General > General Technical Chat
Why do companies try to take patents out on standard schematics?
GlennSprigg:
--- Quote from: vk6zgo on October 27, 2021, 12:30:00 am ---
--- Quote from: GlennSprigg on October 26, 2021, 02:18:18 pm ---This may be off topic... so shoot me!! (End it quicker!! :phew:)
My BIGGEST qualm about 'Schematics', has always been about 'up-keep' of the bloody things!!!
When/where many people/depts work on systems, they often fail to update the drawings/documentation... :scared:
The only thing worse than tech info that is non-existent, is stuff that is out of date or wrong!! Worse than having nothing! |O
--- End quote ---
Many years back, the old PMG Dept produced magnificent schematics for all their "in-house" stuff.
One such, was of a Programme Fail Alarm.
Some years later, after the Broadcast/Comms part became Telecom Aust, we were working after hours at an AM station in the WA Kimberley region, doing yearly checks.
While we were doing this, the PFA failed, so we put it to one side to fix at the end of proceedings.
Looking at it, early in the morning, the schematic "seemed to make sense", but after a "cuppa", we realised that one position showed a PNP transistor, where such a beast would clearly not work.
Yep, the draughtsman had carefully drawn the wrong polarity of device!
The actual (dead) transistor was an NPN type, & changing the drawing made the operation understandable.
The down side was we didn't have the particular type, but luck was with us, & there were some MM1711 NPNs in the spares for the defunct HF comms stuff, which worked a treat, using the "about the same size, three legs, NPN---Yep! that'll do! school of engineering!"
--- End quote ---
(Re: the highlighted bit in Red).
Haha!!!... That's absolutely true for many general applications!!! ;D (Especially if it's just used as a 'Switch').
My father was with the 'P.M.G.' too, for many years. (The "Post Master General"'s Dept. back then), before the 'Telecom' days... ;)
'Off' topic again... but I remember a large installation once, where my 'Company' had been supposedly maintaining/calibrating/servicing
for Years... When I got there, not only were all the drawings wrong, but I found numerous pieces of field devices/equipment not even physically
connected!! And a few that 'were', were actually connected in Reverse! >:( I fixed it all, (and the documentation!), but I was troubled about what
to report back to the 'Boss'. I decided to tell him everything, as 'my' reputation was at stake. Don't know what happened to others though !! :palm:
Faringdon:
Thanks for all replies.
Long and short is (and concensus here seems to agree), that many electronics companies are overly patenting bog-standard electronic schematics.
Echo88:
Wasnt the artist formerly known as treez/ocset banned or is it okay to change names here ever so often?
T3sl4co1l:
--- Quote from: Echo88 on October 29, 2021, 12:35:48 pm ---is it okay to change names here ever so often?
--- End quote ---
Yes, you can request a name change. Also, exceptions have been made, and, as far as I know, none more will be given.
Tim
Zero999:
--- Quote from: T3sl4co1l on October 29, 2021, 01:08:21 pm ---
--- Quote from: Echo88 on October 29, 2021, 12:35:48 pm ---is it okay to change names here ever so often?
--- End quote ---
Yes, you can request a name change. Also, exceptions have been made, and, as far as I know, none more will be given.
Tim
--- End quote ---
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/supporters-lounge/treez-how-many-more-accounts-are-acceptable/
--- Quote from: Benta on October 26, 2021, 10:32:16 pm ---The legendary Lockheed Martin "Skunk Works" is a shining example that also delivered brilliant results (P-38, U-2, SR-71 etc.). But I doubt that the OP would even get to vetting.
--- End quote ---
I used to work for Lockheed Martin, but wasn't involved with anything quite so interesting. Most of it was pretty mundane.
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