On 11/8/09, Joep Suijs <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> However I'm starting a new design involving a graphical display >> probably with touchscreen / isolated USB conectivity/ IR temperature >> measurement, some specific high voltage supply for a microwave generator and >> a peltier based thermostat, all together in a medical device. The chalenge >> is huge at this point, but the project will be slowly solved, step by step. >> I think I will split the main functionality on two microcontrollers, since I >> do not want to use any ARM or DSP core. >> > > Impressive... Why don't you want an ARM or DSP core? >
In medical equipment the first concern is to assure the pacient electrical isolation. For a device which may have splitted functions (some of them dealing with thermostated fluids, others dealing directly with the pacient body through the sensors) it's easier from the isolation perspective to split the embedded system in one, two or even more smaller systems. Communication between those could be easily optoisolated and the master (which also monitorize the biologic parameters) may talk with all the slaves. Splitting the function of a huge embedded system into a sum of smaller systems make the usage of an ARM usless (at least at this moment of my thoughts). If you wish, there is an electrical comparison between this system and an electrical one used in the FPGA hardware design, called point of load. POL meaning briefly many local switching power supplies instead of a big one for the whole system. While POL is the only solution for a current hungry FPGA, for a medical application splitted embedded system is not. > I'm sure you took care of liability issue's? > Using a medical device in real life (on humans) need some years of tests. But, based on my previous experience (jal not included there) once the system works and is properly tested before used, liability is the last issue. best wishes, Vasile > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "jallib" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jallib?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
