Feasibility Study
A feasibility study is the evaluation, before entering design, of whether the desired function is achievable within the constraints of available components, physical volume and budget. Its output is not "yes/no" but under which assumption it is possible and at which point it carries risk.
The three constraints most often hit in feasibility are:
- Heat: the desired current and the enclosure volume are considered together. Carrying a high current continuously in a closed, unventilated enclosure usually requires reviewing the cooling surface or the current target.
- Space: the number of connectors and the cable cross-section can determine the board area more than the components do; the termination end of a 16 mm² cable takes up more room than the IC next to it.
- Supply: the long-term availability of the IC to be placed at the centre of the design. A single-sourced part ties the life of the product to the life of that part.
At the end of the study two or three scenarios usually emerge: the exact desired function, a limited version, and a solution adapted from an existing board. Which one is chosen is not a technical decision but a decision about usage conditions and commercial expectations; this decision is made together at the quotation stage.
The context in which this term is used: Our Services