote control or by pressing buttons on the device. We decided that the source that is chosen to be the main one, this choice can either be made by pressing buttons on the device or by using a controller, would use the dis play speakers to project it’s sound and the secondary source would project it’s sound through stereo headset. After the user has chosen which source is the main one, the splitter sends the decision to an audio codec, which sends the sound through the appropriate medium. Although this diagram is a great step up from the first one, many things were missing. This diagram did not contain an interface or a way to loop the choices of the user so he can change the main and secondary sources at will.
Finally, our group created the third block diagram as illustrated in figure 4. Unlike the first two designs, this diagram has four sources sending their signals to the TV splitter, which gets its power from a battery or connection to an outlet, through HDMI in ports. The splitter then sends the four signals to a GUI on the display. This display allows the user to choose which of the 4 sources would be the main source and which would be the secondary. It also allows the user to alternate between the 4 sources and choose the orientation - landscape or horizontal, split screen or picture in picture. After the user has decided which of the sources is the main and the secondary, the GUI sends the signals to the audio codec. The codec then projects the main signal’s sound through the display speakers and the secondary signal’s sound through the stereo headphones. The screen then shows the main and secondary sources and projects the sound from each. Finally, the diagram loops to the GUI so that the user can choose different sources as his main and secondary and also change the orientation at will.
Section 2.1.2 - Flow chart
In reference to Figure 6, we start with applying power to the device and the monitor. The
Device will be able to identify if it has more than 2 HDMI input sources at itself. If the device doesn’t include more than 2 sources then it will proceed to display a single source onto the monitor. If there are more than 2 sources, the device will display the splitter software on the monitor via a GUI. The GUI will ask which sources would like to be displayed, and at which side of the screen. Also whether we would like to view it horizontally or vertically, that is side by side or top and Bottom. After the user chooses the sources he would like to display and how (a max of 2 sources will be displayed) we will also let the user choose how to receive audio from the sources. The user may either use the monitor’s stereo system if it is incorporated or choose to receive it wireless to wireless headphones. If wanted, all users can receive them wireless to separate headphones from different or the same source. The final step is to confirm their choices in the GUI and a user content screen will show up with the options they have selected. If they are content, the device will run its course as directed by the user inputs and we will have a satisfied customer with a device that meets their needs.
7
Figure 6 – Flow chart of the TV splitter
Section 2.2: Technical Description of the Design and its Components
Audio Codec
If we implement in software, our Audio Codec is a computer program that will either compress/ decompress digital audio data according to a given audio file format or streaming audio format.
8
The algorithms object or intention is to represent the high-fidelity audio signal with minimum number of bits while retaining the quality. Hopefully this will reduce the storage, space, as well as the bandwidth required for transmission of the stored audio file. If we decide to make an app of this, most codecs are/will be implemented as libraries which interface to one or more multimedia players such as QuickTime Player and VLC media player [1].
If we implement in hardware, our Audio Codec will be a single device that encodes analog audio as digital signals and decodes digital back into analog. It will contain both an Analog- to-Digital converter and a Digital-to-Analog converter running off the same clock. Such a device is primarily used in sound cards that will support both audio in and audio out. There are many different audio formats and audio compression formats which we will have to take into consideration when designing/choosing our audio codec.
We will need an MPEG-4 decoder and Audio Multiplexing Decoder. The Audio Multiplexing
Decoder that we will use will be the CXA2134Q [2]. It is an IC designed as a decoder for the
Zenith TV Multi-channel System and also corresponds with I2C bus. Functions include stereo demodulation, SAP (Separate Audio Program) demodulation, dbx noise reduction and sound processor. Various kinds of filters are built in this IC. Adjustment, mode control and sound processor control are all executed through I2C bus. The Application of Audio Multiplexing
Decoder CXA2134Q are TV, VCR and other decoding systems for US audio multiplexing TV broadcasting. The good thing about this is that is a lot of systems in a single chip. Almost any sort of signal processing is possible through this IC. Input level, separation adjustments and each mode control are possible through I2C bus. We may also incorporate a network in which the signal that we are outputting to the TV may also be viewed on laptops or other devices in the network. The MPEG-4 Network TV the MPEG-4 Network TV/Video Server reference design, which leverages AverLogic’s MPEG-4 audio/video encoding capacity to stream real-time audio/video over the Internet, enables system designers to quickly develop a network video server, IP network camera, or remote TV server [3]. This design transmits the configurable
MPEG-4 compressed video and audio streaming data with TCP/IP protocol through Ethernet,
Power line or WiFi to remote receivers.
HDMI (Sources)
HDMI, which stand for High Definition Multimedia Interface, is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It has become the de factor standard for home theater equipment. That is, any new HDTV should have an HDMI input or inputs. The advantage of HDMI is that it carries both the audio and the video in one small cable. It is also a digital interface capable of extremely high bandwidth, the most current version 1.3 carries around 10 Gbps.
HDMI has the capacity to support existing high-definition video formats such as 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. It also has the flexibility to support enhanced definition formats such as 480p, as well as standard definition formats such as Phase Alternating Line (PAL) and National
Television
9
System Committee (NTSC). Type A HDMI connector has 19 pins. Signals travel through the twisted pairs of copper cable. Three audio and video channels travel through two pins each, six pins in total. The TMDS clock, which allows devices to synchronize the incoming data, travels through one pair of pins. Each of these four total pairs has a shield or another wire that protects it from interference from its neighbors. The TMDS channels, the clock and the shields make up the bulk of the cable pairs inside the HDMI cable. TMDS is what uses to move information from one place to another. TMDS stands for transition minimized differential signaling. TMDS is a way of encoding the signal to protect it from degrading as it travels down the length of the cable. The sending device encodes the signal to reduce the number of transitions between one and zero. The encoding step helps protect signal quality by reducing the number of chances for the signal to degrade. One of the cables in the twisted pair carries the signal itself while the other carries an inverse copy of the signal. The receiving device decodes the signal. It measures the differential, or the difference between the signal and its inverse. It uses this information to compensate for any loss of signal along the way. HDMI also has the ability to protect data from piracy. It uses high-bandwidth digital copy protection to accomplish this. HDCP is an authentication protocol. Each device has identification data and encryption data stored on its extended display identification data. The source device checks the authentication key of the receiving device, if both keys check out, the sending device moves on to the next step. It will then generate a new key and shares it with the receiving device creating a shared key, a handshake, which would take place instantaneously. The source device encodes its information using the key it generated. The receiving device decodes it using the same information. If an unauthorized device tries to intercept the data, the source device stops transmitting. It also makes sure that the key hasn’t changed and that the system is still secure every few minutes. All HDMI compatible devices are required to support HDCP, which is mandated by the Federal Communications Commission.
Figure 7 – Illustration of HDMI technology
Our device will have a HDMI chipset that will perform that necessary HDMI functions. Our
HDMI chipset will be a Intel H55 Express Chipset which will have a Intel Core processors and
10
the Intel H55 Express chipset itself. The Intel Core processors will be i7-800 processor series and have Intel HD graphics, PCI express 2.0 with 16 lanes at 16GB/s, and two DDR3
1333MHz. The Intel Core processors will connect to the Intel H55 Express Chipset via a DMI and Intel FDI, which is Intel Flexible Display Interface [4]. The H55 will have Intel High
Definition Audio, 6 PCI Express at 500 MB/s each, 6 Serial ATA Ports; eSata; Port Disable with each a 3 Gb/s. An Intel ME Firmware and BIOS Support will be connected via SPI to the chip along with Intel Integrated 10/100/1000 MAC which will be connected to Intel Gigabit LAN
Connect. 12 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Ports; Dual EHCI; USB Port Disable at 480 Mb/s each will also come connected with the chip even though we will probably not use them but it is a good idea to have them there, we may incorporate this into future considerations for the product and expansion of the product. It gives us a lot of freedom to play around with the device and see how big of an expansion we would like to make from the desired goal itself and into other areas of TV entertainment. Digital display: HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort with HDCP; Lossless digital audio available with Intel HD Graphics which we will incorporate into the device system.
TV Splitter, Communications, and Case/Housing
The main role of the splitter component is to actually take in the four sources that are to be displayed. This is the main bulk of our project. The splitter contains 5 inputs and 1 output. The inputs include a power source to make the actual device work and 4 sources (cable box, computer tower, gaming system etc.) that are to be displayed on the screen. The 4 input sources will be connected through HDMI. The one output source connects to the display. The splitter will have a switch to turn it on or off, LED lights that indicate which sources are displayed at any given moment, and vents to let the device cool down. The splitter is the middle man between the sources and the graphical user interface; after taking in the sources, they are sent to the display so that the user can choose which source to display through the interface. This component is hardware-oriented since it encases the wiring and motherboards needed to hold the code but it can also be considered software because the motherboard contains the code for the GUI.
In so far as our communications capabilities, we will be sending the sound to the viewers through either the TV speakers or the wireless headset incorporated into the device. Our wireless headphone will be a basic infra-red link for audio communications of distance up to 10 feet. The transmitter comprises a single amplifying stage driving two series connected IR
LEDs. The input source is connected to J1. The device will pass a small DC current through it and also directly bias the transistor. A suitable device is therefore a high output crystal microphone but we may use it as the transmitter base in our device. It may produce a high output voltages up to 1 volt but this will be reduced by the transistors low input impedance. We will need a 9V battery to supply power to the Transmitter, which we may take from the 12 volt power supply. The transmitter will also have two 1K-ohm resistors.
The receiver is three stages. The first stage being a photo-transistor. Stages two and three form a high gain darling-ton emitter follower, the bias for the whole stage derived through a
11
resistor of 1k-ohm and the photo-transistor itself. A Capacitor and another resistor of 10 k-ohms form a filter to reduce interference from fluorescent lighting and other human sources. The output is via jack J2. The output device will pass a small DC current so a medium impedance loudspeaker or headphones are a good choice. We will use headphones for this circuit.
We are also thinking of a different approach to our wireless headphones, in other words, using another circuit schematic. This wireless headphones transmitter assures a quality reception over 2 meters. The oscillator frequency is between 1750 kHz and 3500 kHz and for antenna we use a ferrite bar. Integrated Circuit (IC) will amplify the audio signal and we will have a capacitor act as a buffer. A diode signals that the transmitter is on and is voltage stabilizer for the oscillator. A toroidal core T50-2 with 80 turns will be used. On the other side of the core, we will have a 10-20cm ferrite bar and 3 turns on the coil at the ground end which has 30 turns. The current consumption of the wireless transmitter is less than 150mA and is to be used with the following wireless headphones receiver.
The wireless headphones receiver presented is a standard application of ZN415 produced by
Ferranti, a short wave receiver company. ZN415 assures quality reproduction, has a 1.5 battery alimentation and contains an audio amplifier. The circuit will have around 5 capacitors ranging from 1 to 100 nano-farad with one capacitor being 1 microfarad. The current consumption is less than 5mA. The inductor will have 40 turns and a variable capacitor will be adjusted with a non-metal screw, the reception frequency of this wireless headphone receiver is between
1.7MHz and 3.4MHz, a shortwave receiver.
No matter what circuit schematic we use for our headphones or what transmitter we decide to use in our “case” device, we will have to use a Digital to Audio converter for the headphones. There is frequently a need to convert digital information into a voltage or current. Digital data changes in steps, turning a bit on or off increases or decreases a digital quantity. We will use a circuit which is derived from the DAC0832 digital to analog converter which is one approach to making the conversion from stepwise digital information to a voltage. It’s called an R 2R ladder. R and Rfb will be about 15k-ohms, which makes 2R about
30k-ohms. The actual values are not as important as the fact that the resistors are very closely matched to each other.
The “1” and “0” indicate the positions of MOSFET switches in the converter. A switch will connect to the “1” side if the corresponding bit is on, and to the “0” side if the bit is off. A switch connected to the “1” position will send a portion of Vref-derived current to Iout1; whereas a switch connected to the “0” position will send a portion of the current to Iout2. A way to see how the R 2R ladder fits into the scheme of things is to consider the following. The left side is a copy of one of the DAC0832 sections taken from a board schematic. On the right is a simplified block diagram of the same thing, derived from a data sheet which will be included in references. Iout1 of the R 2R ladder is connected to the inverting input of the Op-Amp. Iout2 of the R 2R ladder is connected to the non-inverting input and to ground. One end of the internal Rfb feedback resistor is connected to the output of the external Op-Amp. The other end is internally connected to the R 2R ladder's Iout1 as shown above. Thus, it is connected from the output of
12
the Op-Amp to the inverting input. The Op-Amp will attempt to cancel any current through the inverting input. To do so, it will cause the current in the feedback resistor to be equal to the current in the inverting input resistor, but with an inverted polarity. Without getting into all the mathematics that will be needed for a proper digital to analog conversion, the reality is that we will be using a commercially available Digital-to-Audio converter to do this process.
The case or housing of our device will have to be reliable and die cut films play an important role in housing assemblies. By employing effective materials and proven converting techniques, we will ensure the quality of our device. A company that we may choose to go to is 3M. 3M
Thermo-Bond Film displays excellent adhesive properties with a variety of substrates. The material provides consistent, uniform thickness and can be die cut to precise, intricate shapes.
Used in the housing assembly of wireless devices, 3M Thermo-Bond Film creates a high strength bond in seconds when heat-activated. 3M Thermo-Bond Film is a thin, adhesivebacked, thermoplastic film, laminated with a liner. It is a flexible, light colored film with good adhesion qualities. It is suitable for kiss- or through-die cutting, solvent-free, quick fixturing/holding strength, and re-workable if needed. We will go with a case or housing that is easy to produce, therefore preferably using injection molding. The material of the housing will have to withstand the thermal temperatures of all the chips and all the heat being dissipated by all the electronics. With this in mind, thermal paste will be essential to our success. Our housing will obviously have to have air holes in which it will be able to dissipate the heat and we can even incorporate a very small fan that doesn't make too much noise into the picture so that it may assist with this. The material of our choice is plastic as it is used in the injection molded process. Our main concern is finding such a plastic that withstands high temperatures but this may easily be done by adding different compounds of polyethylene into the mix so that it may become stronger and have a higher melting point.
GUI
The graphical user interface (GUI) is the second major portion of our project. The GUI’s main role is to take in the 4 sources sent by the splitter and allow the user to choose which two to display and in what format. The interface lets the user pick which of the two sources is considered the main and the secondary as well as how to display the combination - horizontal split screen, vertical split screen, picture-in-picture etc. By picking the main and secondary sources, the user lets the interface know which of the sources will project their sound by using the display’s speaker and which of the sources will use a stereo headset. The GUI then sends the sound from the two sources to the codec so that the sound can properly be handled. The
GUI is strictly software and is coded on to the motherboard of the splitter.
Power Supply
Our device will be using a standard power supply to allow our device to carry out all the tasks the user asks of it. It will uses standard voltage conversion methods to essentially convert an
AC voltage source into a use able DC voltage. The converting of the AC power is done by a transformer in the power supply that converts it into DC voltage. A rectifier is used to make a
13
steady flow of the desired voltage so there are no voltage gaps when running the device. Also simultaneously, a filter, resistors, and capacitors all work together to smooth out the out coming voltage signal. We plan to have a power supply that will support our device and have all the components to keep it running.
The specific commercial electronic components that out power supply may have will vary minutely depending on the voltage rate we would need. The voltage rates may be 5 volts, 9 volts, or 12 volts. It will also depend on the amperage that we need to deliver to the system. We will most likely use a 12 volt Direct Current power supply. Our power supply will provide clean, regulated DC power supply so it is essential that we have diodes incorporated into our design. Our 12 volt power supply will have a Step down transformer with an input of 120 volt ac, which is the standard voltage that an outlet should have. The output of this transformer should be 120:12-0-12 volts (rms) [5]. After the voltage gets stepped down, we will have diodes regulate it. The diodes will basically make all the current have only a positive power cycles, essentially taking the negative part of the cycle and making it positive. The diodes may be
1N4003. We may even incorporate a third diode, which may be 1N4003 or 1N4001. We will also need a 1000 microfarad aluminum electrolytic capacitor. If the load is less than 100mA we may even substitute a 220 microfarad capacitor. The voltage rating of the capacitor will have to be 2.5 times the output voltage which is 12 volts, so out capacitor rating will have to be 30 volts. We will also need a 10 microfarad aluminum electrolytic capacitor. This capacitor will serve as the last place of regulation. In between the two capacitors that will be set in parallel, we will need an intergraded circuit (IC). We will be using IC 7812 which is designed for a +12V
DC output. The third diode will be connected into pin 3 on the IC. We will also need a pair of resistors of 1k-ohm and 100ohms. These are the components that we will use to produce our power supply if we have to produce one. We will most likely buy an off the shelf power supply to save us time which is our main enemy in this design process.
Many of the implementation designs were taken from the schematics in Appendix B.
Section 2.3: Mathematical or Other Principle Embedded in the Project
Various mathematical equations and principles must be addressed in completing our project. The internal structure of the actual splitter will be composed of circuits and abide by circuit theory. We must make sure that the matter has a consistent path to the power source, which is an outlet. Additionally, the components of an electronic circuit - resistors, transistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes - must be properly organized on the breadboards, perfboards or stripboards. These components can be set up as either analog, digital or mixed-signal circuits. An analog circuit is one where the current or voltage can vary continuously with time to abide by the information that is represented; a digital circuit is one where electric signals take on discrete values to represent logical and numeric values; mixed-signals are a combination of the aforementioned types [6]. Furthermore, these circuits wil l abide by Ohm’s Law. The law states that the current through a conductor between two points is proportional to the potential difference across the two points, and inversely proportional to the resistance between them
[7]. Although we will include inductors and capacitors in our design, which do not abide by
14
Ohm’s Law, our linear circuit components go by the law and as a result, the principle must be researched [8]. These components will require different forms of circuit analysis, such as mesh analysis and using formulas that convert capacitance and inductance so that Ohm’s Law can be applied.
In order to pass the four sources to the display, we need to focus on signal analysis. The type of signals being sent are sound signals and video signals. Sound signals associate a pressure value to every value of time and three space coordinates [9]. These signals are converted to pressure as a function of time, which generates a voltage signal as an analog of sound signal
[10]. We would then have to take these signals and project them through one of two mediums, the display speakers and a headphone jack. Video signals are sequences of image signals
[11]. Each sequence is defined by a two-dimensional position and by the time, at which it occurs, which makes a video signal have a three-dimensional domain. These signals will be projected on the actual display. The key of the project will be to divide the display of each signal in the manner that the user chooses - horizontal split, vertical split, or Picture-in-Picture - and then allow the user to switch these signals at any point.
Aside from the hardware requirements and the source analysis, our group will have to focus on coding principles. The user interface must be developed in a way that is intuitive and simple to use. Additionally, the hardware must be coded to respond properly. There are specific programming languages that can be used to accomplish this task. Some include PBASIC,
VHDL, Java and C++ [12]. PBASIC is a microcontroller based version of BASIC that can be used to write code for microcontrollers. VHDL is a hardware description language that can be used to describe digital and mixed-signal systems. C++ and Java can be used to develop the user interface.
Section 2.4: Performance Expectations/Objectives
Section 2.4.1 – Economic (cost estimation)
To find funding for such a project we must first look at what field our device will appeal to. Since we are creating a TV signal splitter our market will obviously be geared to the electronic market.
Companies within this field including Sony, Panasonic, and LG (to name a few) would be interested in such a device after it was completed since they are all TV manufactures themselves. Independent parties also may be considered as funding sources. For example if necessary funds were not available for product completion/production a third party source may be used by our team to afford all necessary components.
Section 2.4.2 - Environmental (impact estimation)
Our product has to follow certain guidelines that will make it energy efficient and non-hazardous to the environment. Also since we are potentially electronic manufactures we have to by law be willing to take back any unwanted electronics and in turn recycle them. This process ensures
15
that electrical equipment is disposed of properly and that usable parts salvaged. Also our product must not emit high levels of radiation thus endangering the environment and the consumer.
Design considerations/solutions
Our original design is a small rectangle that will have room for each HDMI and will have a black encasing around it. Some considerations for change could be using recycled plastic to create the exterior of the device. This would make the product more eco-friendly and more appealing the general population. Also another consideration is to have an automatic shutdown switch after 30 minutes of inactivity. The device would shut off thus conserving energy instead of wasting it remaining on.
Section 2.4.3 - Health and Safety (impact estimation)
Our product has certain legislation's and regulations it must follow in order to become legal to reproduce. According to the federal government, our product may have operational controls on the device itself but must be clearly labeled. Our device must account for the heat it creates and makes sure that the heat is dispersed properly thus preventing a fire. Our device may not have any exposed wires or electrical components thus putting the user in danger.
Design considerations/solutions
Some design considerations our team can make to ensure the safety of our consumer can include an outer shell that will not get too hot. This would make the user free to grab the device without worrying about burning his or herself. Another design consideration or team can make is making sure the device has special screws holding it together so the user may not feel tempted to modify the product. By doing so the consumer is protected by not only injuring themselves but possibly blowing up the device resulting in injury for the consumer.
Section 2.4.4 - Manufacturability (resource and facility requirements)
To better understand the project’s manufacturability constraints, one has to know the meaning behind it. In essence, design for manufacturability “is the process of proactively designing products to optimize all manufacturing functions: fabrication, assembly, test, procurement, shipping, delivery, service and repair and assure the best cost, quality, regulatory compliance, safety, time-tomarket and customer satisfaction.”
Given the group’s condition for the project, we are limited to what we can or cannot do in terms of manufacturability. For example, the group will not have the resources or money to mass produce a device which can be tested by multiple users in order to obtain relevant data that could assist in improving the product. However, the group will be able to fabricate and test at least one device. Of all the manufacturing functions, the following are considered some of the restraints or limitations for the group’s project:
16
Ability to mass produce device
Shortage of materials or resources assemble device
Shortage of tools and equipment
Having in mind these limitations for the group, the resource and facility requirements for the product can be better understood in order to mass produce this device. In order to mass produce this device, an assembling warehouse will be required where the main objective of this facility will be to put the product together. It will require some supervision and some labor in order to maximize its production. Even though most of the process will be automatic, it will require some engineers to make sure everything works as expected and solve any problem that could come up. Also, workers will be required to do the packing and transportation of the final product.
The resources required will be mainly fabricated outside the factory or even out of the country.
Most of the circuitry could be ordered to an international company in order to reduce some expenses and the assembly time. Also, if the main components could be mounted on the board for some other company in order to reduce time and cost, it could be done. Thus, the work that would be required in the warehouse will be minimal and the production and shipping of it will be accelerated.
Section 2.4.5 – Sustainability (Final Assessment)
Different societies and different times have required different design methods, concepts and regimes. Industrialization required the abandonment of traditional design methods and a move to the drawing board and mathematical models. Engineering design was characterized by the incorporation of economic considerations as an inherent and inseparable part of the design process. A new kind of development which is ecological sustainable will similarly requires new approaches to design which incorporate environmental considerations as an inherent and inseparable part of the design process.
Taking in consideration that engineers are taking the environment more seriously into their designs. We can analyze our project in different ways such as if the product is going to be useful in five or ten years. Also, if we need to upgrade our device to fit into the future technology or will it be obsolete? These concerns are a few of what we have to consider on our design. In addition, the device will have a life span of approximately five years. This is going to depend on how fast the actual technology evolves and if our device does not have a competitor that could result to be more efficient in terms of money. The reliability and durability of our product would depend on the components that we use to manufacture it. This is going to be changing with time because some components could become obsolete or an upgraded component could not be compatible with our system.
Different problems may arise with time such as the cost of manufacturing the device might increase, the impact it could have on the environment and how it could affect the public health.
17
Although these questions might seem very hard to approach, they have to be considered for the design and be treated very seriously.
Economically speaking, the manufacturing of the device won't be a problem because nowadays companies around the world mass produce circuitry for a minimum cost. Using this alternative for the circuitry could alleviate the budget significantly and give the project more room for improvements.
Taking care of the disposal in a safe manner will avoid the device several problems that might come up. In this case, we will have to follow the regulations for proper disposal. Also, making sure that the device does not contains parts that could be harmful to the environment. The internal components of the product have to be safe for the environment and the user. In addition, we have to develop a product that won't cause any health problem to users. We have to supervise each area of production in order to eliminate any possible malfunctioning circuit or component that could provoke an accident.
Section 2.4.6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibilities
Engineering ethics contains various responsibilities that need to be fulfilled by the design group. Some of these include:
1. IEEE Code of Ethics [13] a. The link contains a list of our responsibilities as Electrical and Computer
Engineers b. The pdf is contains these ethical practices: i. To accept responsibility in making decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment; ii. To avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist; iii. To be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data; iv. To reject bribery in all its forms; v. To improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential consequences; vi. To maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations; vii. To seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others; viii. To treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin; ix. To avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action; x. To assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics.
18
2. As prospective members of an industry - in contrast to licensed engineers - we have to abide by business ethics, make sure our product is liable, and avoid becoming whistle blowers [14]. a. Business ethics i. The link contains general ethics that determines the fundamental purposes of a company ii. This includes:
1. Fiduciary responsibilities
2. Stakeholder concept vs. shareholder concept
3. Relationships between different companies such as hostile take-overs and industrial espionage b. Product liability i. The link contains a general description of production requirements ii. The creators of the product are held liable for any injuries that the product may cause iii. The creators also need to abide by their advertisements c. Whistle blowing i. The link contains a definition and description of whistle blowing ii. The members of the industry must never breach the confidentiality of sources, documents and anything related to the product.
Solutions for ethical problems and professional responsibilities will range from each discipline specific part of our project. We must first begin by asking ourselves what is ethics. Ethics deals with right and wrong while also reflecting on our morals [15]. Laws and rules were made to limit the bad behavior that a person(s) might do and to highlight the good behavior. Bad behaviors are further more limited by your personal ethics, which tells you what is bad and what is good. It is therefore important to recognize that some actions may be lawful but still unethical according to our ethical standards or organizations ethical standards. Unlawful actions are in the black area, good ones in the white area, and all in between in the gray area. Ethics or ethical problems mainly deal with the gray area which is between good and bad. As stated earlier there are many different types of ethical problems. One is environmental ethics which is the ethics of ecology. One of our main types of ethical problems will come from engineering ethics, more directly - Electrical engineering ethics and consumer ethics [16]. Engineering ethics examines and sets standards for engineers’ obligations to the public, their clients, employers and the profession. Many American engineering professional societies have prepared codes of ethics.
Section 3: Critical Evaluation of Project
Section 3.1: The “Good”
One of the main aspects of our project that should not encounter any problems is marketability.
Today electronics are found almost everywhere you go. Whether in the workplace, at home or during travel, electronics are incorporated somehow. Consumers are always demanding the latest and greatest electronic devices that are available. Since electronic devices came on the
19
economic market, the products have been becoming faster and smaller. Electronic devices are now a very desirable item. That being said, our TV signal splitter should have no problem on the electronic market today, essentially the device will appeal to the many age groups including young and older audiences. Since the device will allow users to use multiple multimedia devices young adults and children will find the feature most appealing. Kids will be able to play games on their gaming console while watching their favorite cartoons and young adults would be able to play a game with their friends and catch a ball game or watch the news. For an older audience, the device would allow simultaneous media to be possible to enable maximum pleasure. In both cases, the consumer will have a greater multimedia experience and will thus benefit from owning the product that we intend to create.
Another aspect of our project that should not encounter any problems is finding components to actually make the device a reality. There are many devices such as HDMI splitters and HDMI switches that use similar technologies that we will use. There is no short of supply on HDMI slots, processors and casings so building materials will also not present any problem to our team.
Section 3.2: The “Scary”
There are different aspects where as a group we feel that could be more difficult to accomplish than others. One of the main aspects that we are worried about is the construction of the actual device. Although we know the theory and what parts and instruments we will need, the building process seems to be very difficult. This stage of the project would become the most important to achieve because without a device there is no way we can go on with the rest of the stages of the project.
Another aspect that we believe will become an obstacle in the completion of the project would be the testing of the device once we have built it. It may not sound as important as the previous aspect, however this aspect is the one that will decide if our project will be ready for a demonstration or not. In order to test our device, we will need a proper environment and instrumentation so we could obtain the appropriate data that will support the success of our project.
A last aspect that seems scary is the marketability of the final product. Even though our project has not been built before, we are worried about the acceptation it will have in the market. Within this aspect, there are several doubts and questions that need to be answered before trying to mass produce this device.
Section 3.3: The “Fun”
The main aspect of our project that will have the consumer happy is the ability to have more than one output displayed on the screen at a given time. With today's technology users are only able to use one HDMI and most TVs only come with 2 ports for HDMI inputs. That being said our device will have 4 inputs thus allowing the user to have the option from using different combinations. This presents the ease of access feature to the user and thus creates a more enjoyable experience. With this capability the consumer will the ability to play a game console,
20
watch television and then switch to a DVD all with using the TV splitter interface. The interface will be simple, also making using the device more enjoyable and less frustrating as some electronic devices can present to a consumer.
Section 3.4: Funding of Project
After consulting with some professors and making some research about the cost of the elements to build our project, the group came to the conclusion that additional sponsorship from different companies or donors will be required. Even though we are provided with a capital, it will not be enough to complete our project successfully. In order to get all the funding necessary, we will be ask several multinational companies to help with the development of the project in exchange of publicity.
According to our most recent research, we won’t need any expensive or rare part to be donated.
Although if companies that want to sponsor us decide to do it by giving us parts we will accept them gladly. However, the actual parts and if they will be donated is unknown. We believe that this will come up along the way especially during the building stage.
In the Appendix, one can see the group’s proposed budget of the expenses that would be required for the Design project.
Section 4: Summary
Self-Analysis of Progress (SWOT)
Strength
Television is the most widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that are either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. Picture in Picture is a feature of some television receivers and similar devices. One program (channel) is displayed on the full TV screen at the same time as one or more other programs are displayed in inset windows. Picture in Picture or Picture by Picture is useful if you are exploring the internet and want to watch the news at the same time. Or if you are playing a video game on your Sony Play Station 3 and your sibling wants to play Xbox 360, you both can use the same
TV. The strengths of PIP/PBP are endless. The device would connect to the respected TV USB input slot that would connect directly to the back of the computer. Once connected the Device would then receive the two inputs that would normally be connected to the TV and thus enable the viewer to use his/her television with the picture and picture function with two inputs. The device itself would be approximately the size of an average book ideally and would contain
HDMI input slots to receive inputs from various electronic devices. Most TVs that are being produced now all have multiple USB slots and this is why I have chosen to go with the USB approach rather than the HDMI approach that I previously wanted. The device will not only be geared towards younger adults who primarily use gaming consoles but also franchises display a vast amount of information on television. They would not need multiple television sets in order to display the information; they would be able to use one half of the screen for diagnostic of one item and other side of screen for another item. In addition, there are many television users that
21
need a device as this for some projects or just for their personal entertainment. Thus, this idea generally applies to financial franchises/firms that use monitors as one of their main information gateways.
Weakness
The main weakness about this project is that by displaying various sources on one screen, the user may become very distracted. PiP solved this issue by making the main screen the only one with sound. We can adopt a similar solution and allow the user to switch the main screen at will. Another solution would be to do as another television feature known as Picture-and-Picture
(PaP) does. PaP is very similar to PiP just that both displayed sources are viewed as the main screen. Sound is heard from the television speakers from one of the sources and the sound form the other source can be heard from headphones. Although this can solve the distraction issue, this can be very uncomfortable since users would have to remain close to the television screen so that the headphones can be used. I think the user should be able to press a button so that the focus switches to one of the sources and sound is heard from there while the second source is muted as done with PiP. This would solve the problem and keep the user at a comfortable distance. Another weakness would be that in the future television manufactures could include this kind of technology in their models making our device useless. However, the old models could still use the device in order to split the signal.
Opportunities
Our project offers great opportunities to become a popular product due to the fact that this device is wanted for many people but has not been created yet. In addition, we are focusing on working with HDMI connectors in order to plug in any device that the user wants to use. There are some opportunities to expand its use to not only HDMI compatible devices but to any other device which does not use this connector. Having the possibility to expand the use of this product makes it even much more desirable and it would have a greater acceptation in the market. This expansion would not only be for the input but it would also be for the output in order to be used in any kind of display or output device. The opportunities for this product to become greatly demanded in the market are more than what we expected because after doing some research, we found out that this product has not being developed and people from every country of the world desire to have a product like this. Although the technology exists, it has not being developed in a small device as we plan to do. Other than output and input variety, another enhancement that this device could have is the ability to not only divide the screen in two sections but in 4 or even 8 depending on the application. For example, security cameras would not need to have their independent display. They could be displayed all at the same time in the same screen. This would help minimize space for the security equipment needed and monitoring more efficient. Knowing these facts, the possibilities that this product would be a success are even better than what anybody could think of.
Threats
Some threats for this device are simply the fact that “why hasn't this been done before”. When talking to my colleagues, they all rave over the thought of such a device but the same issue that comes to mind is why hasn’t it been done already. However this theoretical problem is not the only one, the other is actually creating a program that could do such a task. The program would
22
essentially “talk” to the television and tell it to initialize once the picture and picture feature was started. This could be tricky since our team might discover that the modifying of the television might be needed to create such a communication. Also the main threat this product faces is marketability. Since this has really never been done or attempted, would a television manufacturer consider such a device simply because our team says it would be widely used.
Also, television manufactures could use this technology and implement it in their models making our device useless. Another thread is that our device could become very expensive and the marketability would be even more difficult. Surveys and other methods of acquiring user thoughts would be needed to support this device, if made, to be marketable.
Miscellaneous
References
[1] http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Windows-Media-Player-frequently-asked- questions
[2] https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/musicvideophotos/C/codecs.html
[3] Instrument Engineers' Handbook: Process control and optimization By Bela G. Liptak
[4] www.hdmi.org
[5] www.national.com
[6] http://www.eda.org/vhdl-200x/
[7] http://www.emesystems.com/BS2pbasic25.htm
[8] Nilsson, James W., & Riedel, Susan A. (2002). Introductory Circuits for Electrical and
Computer Engineering. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
[9] John C. Shedd and Mayo D. Hershey,"The History of Ohm's Law", Popular Science,
December 1913, pages 599-614
[10] Charles Alexander and Matthew Sadiku (2004). Fundamentals of Electric Circuits.
McGraw-Hill.
[11] http://ap.nuhorizons.com/glossary/basicelecconcepts.asp
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_%28circuit_theory%29#Examples_of_signals
[13] http://www.ieee.org/portal/cms_docs/about/CoE_poster.pdf
[14] Friedman, M. (1970). "The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Profit", The New
York Times Magazine.
[15] Lawrence M. Friedman, American Law in the 20th Century (New Haven: Yale University
23
Press, 2004), 356-357, and Jay M. Feinman, Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About the
American Legal System, rev. ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 165-168.
[16] Faunce TA and Jefferys S. Whistleblowing and Scientific Misconduct: Renewing Legal and
Virtue Ethics Foundations Journal of Medicine and Law 2007, 26(3): 567 –84
Appendix
A – Proposed Budget for Design Project (See attached)
B – Schematics for Chipsets
We pledge on our honor that we have abided by the Stevens Honor System.
___________________________________
Amilcar Javier
___________________________________
Henry Vizuete
___________________________________
Tony Dominguez
________________________________
David Leon
________________________________
Richard Sanchez
24
