After decades of working across both software and hardware systems, one contrast remains constant: software offers rapid feedback, while hardware demands patience, capital, and irreversible decisions.
When designing any system, any optimally designed product is a compromise between power, thermal constraints, size, and robustness. Good products are defined by optimization and when they are complex systems, multiple iterations are almost always required. Iteration is the only valid expectation. There is always something to learn and this is especially true from failures and when refining features.
The current work is in the category of compact, battery-powered photonic hardware—systems that must deliver controlled optical output while maximizing usable power without overheating the hardware. In this type of device, electrical, thermal, and mechanical decisions are tightly coupled, and small architectural choices can have outsized effects on stability and user experience. Complicating this further is the integration of an NFC antenna. Using large amounts of copper within the printed circuit board is optimal for heat transfer, but comes at the cost of attenuating antenna performance. Another area that evolved between revisions was the LED drive architecture. Early versions met functional goals on paper, but further testing under real thermal and battery conditions revealed opportunities to improve efficiency, stabilize current delivery, and improve the overall user experience.