Minimized mechanical construction with simplified packaging. Devices have single-board, rail-mount, or stacked-module mechanical designs, suitable for benchtop use and easy access. No special tools for inaccessible fasteners or mechanical puzzles are involved. Packaging is a product consideration for suppliers. Designware is about achieving technical function and performance.
Minimum custom parts: Except where performance would be compromised, designware uses multiple-sourced "legacy" ICs and well-established electromechanics. All standard parts are commercially available from major electronics distributors. Custom parts can be made without special skills or equipment. Supplier designware includes files for circuit-board manufacture or digital part programming.
Minimum adjustments by using microcontroller autocalibration or accurate parts.
Designware for suppliers includes a detailed product manual or low-cost prototyping kit. It optionally includes board layout files, firmware source code, and detailed engineering considerations underlying the technology. Open-source licensing enables total-ownership control of technology short of reselling the designware itself, as restricted in the open-source agreement.
Limited Edition project units are also being built by Innovatia as engineering prototypes that reclaim older or surplus technology in laboratory inventory, thereby reducing waste by turning non-functioning electronics into useful devices. They are full working units with specifications, are generally more robust than standard production products, and can be more readily modified. LE units are priced at market value, include laboratory versus commodity technical support, and can be useful as a working example from a project. Successful LE technology in the lab becomes open-source and available to Innovatia Assistants. LE technology is another way to participate in an Innovatia open-access shared-technology project.
