Just a quick heads up


EvilDragon

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Once again, the last update seems so long ago - and while I posted small updates in between in the thread, I think it's definitely time to post another update!
So here's what's happened.

1. The case and the scratches

We had a few quality issues with the coating on the cases we received which the company had to look into.
The first small batch was mostly fine and we assembled most of these already.
The second batch had an issue though: The cases could be scratched using fingernails!
Sounds like the clear coating was missing... but nope, it wasn't missing, as analyzation brought to light, but it was a tolerance issue.

Here's one thing: The more clear coating you put on, the more glossy the case will look like but the more scratch resistant it is.
The sample cases were perfect - but the ones we received this time weren't.

The company did an analysis. All the cases that have been coated had a clear coating of 15 - 25µm (yes, micrometers!).
With 25µm, the coating was enough and scratch resistant, with 15µm it did scratch.
So we have a tolerance of 10µm (that's 0.01mm) for the clear coating.

The machine has now been setup to increase coating thickness, so that the lowest possible value still is scratch resistant.
It still baffles me that such a thin coating can even prevent scratches - but car also has a clear coating of around... 45µm.

As you can imagine, the coat difference has no physical effect on the Pyra, it's not really any thicker :D

We should receive the new cases within the next few days so we can continue with the assembly.


2. Last minute audio fix

We had the problem that audio streams always died as soon as you enabled the vibration and sometimes even without vibration if the volume was simply set too high.
We always thought it was the driver (after all, the drivers to use the AESS / ABE hardware of the audio chip have not been ported to current kernels yet, so we can't use all of its features yet).

However, Dave found out that this is most likely noise that emits into the audio clock. TI accidentally wired up the audio clocks in the the audio chip in a wrong way - and as a workaround, they suggest to use an inverter (which we haven't implemented).

What would work is if we could delay the clock line a bit... and it seems we managed to do that: There was a leftover from when we planned to use the Pandora Audio setup (which was not possible, sadly), and that trace coming from the Audio chip was still connected to the B2B connector on the CPU board, with a resistor in between. By removing the resistor, it should be possible to delay the clock a bit by adding capacitors... something we could do by hand on already existing CPU boards. Turns out this wasn't even needed - simply removing the resistor worked fine.
That takes 2 - 3 seconds per board - and my Pyra can now play audio and vibrate at the same time :)


3. Boxes and inlays

The boxes have arrived and look beautiful (I won't post any pictures though, there has to be some surprise for you left).

But yeah, it wouldn't be the Pyra if there wasn't some issue here as well:
The inlay (which goes between the Pyra and the battery) could't be setup without damaging it a bit.
The samples the company produced were plotted, folded and glued.
In the final production, plotting and glueing happens at the same time and you fold them up when you receive them - which didn't really work.

Luckily, I'm working with that company for years. They produce all my packaging (ColUSB, Everdrives, Cinemaware boxes, Retrodes, etc.) and they never let me down.
They already found a different solution and will deliver free replacements within the next 10 days.


4. What's left?

All parts are here, everthing is prepared for assembly.
So now we're just waiting for the fixed cases and the inlays for the packaging.

The one thing I'm currently working on right now is a small manual / artbook.
As you can imagine, a manual doesn't make a lot of sense as the OS is constantly being improved, as it was the case with the Pandora.
So a quickstart manual (explaining the ports and buttons) is all you need.

But I've made a ton of pictures of all the various prototype parts. Case, keymat, PCBs, etc.
These will be put together into the manual including small information of what has been changed and why. So a small evolution of the Pyra - from ideas to prototypes to production.

All pictures have already been made and masked, so I now need to stitch the artbook together and get it printed (printing takes 4 - 5 days).

That's the last missing thing. But something I really want to create.
 
It's good to see these issues identified and fixed before delivery. Good News!

What would work is if we could delay the clock line a bit... and it seems we managed to do that: There was a leftover from when we planned to use the Pandora Audio setup (which was not possible, sadly), and that trace coming from the Audio chip was still connected to the B2B connector on the CPU board, with a resistor in between. By removing the resistor, it should be possible to delay the clock a bit by adding capacitors... something we could do by hand on already existing CPU boards. Turns out this wasn't even needed - simply removing the resistor worked fine.

Am I correct to assume that any impact on audio quality and latency caused by this change is trivial? I have no knowlegdge about audio circuits, but the delay should be within/below the microsecond range, right?
 
Cool, so maybe whe will get the Final Payment thing in the next 2 Weeks?
Im quite looking forward how the Boxes looks..

And im currently unsure about my Unboxing Video: EvilDragon wants the box to be a supprise, so if i post a Video where i show the Package, maybe i would take the fun of all the Pyra peaple after me in the line..

Or i record the Video, and wait until the first offiziell or leaked pictures..
 
Cool, so maybe whe will get the Final Payment thing in the next 2 Weeks?
Im quite looking forward how the Boxes looks..

And im currently unsure about my Unboxing Video: EvilDragon wants the box to be a supprise, so if i post a Video where i show the Package, maybe i would take the fun of all the Pyra peaple after me in the line..

Or i record the Video, and wait until the first offiziell or leaked pictures..
@EvilDragon could do a post (after having sent them out and been assured that at least the first 10% of that batch have arrived) with “WARNING: SPOILERS!” in it and a long gap before showing images of the box - then you could do your unboxing video?
 
Therefore i have to buy a new Pandora, unboxing my Pandora would be just fake..
Ok i think i just make Videos of the allready unboxed Pyra..
At the Moment i dont have any idea of something interessting i could buy and unbox after the Pyra,
Maybe our next Unimog, but i dont tink this will be a Unboxing, and as whe plan this for next Yeahr to avoid some issues whit the current lockdown (whe want to eat in the Restaurant of the near Unimog Museum) i think the Pyra will be first
 
Thanks ED for the transparency (no wonder, Chen talking about micrometers huh), as usual, very much apprecieted !

@matzesu Or you could make an unboxing video but not publish it until it is time. Or publish only the sounds haha !
 
Maybe apply a blur effect over the box while it’s in frame, so we just get to see the average color of the box and that’s it. Then you could upload the unblurred copy later or to an unlisted video.

Anyway, great update! Definitely worth the wait to see how the various challenges that crop up are resolved.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
That art book is sounding more and more special. Thanks for doing that!

This quick headsup doesn't seem significantly shorter to me. Provided it was quicker for you then that sounds like we're all satisfied. Plus it still sounds like I might still get my Pyra across the channel before my world falls apart when the results of Boris' chronic lack of ability to negotiate with other countries comes to pass.
 
Blur Effekt, wats next? May i cut my Videos? The only Professional Touch is the trypod, everything in my Videos is spontanious , push the record Button, make shure everything is in the viewfinder and after that only upload..
I think i make the video, but put it puplic after the first offiziell pictures..
 
IAm I correct to assume that any impact on audio quality and latency caused by this change is trivial? I have no knowlegdge about audio circuits, but the delay should be within/below the microsecond range, right?
It is even in the pico seconds range. There is a very small time slot where the clock is not allowed to change or otherwise the data bits going over a serial line are sampled wrongly disturbing the digital audio going to the amplifier and speaker. It may sound strange that removing an unused resistor is sufficient, but even this resistor is physically also a capacitor and an inductor as well as the wire connecting it. And in the pico-seconds range this may already make the difference. It is a world where digital signals meet analog signals.
 
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Its fun to see how complex these systems are becoming and how much everything effects everything, pain in the ass to debug I guess.
 
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