So far, I had only used Arduino for professional purposes where I needed to make a test fixture, and the real-time response time was not critical. And that too with Arduino Due (84MHz). Having used Teensy 4.0 in a prototype for a graphics acceleration engine for an industrial controller, I now believe that just the sheer power it packs makes it viable for use in non-critical subsystems of professional systems where quick deployment is required.
I have already said that that USB, if required, could be put on a breakout board, or on the PCB the module is going to be put on. But normally, in production environment, you don’t use in-circuit programming, and have the microcontroller preprogrammed by the vendor, or the reseller (just like PJRC sells a preprogrammed boot loader chip), before it is populated/ soldered on the PCB. Alternatively, the final developed firmware image could be programmed through JTAG or SWD/SWO interface directly onto the M7 chip, if this is desired post production.
In its current form factor, it is not suitable for mass production, in case the product becomes successful, since you’ll have to use through-hole soldering, since that increases cost. As a castellated edged module, the soldering can be automated along with other components. Ideally, I’d have the components in the Teensy 4.0 BOM soldered directly to the main PCB, but that increases costs, since most of the inexpensive assembly facilities in China do not do BGA population. Quick turnaround/ reduced design time, and lower cost is the key here, especially for consumer items. That’s why I asked if such a module is on PJRC’s roadmap.
I personally think a castellated edged module is a good idea, and has a business case. But that’s just me.....
-pk
