Crescendo Sys RTC2000 and gamma - Page 5

That's correct, the design of the ISS card is finished and when I can breathe again I will send it out for prototyping.


Kim

The remainder of the cases are supposed to ship this Wednesday and I just ordered a boat load of parts. There is one more part I need to order and I will have to call the distibutor for that one. I will keep you guys informed.


Kim

rope, 'em cowboy! Please don't drool yer terbaccy into the xcoder.

Ok, a week later, any more updates ??
Can't wait for gamma....

Final parts should arrive Monday the 22nd, I should be ready to start shipping shortly thereafter.

Please be patient, putting together the RTC2200 with gamma takes significantly longer than the regular reverse transcoder. Until my wife divorces me I can do no more than 2 per evening and some days not even that.


Kim

Ever try the silkscreen solderpaste and toaster oven technique?

Kim, you really should be able to spend more time with your wife... why don't you teach her to solder?

I have never tried the solder paste stuff, I will look into it. My wife actually does solder (she is technical as well), but only the through hole components so far. Usually she just thinks it is a waste of time though.


Kim

On of my RP providers also bundles a stainless steel solder mask screen... basically, squeegee on the solder paste thru the mask, place the components, and put the board in the toaster oven for a minute or three. Obviously, this is fine for resistors and caps, less fine for more active components.
You can also use the same method with hot air soldering.

Damn jt, I learn more about different manufacturing processes reading your posts then I do anywhere else.

You aught to see fountain soldering Think wave soldering where the entire board does not have to get whetted by the molten solder.... Little ultrasonic transducers in the solder bath actually cause little fountains of solder that selectively splash the board.

Kim, I wish I could bring my fast turn prototype guys to bear on a project like this... I researched doing so for MP when he was pursuing the MP5.
FWIW, my companies' large-scale production operations can stuff something like 140,000,000 discreets per month, and the fast turn lines can push out a multilayer mixed signal board in no time at all. The website does not do justice to their capabilities, as their non-automotive stuff is pretty damn nifty (think Hughes Aerospace ground station hardware, among other things.) http://www.stoneridge.com/product/trans.aspx

--Edit... left unsaid above WRT MP5 is that my fast-turn guys can't be bothered for external stuff unless it's in 250-1000 finished boards at a whack. I can (and have) made some nifty boards in much smaller quantities but thats' for prototyping boards for $4M+/annum SRI sales.

I'll take it in kit form

I have used an external stuffing house before, for relatively few amount of boards (50 or so at a time). At the end they did use the solder paste and pick and place machine method. The downside is that they margin up the parts and they charge a rather significant amount for the stuffing as well as a percentage of the sales price.

So I decided to just go on and build them myself.

I'm not surprised... For the same reasons our ownership "encourages" our fast-turn shop to support prototyping operations for us and other divisions.
Oh well... It may be worth looking into the toaster oven

All,

I am very pleased with the response I am getting from people that want to get their hands on the new RTC2200. Currently I am working on removing existing backorders so please wait another day or so before I have time to put the new version on the website.

The more time I have to spend on emails the less time I have to stuff boards.


Kim

Hi... I'm on the edge of ordering and am not certain if I sould get the RTC2000 or the RTC2200...

I have a CRT on which I can adjust the brightness and contrast... however the Zenith DTV1080 STB that I am replacing with a direcTV H20 is too dark of an image and always requires a brightness (and I do contract too) adjustment.... The pic then looks somewhat faded or whitewashed (for lack of the correct technical term).

I'm guessing I may have the same symptoms with the H20..... Is the Gamma adjustment intended address this type of condition.

Thanks

Slash,

The gamma adjustment is intended to adress the washed out picture and the RTC2200 should help in getting a better picture.

All,

I have updated the website, both the RTC2200 with gamma and the board replacement are now present.


Kim

Kim, does the input section look the same on the 2200 as the 2000?

How do you adjust Gamma on the unit?

http://www.crescendo-systems.com/rev_transcoder.html

If you mean outward appearance, it is the same.

P1 (formerly black level) is now the gamma adjustment.

Dave

Is P1 a dial on the board?

If you have his current tcoder? Tt is the adjustment labeled "BLK LVL" (i.e. brightness). There is no black level adjustment on the new one. Since virtually no one needed that, that space has been repurposed for the gamma adjustment so that the new board fits in the old case giving an easy (and lower cost) upgrade path.

If you don't have one, look at the picture of the case here:
http://www.crescendo-systems.com/rev_transcoder.html

Dave

Cool, thanks.

easy to see in on the picture in the manual.

Mine is ordered!!!

Whoopee!!

Kim,

Is shipping to anywhere in the world included in the price?

Just curious since it's not mentioned on the site and there doesn't seem to be any way for you to collect additional funds once the paypal transaction goes through...

How do you label customs slips? What value? You can PM me this answer if you like.

Kal

Kal,

The shipping is no secret, I charge everyone the same and international goes through USPS. It may take a week (or more) to reach Canada but it is not as expensive. I usually put a relatively low value on the customs slip and I think that no one had to pay tax yet.


Kim

Ooooh, can't wait to get my upgrade board, placed the order today as soon as I saw your post about it being ready.
Your shipping choice(USPS air parcel) is the best option for Canada. There is no brokerage charge, and often they neglect to collect the taxes(which I don't even really mind paying....).

Hey, hey - let's quit bugging Kim so he can get to making the iss vrsion of the RTC 2200!

Kim, take your wife out for drinkin' and dancin', grab a big fat dip and get it on*!

Thanks,

Marshall



*produce the iss version when you can...

I am going to try and hold out for the ISS version as well.

Any idea of a time frame for the ISS version Kim? What would it cost? And I don't see the RTC2200 on your site either?

Go here: http://www.crescendo-systems.com/rev_transcoder.html

And scroll down....

ISS version? What's this ISS version?

Kal

Kim's puting together an iss version. Pleae don't spoil the soup.