Parkonect "7TST" PARCS Kiosk

This project was the official 2nd generation update of Parkonect's 'tower' series PARCS. While I acted as the lead engineer for this project, most of the PCB design work was conducted by our in-house electrical engineer. My main focus was on the mechanical/industrial design and general overall management of the project.

I designed the entire product, assembled prototype units, conducted testing, sourced parts, and developed the full-scale production processes. Our small team of two was able to create an extremely effective and cost-effective hardware product. Releasing one of the most cutting-edge hardware products in the industry.

During the entire project, we kept several in mind several overarching goals and challenges:

• Quicker and more streamlined production.

• Integrated circuits and custom PCB 

• More robust weatherproofing

• Easier in-field repairability/field technician-friendly design choices.
  
  

Gaskets and Weatherproofing

Earlier versions of this product line often suffered from issues with weatherproofing and condensation control. While designing the enclosure, I was always cognizant of water penetration. I worked closely with gasket manufacturers and conducted numerous water penetration and humidity testing. Gaskets were designed using polyurethane foams of varying types and adhesive qualities depending on their application.

We designed a custom ventilation system using a humidity/temperature control board we also designed specifically for this enclosure. Unfortunately, we could not convince management to also incorporate a heating system, which we thought was necessary to have a complete climate control enclosure. However, we did start the process of designing one as a potential add-on for more extreme climates.

Electronics

Electronics Plates

The main electronics plate, like its predecessor, was designed to be fully assembled before installation into the cabinet. This allowed for far quicker and more efficient 'on-demand' assembly.  There were several sub-models with varying optional equipment that needed to be accounted for. I was able to design a single platform that all 'sub-models' can use, thus eliminating the need for multiple different plates.  It was also important to consider the location of customer interaction points and ADA requirements. The end product had to be intuitive for the end user to interact with. 

I also designed a custom mounting platform for our touch screen. This is mont allows from a flush fit on the front face. It is also mounted independently of the main electronics plate to allow for quick and easy field replacement.

Smaller mounting plates were also designed for various components within the system including intercoms and scanners.

'Custom PCB Boards'

Earlier revisions relied heavily on off-the-shelf components and hand-made cable assemblies. Not only did this drastically increase production time, but it also lead to inconsistencies between builds and a higher number of failures. We started by designing what we called a 'unified' PCB board. This incorporated many aspects of the system (relays, power circuits/supplies, termination points, etc). This ultimately allows us to develop a pre-built wiring harness assembly. We also developed a 'daughter board' for the main controller board to eliminate having to run individual jumper cables and wiring to various board I/O.

Most of the design, testing, and production work was carried out by my college, however, I spearheaded certain aspects of the development. These included part sourcing, field connector design, and labeling plates.  We worked together closely throughout the design process to ensure the final product performed the necessary
functions.

I also designed the main wiring harness this 'unified PCB' allowed us to incorporate. 

Wiring Harness

The main harness incorporates all wiring necessary to run all basic components within the cabinet. It plugs into the 'unified PCB' for power, signaling, etc, via a standard Molex plug. After testing, I worked drew up schematics and worked with a third-party cable provider to receive a production-ready product. This took a few iterations, but we ended up with an end product that exponentially saved production time.

Ventilation system 

Designed and built from the ground up specially for the 7TST Kiosk system; although it can be easily adapted from other designs and uses. It uses a humidity and temperature sensor PCB we designed and built to trigger an exhaust fan at predetermined points. 

The project is still ongoing, as we continue to improve the controller board and seek to integrate heater control and voltage regulation into the design.

The footprint of the PCB was designed specifically for this mount. The circuit is extremely simple and uses commonly available sensor packages and microcontrollers. The entire system was powered by a 5VDC USB-C cable from the main harness. Later revisions included swapping the solid-state relay for transistors and adding Molex fan termination points.  I designed the PCB footprint and the first iteration of the circuit. 

Usually, we would refer to our in-house software team for firmware and programming, however, due to the overlap of projects, they were unable to complete the request in time. However, we were able to learn the microcontroller and develop rudimentary firmware to allow deployment in the field. 

This controller board was also used in retrofit kits for existing systems.

The mount is designed around the ventilation grill located on the underside of the door frame. This allowed for protection from water infiltration and allowed for the exhaust to be mounted as high in the cabinet as possible for the best results. The mount is designed especially for 3D printing production, allowing us to mass produce in-house or via a third party at a low cost. 

It is secured to the cabinet via PEM stand-offs. The entire assembly can be completed before installation in the cabinet, allowing for quicker production. The hardware-less mounting design of the PCB allows for quick production of the entire assembly itself. 

Power Supply Brick

This mount was designed for a MeanWell MPM-90-24ST PSU which would be installed externally from the system and provide 24VDC to power it.   This mount featured a built-in cable stress relief for the 120V input, along with a safety cover with anti-tampering features. It also offered installation teams a few solutions when it came to mounting the unit including. See the PSU Mount Assembly page for more in-depth details.

Production/Documentation

After producing and testing multiple prototypes, I also oversaw the ramp-up of full-scale production for the units. This mainly included assembling a bill of materials, creating assembly guides, contacting third-party parts supplies, and overseeing the initial pre-production run of units, including their installation in the field. This allowed me to make some minor changes to the design and our production process as unforeseen issues came up during production.

We continued to support the products beyond the design phase as well; continuing to tweak the designs of both the mechanical and electrical systems to ensure maximum efficiency and reliability. Working with field engineers to gather feedback and continually refine.