Never-before-seen photos of a development board for the original iPhone

The Verge today published photographs of a paradigm logic board that Apple’s engineers used to exercise the master copy iPhone dorsum inward 2007. While the companionship would afterward movement on to much smaller exam boards for subsequent iPhone models, these never-before-seen images definitely offering an interesting, unique hold off dorsum at the evolution of the iconic handset.

It beingness a paradigm way it was much bigger than the transportation logic board inward the master copy iPhone. Despite the ugly mess that it is, the paradigm board could move connected to a modern estimator in addition to iTunes would encounter it every bit a regular iPhone needing restoring.

Our source explains that yous tin strength out also attach this to iTunes, via the 30-pin connecter on the side of the board, in addition to it detects it every bit an iPhone laid upward to move restored.

The unit of measurement shown on the images is an technology scientific discipline validation exam (EVT) sample that was used past times conduct iPhone engineers to exam the early on iPhone software in addition to the wireless radio stack.

The PC-style evolution motherboard contained well-nigh all of the iPhone’s parts spread out across a large surface area. The unit of measurement shown on the photographs embedded inward this article is the master copy iPhone M68 paradigm board from 2006 in addition to 2007.

On this item evolution board, there’s fifty-fifty a screen, but the iPhone’s dwelling push (known hither every bit the card button) is mounted on the board to the left of the display in addition to the ability in addition to book buttons are on the left-hand side of the board.

We got a jeopardy to kick this paradigm in addition to it exactly powers upward to the Apple logo. Engineers using this item board would bring booted into something similar to a ascendancy prompt to exam heart in addition to person changes.

There are or then interesting connectors on this thing:

Two mini USB connectors flank the side of the board, which were used past times engineers to access the principal iPhone application processor in addition to radio (baseband). Apple engineers could role these mini USB ports to code for the device without always seeing the screen.

And here’s your interactive hold off at the evolution board (drag the horizontal line).

But how would they exam vocalization calls?

To the correct of the radio board, you’ll encounter an RJ11 port, which is the same registered jack that’s used past times regular landline phones. Apple used this then that engineers could plug a regular landline telephone headset into this iPhone evolution board in addition to exam vocalization calls.

Other ports were used inward testing, too.

Elsewhere on this board, you’ll encounter lots of white connectors alongside pins. The smaller ones are JTAG connectors used for low-level debugging. Engineers could connect dot probes to or then of these connectors to monitor diverse signals in addition to voltages, allowing developers to exam fundamental software changes to the iPhone in addition to brand certain they weren’t negatively impacting the hardware.

To croak along the iPhone projection hole-and-corner from other employees, or then version of the paradigm board lacked an integrated shroud in addition to had to move connected to an external display.

If an engineer within Apple received a evolution board similar this without a screen, constituent video in addition to RCA connectors on the side of the board could move used to connect it to a display. Engineers could also exam headphone connectivity, cheers to stereo business out ports on the side.

But how could they perhaps exam cameras in addition to batteries alongside this board?

Even the iPhone’s principal photographic goggle box camera is mounted on the board for testing in addition to there’s a giant infinite left to exam the battery. If engineers didn’t bring a battery connected, a DC connecter at the overstep tin strength out move used for external power. Apple also left room for what is marked every bit ‘prox flex’ for proximity sensor testing.

They could fifty-fifty exam diverse peripherals alongside this thing!

There’s a series connecter at the overstep that was used to exam iPod accessories since the iPhone also used Apple’s 30-pin connecter in addition to there’s fifty-fifty a LAN port for connectivity.

Another interesting observation: Apple exclusively uses crimson printed circuit boards for paradigm iPhone hardware. Production units typically contain circuit boards inward blue, dark-green in addition to other colors.

What exercise yous recall of this board?

Leave your thoughts inward the comments department downwardly below.

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