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Monthly Archives: November 2016

USB or Ethernet Processing Boost

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A software and External Hardware, Interfacing on LAN or USB or even WiGig when it comes. The hardware contains HDD/Flash, RAM and RAW Processing power. This is not like Hyper Threading or multi-core cpu, but addresses same issue.

USB or Ethernet Processing Boost

The Software sees resources load on PC and when it feels RAM, CPU or HDD is getting stressed; it moves some work to the external box which is on standby consuming low power. Like playing music is lesser priority then say checking email. The Software Resource manager moves the Music Player and dependencies open in RAM to the Resource outside via USB and makes a Glitch-less switch. This can be remembered as a setting and used whenever the external resource is plugged in. Like RAID but for Home/Small Office users to use redundant capacities. Hardware scales up/down with needs and does not hog electrical power.

A lot of Processing Power and other resources go waste, consuming valuable energy in the present desktops. How faster things can be if all peripherals were on TCP/IP and Wireless (optical). This way an external resource box can directly play the speakers or print too without taking Main CPU time.

delabs – 2009

The Future Landline Phones

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Early Innovations on Landline Phones were Answering Machine, Music-on-Hold and Fax Machines. Later landmines were used for BBS and then DUN (Dial up Networking) Internet. Then came the Big Freeze.

My first data experience before the internet was Delrina WinFax. It helped one of my friends get a job in Europe too. A fax machine was expensive, a Gateway 2000 modem was not. (this modem took me first online at home)

The Future Landline Phones

Cable Internet, Broadband Internet and 3G etc. have pushed the Landline phone in a corner.

I am using Internet on my Landline and it is pretty good. This may not be affordable by all, as a PC or Laptop is needed and the extra Broadband charges. This is just using the same line. My LandLine phone still is UnEvolved.

What i am trying to say is …..Add SMS at least for all Landlines with no extra monthly cost other than the SMS cost. If Possible add a means of slow File Transfer like FAX. A USB port on this device below will do.

This will help many use Data on the Telephone lines without buying a PC or Fax machine. The SMS will be a Super Hit. Voice Mail can alo be done. No Internet required. Let a affordable Android phone replace the Landline.

The most financially stressed families in the most remote locations can SMS and if possible send their JPG photo or resume over the Normal Phone Connection at only the extra cost of data transfer.

I got my a Landline a few days back, The phone was one with a LCD, It is a very nice phone with a large LCD, but i had trouble using the phone book, as i kept forgetting the sequence.

These Landline phones occupy a prominent position on the desktops of all offices. The CEO, Marketing Manager and Purchasing Officer; or even at the Canteen, we see these phones. The potential for marketing and advertising is good in these, as they are still popular in the office environment. A firm can show its flash presentation or a product catalog, when a customer waits for the despatch details of a product he ordered.

A Landline Phone also may be interesting with a touch screen and built in web browser. This phone can also have the option of WiMax, in areas where it is available.

This was posted around 2007-8 in a Blog Nomadic Computing and later in delabs Design Devices.

PCB Prototype by Cu Deposition and Sn Plating

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Take a Blank Epoxy Card. No Copper, just the glass epoxy card. It will not be copper clad. I am trying to explain the concept. The Glass Epoxy card as you know is Epoxy (Like Ciba Araldite) with glass fiber as filler. Maybe new technologies have come now. The fiber is for Reinforcement and Epoxy you know is a Marvel of an Engineering Material.

EE Design Library – Electronic Product Design Resource.

PCB Prototype by Cu Deposition and Sn Plating

PCB belongs to AVR JTAG adapter – MadWizard.org

In those days some people told me that these epoxy with glass fiber and iron flakes as powder are used to repair aircraft/spacecraft. It could be cast into a shape and even turned on lathe for making custom replacement components.

This nudged an idea, If we Screenprint a Mixture of Epoxy + Fine Iron Dust + ? over the blank Glass Epoxy card. The positive is used not the negative. That means Pads and Tracks on Positive create an Image of Pads and Tracks of this Epoxy/Iron paste on Glass Epoxy surface. Now Screenprinting done, let it dry. We can also be print a thin layer of epoxy pcb pattern and blow iron dust on it.

Dip this Printed Epoxy card with this iron/epoxy pattern; into a Copper Sulfate CuSO4 + ? + ? Solution. The ? has to figured by chemical engineers. I used to be good at Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, when i was young. The copper replaces/plates the iron powder and with some electrostatic and electrochemical methods the copper layer grows over the entire tracks and pads quickly. Now the card is Tin Sn plated to complete.

A single Prototype PCB is ready and no extra copper wasted. Copper and Tin was deposited.

2004 – delabs Notes

Costing of EE Products

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This is a Crude Costing Formulae based on my Ideas which is called “Gut-Feel Thumb-Rule Methodology.” Even Though i am probably the only follower of this popular System, I am sure it is worth a casual Look.

Costing of EE Products

RM – Raw Material Cost         SP – Selling Price to Distributor

Reserves are for Dry days, Employee Fund is to reduce Attrition and Layoff. I was costing the products as a Proprietor, Managing Director and as an R&D Engineer too.

This post is just to enlighten you of the intricacies involved. It is merely the Tip of the IceBerg. You will need a Spreadsheet and lot of foresight and hindsight to make a practical costing.

Management Methodology 

This rule is for products made in good numbers. Large scale production costs may go down. Custom designed products made in small numbers the price may double. The cost of Engineering and IP has not been taken to consideration. It has been covered by a 10% Research Cost.

All this assuming we make products of reasonable quality and reliability. Build a reputation by good customer service when the product fails. So this will add into the cost depending upon the organization.

The grey areas in this costing are “Sourcing quality Raw Materials and Parts”. Designing and Engineering “Reliable and Robust Products” . Customer Support at site or field may be expensive and warranty too.

Better to be Honest, Transparent and build a Brand Reputation for a Long Term company Success.

iGoogle Widgets and The First App Store

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iGoogle the father of Web 2.0 – iGoogle shaped and inspired many technologies. To name a few, The Web UI Frameworks and the Community App Store Idea. Even though the “Desktop” was just a webpage and the apps were web widgets.

The API access could be any web app or Google Service. I made a Online Desktop in its memory. The Jot Desktop

iGoogle the father of Web 2

The Chumby Device posted earlier had this Chumby ARM Board. You could program the Widgets that could scroll or cycle thru the screen. Like News, Clock or Weather. The App Store was available but the device had to be configured unlike the Apps on the Phone today, which is much easier. This was the first App-Store that worked with a Touch-Screen.

Then ARM core deserves a lot of credit. but the 300MHz board you see below was an early step. The 1GHZ ARM that came a bit later makes the Tablet a powerful Web, Gaming, Office and Utility App Console.

Chumby ARM Board

The Desktop Computer wastes a lot of power but a HandHeld is green, sustainable. A 10″ Tablet is the best way. So do not wait buy some Tablets and Netbooks and use your Desktop Computer when necessary.

All flash Field Replaceable

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Make all Flash Memory in Home Appliance, Gadgets and computers – Easily Replaceable and Field Replaceable. If possible replaceable by layman like batteries.

Many people are having problems and high costs of service, as equipment and devices made over the last few years have flash that is hard to replace and source.

The only flash that can be SMT and Soldered could be the ones loaded with “Static Software or Firmware”. That means that area of memory that is subjected to very less write cycles. Even Firmware that is frequently updated should be on an replaceable module.

Make All flash Field Replaceable

I first experienced flash usage in a 8051 based Fuel Dispensing Unit we were developing in the late 80s. It was a SEEQ chip with 10K Full Erase/Write Cycles. it was a pin-2-pin replacement for 2732 UVPROM (kilo bytes). It later needed a piggyback timer.

Flash has developed immensely since, It lasts much longer and goes to Giga Bytes Storage. Giga Byte was BigData in the 90s.

Also Frequent software updates must be written as an overlay over the “Static Software”.An External SDCARD as a database/code source for the updates.

Keep all frequently up-gradable parts of a firmware in a easily replaceable device called “DynamicWare” which includes the Interface/Internet areas and all that is susceptible, vulnerable, UI and young-and-growing sections.

So we have StaticWare Flash for OS, DynaWare Flash for Updates/Fixes/Apps. and External Flash for media/apps. The StaticWare alone can be SMT Hard Soldered into PCB, this should have enough smartness to upgrade device on Wi-FI with barebone GUI.

Gizmos and Gadgets that consume more batteries can be supplied with easily pluggable battery and spare battery with charger. This way the battery can be quick replaced when drained, rather than charging the device. This reduces system downtime.

delabs – 2014