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Component Selection Research

For component selection you choose which sensors, actuators, and other hardware components you need for your IoT solution. You investigate different options, compare specifications such as range, accuracy, and price, and make a well-argued choice that fits what your system needs to do. You document why you choose certain components and how they contribute to your solution.

For this product, you perform and document a small research study into possible components, compare alternatives, and justify your final choices.

Component Selection in Embedded & IoT Systems

Choosing the right components is crucial for a reliable and cost-effective embedded system. Typical factors you consider include:

  • Electrical characteristics (voltage, current, power consumption)
  • Measurement properties (range, resolution, accuracy, response time)
  • Mechanical aspects (size, mounting, robustness)
  • Environmental limits (temperature, humidity, IP rating)
  • Availability and price

You use data sheets, vendor websites, and example projects to collect information and decide which components are the best fit for your design.

Quality indicators

When assessing this product, the following quality indicators will be considered:

  • The component selection document is self-contained, starting with an introduction/context and then describing the selection process.
  • It clearly describes the functional and non-functional requirements that influence component choice.
  • It compares at least two alternative components for key roles (for example two different sensors or actuators), including their main specifications.
  • It explains why the chosen components are a good fit based on the requirements and specifications.
  • It includes a summary table or mini Bill of Materials of the selected components (type, manufacturer, order code, key specs, price, and source link).
  • It discusses any trade-offs made (for example cost vs. accuracy, size vs. performance).
  • It includes references to data sheets, vendor pages, and other sources used during the research.

Template

To document component selection research in your own project, you can use the following template:

# Component Selection Research

In this section, describe in a few sentences what system you are building and why careful component selection is important. This is the main text of your document.

## Requirements

Here you describe the requirements that influence component choice:
- Functional requirements (what the component must be able to do)
- Non-functional requirements (for example accuracy, range, speed, power usage, size, cost)

## Candidate Components

Here you list and compare possible components:
- For each role (for example temperature sensor, motor driver), list two or more candidate components
- Summarise important specifications in a table (range, accuracy, voltage, current, interface, price, etc.)

## Comparison & Justification

Here you analyse the candidates:
- Compare the pros and cons of each component
- Explain which component you choose and why it best fits the requirements

## Summary of Selected Components

Here you provide a summary table of the final chosen components:
- Component name and type
- Manufacturer and order code
- Key specifications
- Price and link to supplier or data sheet

## Sources

List here the sources you used for your component research:
- Data sheets
- Vendor or webshop pages
- Articles, videos, or example projects