An engineering validation test (EVT) is performed on first engineering

Engineering

Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

 prototype

Prototype

A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...

s, to ensure that the basic unit performs to design goals and specifications.

Tests

Tests may include:

• Functional test (basic)
• Power measurement
• Signal quality test
• Conformance test
• EMI pre-scan
• Thermal and 4 corner test
• Basic parametric measurements, specification verification

Importance

Identifying design problems, and solving them as early in the design cycle as possible, is the key to keeping projects on time and within budget. Too often, product design

Product design

-Introduction:Product design is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers. It is concerned with the efficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new products.Product designers conceptualize and...

 and performance problems are not detected until late in the product development cycle — when the product is ready to be shipped. The old adage holds true: It costs a penny to make a change in engineering, a dime

Dime (United States coin)

The dime is a coin 10 cents, one tenth of a United States dollar, labeled formally as "one dime". The denomination was first authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. The dime is the smallest in diameter and is the thinnest of all U.S...

 in production and a dollar

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

 after a product is in the field.

Prototyping

In the prototyping stage, engineers create actual working samples of the product they plan to produce. Engineering verification testing (EVT) is used on prototypes to verify that the design meets pre-determined specifications and design goals. This valuable information is used to validate the design as is, or identify areas that need to be modified.

Design verification test

Design verification test (DVT) is an intensive testing program which is performed to deliver objective, comprehensive testing verifying all product specifications, interface standards, OEM requirements, and diagnostic commands. It consists of five areas of testing:

• Functional testing (including usability)
• Performance testing
• Climatic testing
• Reliability testing
• Environmental test
• Mechanical test
• MTBF prediction
• Compliance and regulatory testing
• EMC test and certification
• Safety certification

Design refinement

After prototyping, the product is moved to the next phase of the design cycle: design refinement

Iterative design

Iterative design is a design methodology based on a cyclic process of prototyping, testing, analyzing, and refining a product or process. Based on the results of testing the most recent iteration of a design, changes and refinements are made. This process is intended to ultimately improve the...

. Engineers revise and improve the design to meet performance and design requirements and specifications.