Massively Parallel DSP Computing - Design Note #1

Sixty four Digital Signal Processors operating at high speed on one board pack an enormous punch. These sixty four SHARC processors enable applications such as interactive solids modeling, interactive fluids modeling, and real time MPEG2 video DVD authoring. They also require carefully considered design and debugging techniques to operate properly. Controlled impedance board design techniques together with a practical approach to high speed design made this two-sided 64 processor circuit board a real catch. Orchid's DSP experts are ready to land a big fish for you too.

Telecommunications Trouble-Shooting - Design Note #2

With 950 non-working PCI-Based Telecom Boards in WIP, and a gremlin which the client had been trying to solve for weeks, Orchid Technologies was contacted to identify and correct a voice-stream lockup problem in the client's circuit board design. This mixed 5.0 and 3.3 volt system exhibited strange and virtually untraceable erroneous behavior on its TDM busses. Octets were slipping for no apparent reason. Audio quality was unacceptable.

Custom x86 Hardware and Embedded BIOS™ - Design Note #3

Orchid excels at providing deeply embedded customized x86 personal computer product designs. Orchid offers rapid hardware development using processor technology from Intel, AMD, Cyrix, National Semiconductor and ST-Microelectronics. Orchid embedded designs are customized to suit your feature set, packaging, power and unit cost requirements. Orchid reduces product cost by redesigning older multi-board systems into new single board embedded x86 architectures.

Broadcast Video on the World Wide Web - Design Note #4

Zulu Broadcasting's trade show was five weeks away when they hired Orchid Technologies Engineering and Consulting Inc. to perform the electronic design and packaging of their revolutionary new web-casting appliance. Orchid mobilized its top engineers to solve a myriad of packaging, power, display, component density and product architectural issues.

Embedded Pentium II - Design Note #5

Eastman Kodak Corporation, an Orchid client, wished to inject new life into its line of professional image capture products. Building upon Orchid's years of embedded x86 / Pentium / Pentium II, multimedia, imaging, and networking expertise, Kodak leveraged a custom Orchid design and kept a crucial market segment, the professional photographer, taking pictures and generating profits.

Re-Invent the Future - Design Note #6

Many factors affect the life of today's electronic products. These factors include piece part availability, the expense of through hole technology, feature creep, pressure for last time buy, and product size. Orchid addresses all these factors bringing engineering talent to your redesign requirement. Orchid will study your existing product and provide you with a well considered re-engineered solution. Often, a re-engineered solution is smaller, consumes less power, costs less to manufacture, and is more reliable than the original product.

Fiber Optics/Telecommunications - Design Note #7

High cost, limited functionality, and aging components were severely limiting Wilcom's ability to maintain its leadership position as a supplier of low-cost instrumentation for the Fiber Optics telecommunications market. Working closely with Wilcom Engineering and marketing, Orchid developed a family of products based upon a single low cost microcontroller design.

Miniature Analog Design - Design Note #8

Orchid performed the electronics design and packaging engineering required to retrofit a family of low cost, highly reliable solid state sensors onto our customer's existing venturi-vacuum pump product line. Working within our client's demanding maximum size constraints, Orchid developed a line of miniature analog pressure sensor products with big features.

Component Video Recorder - Design Note #9

Eastman Kodak's fifteen year old component-video recorder had been unavailable for five years. All spare parts were exhausted. Eastman Kodak, had two more years of service contracts to honor. A replacement unit had to be found! Orchid's task: Make four prototype units, in six weeks, supply volume production in twelve.

SCSI and Ultra-ATA Disk Drive Storage - Design Note #10

Massive data storage systems make use of distributed computing and storage resources to improve overall system data throughput. Working with technology from Motorola, Xilinx, Seagate, and IBM, Orchid Technologies crafted a high-performance distributed data engine.

AMD Elan SC520 Controller - Design Note #11

Bristol Babcock, a multi-million dollar industrial controller supplier, engaged Orchid Technologies to architect and design the main processor board in their new Programmable Logic Controller product line. Working with technology from AMD, and General Software, Orchid Technologies Engineering and Consulting, Inc. rapidly crafted a powerful, compact controller.

Elevator Controller - Design Note #12

The design of Elevator Control Systems presents a unique mix of sophisticated computer control needs blended with industrial strength power switching requirements. Primary control signaling and contactor switching are performed using isolated 120VAC and 240VAC circuits. An elevator control installation is typically a noise-ridden environment. Orchid's primary challenge was to maintain a quiet operating environment for the control microprocessors while holding overall product cost to a minimum.

Telecommunications and Embedded Pentium III - Design Note #13

Comverse, a worldwide telecommunications leader, engaged Orchid Technologies to perform the electronics and firmware design of its flagship, high-end, telecommunications processor, the Series IV.

Compact Low Power PBX Processor - Design Note #14

Dialogic Corporation, an Intel Corporation Subsidiary and worldwide telecommunications industry leader, engaged Orchid Technologies to perform the electronics and firmware design of their new Private Branch Exchange telecommunications motherboard, code named, 'Orange Grove'.

Emergency 24/7 Telecommunications - Design Note #15

Natural Microsystems, a world-wide telecommunications industry leader, engaged Orchid Technologies to perform the hardware design of their 911-enabled multi-port telecommunications hardware engine.

Jet Engine Fuel Efficiency - Design Note #16

Today's jet engines are a marvel of fuel efficiency. Keeping those engines operating at their peak performance requires constant maintenance. Turbofan roundness plays a critical role in jet engine performance.

Medical Product Design - Design Note #17

A leading manufacturer of cardiology equipment approached Orchid to provide the electronic hardware, software and mechanical product design for a new line of hand-held twelve lead ECG machines. The design goals: provide diagnostic quality ECG graphics display, in a light weight, portable, battery powered, user friendly package. Provide compatibility with existing Hewlett Packard ECG carts.

Teraflop (10E15) Supercomputing - Design Note #18

Compaq Computer Corporation, a world wide provider of supercomputer hardware systems, engaged Orchid Technologies to perform the electronic hardware and test firmware design of its new Wildfire Teraflop Computer's IO System.

PowerPC and VoIP - Design Note #19

Voice over Internet Protocol is a rapidly emerging telecommunications technology with great promise. Orchid Technologies performed the electronics design of this early VoIP hardware solution for an emerging provider of telecommunications equipment. Hired to 'get it working yesterday', Orchid delivered prototype units in ten weeks from project start.

Multimedia Audio and Video Console - Design Note #20

Orchid Technologies selected the AMD 80186ER as the ideal microprocessor for this demanding, low-cost audio and video application. The AMD Microprocessor brings all the industry standard power of an x86 computer in a low-cost efficient single chip device. With on-board SRAM, the 80186ER provides an ideal small-model microprocessor solution.

TUV Safety Approved Industrial Controller - Design Note #21

In cooperation with Compaq Computer Corporation, an industry leader of consumer and specialized computing solutions, Orchid Technologies performed the hardware and firmware design of a ruggedized, TUV safety approved industrial communications controller for use in Dow Chemical Company's world-wide chemical processing plants.

Video On Demand Set Top Box - Design Note #22

The multi-billion dollar set-top-box market requires an agile hardware platform that can answer site-specific installation needs while providing unmatched reliability, and entertainment value. Orchid Technologies designed a feature-packed set top box, raising the bar for features and performance.

Aviation Electronics has Pentium and Power-PC Punch - Design Note #23

Avidyne Technologies, a world-class leader in Aviation Electronics hired Orchid Technologies to design its newest DO-160 approved avionics processors. Working closely with high-performance microprocessor technology from Intel and Motorola, Orchid crafted a feature-rich, two-board, redundant avionics architecture.

EEG Brainwave Activity Analysis - Design Note #24

Orchid Technologies was selected by Physiometrix Corporation to design their newest operating room electroencephalography (EEG) platform. Real-time capture, analysis, and display of multi-channel EEG data is required to provide anesthesiologists with invaluable real-time information.