2009. General Satellite with Set-Top box on the market offered by the biggest telco company in Russia, Триколор . Some of the first models and devices placed on the Russian market have been end-to end developed at RT-RK, utilizing software solutions available within our company. The project covered a complete design cycle from scratch – via prototyping, to qualification to testing and support on the production line, ended with mass production ramp-up at the customer’s facilities in Kaliningrad.

Key achievements:

• Complete product development and introduction on the market
• Industrialization, adaptation of signaling aspects and product technology to the limitations of the production line (limited layer count, single sided boards, large components)
• Design for manufacturability, testing, logistics, sourcing

Project overview

The project goal was to develop and design a new generation of Set-Top boxes, utilize software solutions available within RT-RK, and target mass production at Customer’s facilities. The project covered a complete design cycle from scratch – via prototyping, qualification to testing and support on the production line.

The main challenges during the project were:

• To prepare the general hardware architecture in accordance with the business frame, and special relationships between the Customer and silicon vendors on the market

• Building prototype series to be used for demo purposes, as a software development platform, and for the device prequalification in accordance with the technical requirements

• Optimization of the design according to technological constraints from production, assuring single side component assembly, simulations-layout changes and later qualification of critical interfaces and power distribution network on the printed circuit board

• Bill-of-material optimization according to Customer’s supply chains and procurement praxis

• Qualification of the final design according to technical legislation

• Support for the product pilot production, staff training for assembly errors debugging and failure localization algorithms

• Organization of tests on the production line.

The complete design, prototyping, and qualification activities were conducted by a dedicated RT-RK team. The price optimization process was led by the Customer, in circles of negotiation regarding the supply terms and conditions, with technical expertise and approval by the design team.

Conclusion

At the end of the project, the customer received produced devices fully compliant with their requirements in terms of functionality and manufacturability. All the project stages, from rapid prototypes to the support on the production line were organized and conducted by RT-RK, with documentation, expenses and processes transparent to the customer.

On the other side, RT-RK team has grown in knowledge on big industrial systems, organization, the way of work, and fine tuned own design for manufacturability approach.

The project was ‘the first in series’ of similar devices and projects between the two companies.