EthConGateway - LSP/Vixen/DMX/Renard

There's just a few more hours, that's all the time you've got, a few more hours, before they tie the knot .....

Well, you're not getting married in 12 hours but the ordering window will open for ECG-DMXRen8 by then.

I've posted full pricing and ordering information (except the secret email address) on our website.

I've also posted information on our new ECG-DR4 unit. I'm sorry for confusing you with a new product announcement 12 hours before opening ordering for our first product. But I wanted you to know what would be available by the end of August in case it might effect your purchasing decision. I didn't want a bunch of people to be upset because they would prefer the new unit and had just bought one of the original ones.

So what am I talking about? We've decided to do an assembled and tested single board 4 port version of our EthConGateway. It will use the same software and configuration screens but will just be pared down to 4 ports.

You can visit our website: www.j1sys.com and click down through the Products and EthConGateway pages or you can just reach the new information on both units directly.

For more information on the ECG-DMXRen8 use: www.j1sys.com/ecg-dmxren8

For more information on the ECG-DR4 use: www.j1sys.com/ecg-dr4

The only thing you will lose on the ECG-DR4 is the injectors across the front of the board that allows you to add signals to unused wires in your RJ-45 cable.

So take a look at both products and make your choice. I expect both units to be popular. You can always mix and match the units as needed to enhance your display.

TTFN (about 12 more hours, tick, tick, tick)

-Ed
 
Post time at the ECG Derby ....

They're all in the starting gate ....

And they're Off!!!!

Sales window is now open. Send all orders in the format described on our site to: j1sales@joshua1systems.com

-Ed

For Alec -

Not at this time. However some other people could be working on one that plugs the ECG-M24H into their board and does what you want.
 
David -

Thanx for the find. I know you found it the hard way. Sorry. It is Fixed.

-------------------------

All -

Been busy all day with orders and getting all the parts lined up to start shipping. More UPS deliveries, testing shipping cartons that came in yesterday, yada, yada, yada.

Some good news, especially for the International Set, the boxes we got special sized for these shipments should weigh out one pound less for each package. So all the international freight will go down $5.00 (except the flat rate dual). We will update the website Friday after we have sent off the first couple of units. But freight should cost less. For domestic the savings is only $2.50.

Big project of the day is the start to the assembly manuals. I'm going to probably send out the first shipments without manuals and have the people download the manual when their package arrives. I should have the preliminary one finished by then.

I've uploaded a PDF of the stuff I did today. It is about 75% finished and will be finished by the weekend. You might want to take a look at it and start familiarizing yourself and ask any questions that pop out at you so I can fix the manual where needed.

It is too large for an attachment so you can get it here: www.j1sys.com/Tutorials/ECG/DMXRen8Assembly.pdf

-Ed

p.s. There are a couple of photos that are referred to in the text of the manual that aren't there yet. We know that.
 
wow, that manual makes the task look easy enough for even me to take on. Now I can purchase the ECGREN8 and built it and wait for the ECG-DR kits to be in stock.

Neil
 
ECG-DR4 are not kits per se. They come pre-assembled, are 98% SMD and fully tested. They do come in packages with options.

Thanx for the comments on the manual. I've worked hard on it all day.

-Ed
 
I was somewhat undecided on getting the RenDMX8 or waiting for the DR4. I probably only need 4 "segments", and the DR4 is cheaper and already assembled, but in the end, I was willing to spend the extra $ for the RenDMX8 with the option of expanding beyond the first 4 later. And it shows up at my door sooner, too!
 
I think that each of these has it's own place, the RenDMX8 provides for the diyer to build their own and have that super contented feeling that they did it, whilst the DR4 provides the more plug and play solution.

The testing of the RenDMX8 beta has shown the stability of the hardware design with it running for days on end with no glitches what so ever.

Phil
 
DMXRen8 / DR4 - Shipping / Development Update

A lot of you have been wondering how its coming on getting these things ready and shipped.

I'd like to inform you of the true status and my game plan from here ...

Last Saturday I received 35 ECG-M24H units that will be used to ship the current DMXRen8. To put it simply - they didn't meet my quality standards. Too many of them failed my initial testing and it brought into sharp focus some mechanical layout designs that, although designed to spec, made mass production difficult.

The board designs were more than adequate for hand soldering (which I had done for all proto and beta units) and the difference only showed up with a larger run through automated equipment.

I've been working with consultants and my PCB house and my assembly house practically around the clock to define the parameters that must be tweaked to increase the quality to a standard I am satisfied with and the unit yield to reach a level that is practical and profitable.

As Phil and I have stated. I believe the electronic/electrical design is stable and once gone over with a fine tooth comb to inspect/fix/test all these boards they will be very reliable for a long time.

So, to be sure of my quality standards, even the boards that have passed all tests need to be gone over almost solder joint by solder joint to insure my and your satisfaction with the products. And the boards that failed will, with some cautious testing and touch up (NOT FIXES) come up to my standards.

I am reworking the DR4 design with 5 different SMD pad layouts for most of my devices that I, the PCB house, and the assembly house and others I've consulted will alleviate most of these problems and increase the initial production yield to an acceptable level.

So give me a couple of days to clean-up and test the 30 good units I have (20 out of 35 plus 10 gamma pre-production boards that are stable). This is more than enough for the current orders to be shipped in the next couple of weeks. I also expect to get 12 or 13 of the failed boards up to my standards with some clean-up. I keep saying clean-up. The problems are mainly in the solder joints. I will not need to make, and you will not receive boards with, a lot of little blue wires running all over it to fix traces.

So I will test the new SMD pad layouts with the prototype/beta run of the DR4 and still expect it to be ready for demo by the 28th and production by Sep 1. I also expect a revised layout of the ECG-M24H to increase initial yield to an acceptable level.

None of this effects the ECG-DMXRen8 itself. It is all done with through-hole technology and is designed very robustly down to using gold plating on all solder pads. As the assembly manual demonstrates it is a tedious but simple job of soldering and you will have a high quality board.

So in recap: The design is good, if hand soldered - the layout is good, but an automated run showed up mechanical layout problems that negatively effected yield. We will clean-up (not fix) these board and they will be of the quality we require and the next runs and future products will only improve.

Thanx for your patience, this is only a small bump in the road and we should start shipping very soon. All of the parts of the DMXRen8 kits are all prepared and ready to be put together in your shipping box immediately after we certify each ECG-M24H.

-Ed
 
Ed

Thanks for the frank and honest update.

Having spent some time on the phone with Ed i would also like to add that in my opinion, the only thing to be "fixed" is some soldering that is faulty during assembly.

The units that everyone can expect will be perfectly stable and perform as expected, knowing Ed's goal of perfection.

As Ed say's just a little bump in the road.

Cheers and keep up the great work Ed

Phil
 
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