How nice would it be to use the same tools for all phases of the product life cycle, from development to production to field support? Imagine a phase-to-phase transition that doesn’t require new tool validation. The Promira Serial Platform is so versatile that you can use it during design, release, manufacturing and support.

• Proof of concept - Use the Promira platform to emulate proposed master/slave functions, verifying the feasibility of the design. The built-in level shifter provides you with the flexibility to work at different voltage levels; especially now that sub-3.3V signal levels are becoming increasingly popular in embedded systems.
• Development - Test and debug the design by sending commands as a master or receiving data as a slave during both proof of concept and development stages. Total Phase accessory boards and software tools are also available to quickly bring your product to market.
• Manufacturing - Use the Promira Serial Platform to easily program registers, BIOS, or firmware into EEPROMs and Flash memory. With the ability to communicate via Ethernet, you can set up several Promira platforms for remote use on a high volume production floor. Just before the product is shipped, burn the security features into each device. Ethernet connectivity allows you the run the Promira platform over long distances, which is useful in large production environments.
• Quality Testing - Execute programs to run test cycles on the devices, and validate performance. With the higher speeds of I2C and SPI supported by the Promira platform, the read and write times can be significantly shortened, saving time and money during the test process.
• Support - Not all equipment is portable and cannot easily be brought into the shop or factory for maintenance and repair (an ATM for instance). For complete customer service and in the field support, include the pocket-sized Promira platform in the field service kit for on-site trouble-shooting and repair. (Listen to this interview for more details.)

	Figure 1: Promira Serial Platform High Speed I2C/SPI via USB, Ethernet, High Speed	Figure 2: Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter Low-Cost All-Purpose Tool