20260910-0717-distributed-core-product-family Redefine Core as a distributed output product family

• status: completed
• createdAt: 2026-09-10 07:17
• approvedAt: 2026-09-14 01:30
• relatedTask: 20260910-0714-distributed-core-product-family

Context

The user requested a Core redesign around distributed lighting and general-load separation. They specified two output capacities and limited both to ten configurable inputs, with CAN and RS-485. Their follow-up confirms that the 27-output and 43-output products are both general-purpose models and revises the PWM requirement to 15 outputs per model with configurable switching. A further clarification locks those 15 PWM-capable outputs to the 15 A current class. Physical channel numbering remains an engineering detail.

Current controlled documents describe Core S (22 outputs), Core M (46 outputs plus substantial input acquisition), and Core HD (a separate high-current distribution tier). The old family is embedded in product selection, the greater-than-25 A mapping rule, PWM/half-bridge capability assumptions, CAN telemetry examples, configuration class enums, input budgets, RS-485 master roles, AC integration examples, and commercial tables.

The existing vehicle split-module research is relevant to separation of responsibilities, but its zero-input power satellites, 24/28-output capacities, fixed 125/200 A aggregate currents, COM-M controller, and optional LVDS route are different requirements. They must not be copied into the new marine Core definition as approved facts. The separately owned yacht evidence task remains active. RESEARCH-008 / PLAN-024 is an unapproved 46-output, 200 A-total, 100 A-per-channel alternative.

Requested resource matrix

These are user-requested engineering targets. Both capacities are general-purpose models. The identifiers below describe capacity only; final commercial names remain TBD.

Resource	27-output variant	43-output variant
Product role	General-purpose	General-purpose
80 A output channels	3	3
50 A output channels	5	5
15 A output channels	18	34
15 A outputs configurable as PWM or on/off (included above)	15	15
Remaining 15 A on/off outputs (included above)	3	19
120 A output channels	1	1
Physical output total	27	43
Configurable physical input total	10	10
Input modes requested	Digital, analog, resistance, 4-20 mA, 0-20 mA	Same
Communication interfaces requested	CAN and RS-485	CAN and RS-485
PWM requirement	15 outputs; configurable mode switching	15 outputs; configurable mode switching
PWM channel allocation	Fixed subset of 15 A outputs; channel numbers TBD	Fixed subset of 15 A outputs; channel numbers TBD
Sum of channel current targets	880 A	1,120 A
Module aggregate continuous current	TBD	TBD

Arithmetic: 3 + 5 + 18 + 1 = 27; 3 + 5 + 34 + 1 = 43. The channel-current sums are descriptive arithmetic, not module feed, connector, thermal, or simultaneous-load ratings. PWM-capable channels are a subset of the physical outputs, not extra outputs. The input modes share ten physical channels, not ten channels per mode.

Proposal

1. Define the functional boundaries

Interpret the explicitly retained ten inputs as a small local input bank on an output-focused module. Dedicated input acquisition remains a separate module responsibility rather than making a larger Core a replacement for Sense. This is the proposed implementation of the input/output separation goal with the stated ten-input allowance.

Define exactly two general-purpose Core models, differentiated by 27 versus 43 outputs. Plan lighting and general-load responsibilities separately within the distributed system; the two capacities are not separate lighting-only and general-load-only products, nor a four-SKU capacity-by-role matrix. This proposal does not invent a dedicated lighting SKU or its electrical specifications. Retain local protection, output state/readback, and configured loss-of-communication behavior on output modules. Preserve the existing ability for bound local controls to operate without cloud services; do not introduce a mandatory new communication-controller SKU merely because the vehicle research contains one.

System responsibilities under the proposed split:

Studio / Hub: configuration, supervision, system coordination
CAN / RS-485: declared and validated interface profiles
Lighting: independently planned control and output allocation
Core general-purpose output modules: 27 or 43 outputs, local protection
Input acquisition modules: separately sized sensor/contact acquisition
Each specified output variant: ten configurable local inputs

2. Replace the old Core resource model

Rewrite the controlled Core specification around the confirmed product roles and the 27/43-output matrix. Distinguish physical capacity, per-channel modes, local input allocation, and module aggregate current. Remove the assumption that Core M absorbs Sense acquisition and that output capacity implies a large input bank.

Both models have a fixed subset of 15 PWM-capable outputs within the 15 A current class. Each of these outputs can be configured for PWM or ordinary on/off operation. The 27-output model therefore has 15 configurable PWM/on-off channels and three on/off-only channels within its 18-channel 15 A bank; the 43-output model has 15 configurable PWM/on-off channels and nineteen on/off-only channels within its 34-channel 15 A bank. The 50 A, 80 A and 120 A outputs are on/off-only. Overall, the models have 12 and 28 on/off-only outputs respectively, in addition to their 15 configurable outputs.

Configuration changes the operating mode of the fixed PWM-capable channels, not their physical allocation or the total output count. Physical channel numbers remain TBD in the Level-2 design, while the count and current class are fixed. Configuration validation must reject PWM mode on every output outside that subset. Do not infer half-bridge channels, reversible outputs, or additional digital inputs from the old family.

Input configuration should declare one active measurement mode per physical input, selected from supported digital, analog-voltage, resistance, 4-20 mA, and 0-20 mA profiles. Clarify whether resistance support is a configurable range, a hardware option, or both. Voltage/resistance ranges, digital thresholds, excitation, accuracy, protection, isolation, and acquisition rates remain explicit engineering decisions. Input-mode changes must not imply additional channels or inherit old Core M/Sense capabilities without evidence.

CAN and RS-485 presence is confirmed. Controller counts, CAN versus CAN FD profiles, NMEA 2000 placement, RS-485 protocol/roles, speeds, isolation, and connectors remain defined by a subsequent interface decision. Interface presence alone must not grant a module Modbus master capability.

3. Reconcile downstream documents

Update the product plan first, then the Core Level-1 specification and Level-2 appendix. Replace old dimension, pin-budget, connector, thermal, and component assumptions that depend on the old resource model with explicit redesign/qualification items. Preserve unaffected requirements; do not manufacture an exact schematic, MCU choice, or power-stage proof during a product-definition change.

Update X01/X02 and Studio references so hardware identity/capabilities, channel ranges, PWM eligibility, ten-input mode selection, telemetry counts, and load-selection rules agree with the new Core matrix. Preserve existing protection and command/readback semantics. Any old-family example retained for history must be visibly identified as a legacy example; it cannot remain the current installation template.

Review Sense, AC, Key, Air Hub, and Hub dependencies. In particular, AC examples requiring 24 or more input contacts cannot rely on ten local inputs or on the retired Core M acquisition bank. Any replacement AC allocation must use an explicit input inventory and a declared module budget; do not silently treat a 15 A power-channel target as a suitable protection setting for a small coil.

Synchronize business-plan summaries, procurement assumptions, commercial and compliance family references, indexes, and PPT material. Old Core S/M/HD prices, supplier equivalence, dimensions, and qualification evidence do not transfer to a new capacity by renaming it. Preserve historical numerical models as labeled baselines where needed; new SKU prices, costs, and supplier matches remain TBD until approved. Do not recalculate unrelated market/financing figures or re-interpret regulatory obligations in this task.

4. Keep history and approval boundaries clear

Preserve research sources, CSVs, and archived PDFs. Treat the vehicle 24/28-output split family as a separate research scope. After the product proposal is approved, record the relationship to the older 46-output PLAN-024 proposal; retire it only if confirmed superseded, using the task-state serializer and retaining its decision history. Do not take ownership of or close the active yacht evidence task.

Decisions still needed

Decision	Why it matters	Current handling
Physical channel numbering for the 15 PWM-capable outputs	Required for pin assignments, timer/power budgets, and Studio mapping	Count and current class fixed: 15 channels within the 15 A bank on each model; channel numbers TBD in Level-2 design
Module aggregate continuous current and supply arrangement	Required for feeder, connector, busbar, thermal and concurrency design	TBD; do not inherit old 80/125/200 A figures or use the channel sum
Meaning of optional resistance support and analog ranges	Determines input front end and configuration constraints	TBD; do not copy the old Core M or Sense input range list
Bus profiles, roles, port counts and NMEA 2000 integration	Affects interoperability and direct-control/RS-485 examples	Presence confirmed; implementation profile TBD
Old family replacement, commercial naming and pricing	Prevents stale SKU/price equivalence across the business documents	Propose replacing the current Core family; preserve historical estimates and mark new commercial values TBD

Scope

Document group	Files / affected content
Governing Core definition	bizplan/PRODUCT-PLAN.md, bizplan/OPEN-QUESTIONS.md; Core resources, topology, input/output split, PWM, interface and qualification decisions
Core package	bizplan/product/core/P01-core.md, P01-core-design.md, index.md; bizplan/product/index.md for catalog labels if needed
Protocol and configuration	bizplan/product/shared/X01-ybo-can-protocol.md, X02-config-schema.md; supported identities, capabilities, input modes, channel/page counts, mapping examples and validation rules
Configuration tool	bizplan/product/studio/P07-studio.md, P07-studio-architecture.md; family assumptions and capability-based allocation
Input and integration dependencies	bizplan/product/sense/P02-sense.md; bizplan/product/ac/P04-ac-interface.md, P04-ac-commissioning.md, P04-ac-board-16.md; bizplan/product/switch/P05-key.md; bizplan/product/switch/P05-air-hub.md; Hub references only where the approved interface model requires a change
Business and procurement	bizplan/BUSINESS-PLAN.md, BUSINESS-PLAN.en.md, COMMERCIAL-MODEL.md, ASSUMPTIONS.md, COMPLIANCE-MATRIX.md, PPT-BUILD-GUIDE.md; current-family descriptions and stale model assumptions only
Navigation and tracking	Affected Core/research overview links if applicable; this task/plan and indexes, changelog, and the explicit relationship to RESEARCH-008 / PLAN-024

No new supplier research, component selection, schematic/PCB implementation, firmware implementation, physical tests, commit, push, or deployment is included in this proposal. Those actions require their own actual work and, for remote writes, user authorization. Existing Chinese site documents stay Chinese; the English business plan and tracking records stay English.

Verification

1. Resource accounting: assert exactly two general-purpose models, both output sums, exact current-class counts, a maximum of ten configured physical inputs per variant, and a fixed subset of 15 PWM-capable 15 A outputs per model with configurable PWM/on-off operation. Check that the remaining 15 A on/off-only counts are three and nineteen, and total on/off-only counts are twelve and twenty-eight. Verify that PWM is disallowed outside the fixed subset, physical channel numbers remain TBD, switching modes does not change physical counts, and channel-current sums are never published as module aggregate current.
2. Cross-document checks: search active controlled documents for stale old-family identities, 22/46-output counts, Core M input substitution, old PWM/half-bridge claims, and unapproved price/aggregate-current transfers. Distinguish explicit historical records from current requirements.
3. Integration checks: recompute changed telemetry pagination, input/output inventories, and AC example budgets using only approved capacities. Verify that 0-20 mA and 4-20 mA profiles have separately specified validity/fault semantics rather than copying one profile blindly.
4. Documentation checks: build with bun run docs:build, inspect generated internal destinations and fragment IDs, verify tables and task/plan status consistency, and run git diff --check. Documentation-only work does not introduce a test framework.
5. Review: check the final diff against the user-approved role/capacity matrix; retain unconfirmed electrical and commercial parameters as open decisions. Hardware qualification remains outstanding after document implementation.

Risks

• Reintroducing separate lighting/general-load capacity variants would contradict the confirmed two-model general-purpose family.
• Configurable PWM operation must remain limited to the fixed subset of 15 A outputs; mode switching must not be presented as reassignment to other channels or current classes.
• The small local input bank must not undermine the intended separation by being presented as the system's full acquisition capacity.
• New high-current classes invalidate some old load-selection and engineering-review rules; rewrite those rules based on approved capabilities rather than silently removing them.
• A renamed legacy design may falsely inherit prices, dimensions, component ratings, NMEA profiles or qualification evidence. Make the migration explicit.

Alternatives

• Selected by the user: two general-purpose capacities, 27 and 43 outputs, each with a fixed subset of 15 PWM-capable 15 A outputs configurable for PWM or on/off operation.
• Separate lighting-only and general-load-only versions of each capacity, or a lighting role assigned exclusively to the 27-output model, are excluded by the clarification.
• A dedicated lighting product, if later requested, needs its own resource definition and is not added by this proposal.

Annotations

• 2026-09-10 07:17: Captured the user's numerical requirements and checked their arithmetic. Role mapping and PWM applicability questions are pending. Controlled product and business documents have not been changed.
• 2026-09-10 07:22: The user confirmed two general-purpose models and changed the PWM requirement from 18 to 15 outputs with configurable switching. Updated the proposal and resource matrix. PWM channel allocation and electrical details remain TBD; these do not block drafting the controlled specifications with explicit open decisions. Proposal approval remains pending.
• 2026-09-10 07:24: The user locked configurable PWM capability to the 15 A output class. Defined a fixed subset of 15 PWM/on-off channels per model, leaving three and nineteen other 15 A channels respectively. Updated resource accounting, configuration constraints and verification. Physical channel numbering remains TBD; proposal approval remains pending.
• The current request starts a new product redesign. Prior approval to reorganize documents, commit, push and deploy that earlier change does not approve this new product proposal or its remote publication.
• 2026-09-14 01:30 owner: approved. Implemented 2026-09-14 03:20 with working names Core 27 / Core 43; RESEARCH-008 / PLAN-024 recorded as superseded; the yacht evidence task completed with its step 4 delivered through this plan.