Author Topic: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake? (Read 485031 times)

MacAttak · « **Reply #500 on:** July 12, 2013, 01:20:14 am »

A $33/hour freelance app developer. That is barely above entry-level pay for corporate programmers in the techs quoted on that page. Extremely low for freelance development. I typically pay subcontractors $90 - $120 / hour (and none less than $75/hour). It's hard to find even a bad independent for under $60/hour.

MacAttak · « **Reply #501 on:** July 12, 2013, 01:21:17 am »

Quote from: tom66 on July 11, 2013, 10:59:43 pm

So, he's an app developer. Any hardware expertise?

Maybe some basics? From the Squipp overview page:

Quote

Having studied Physics and Aerospace Engineering, I have a strong background in practical programming and systems development.

EEVblog · « **Reply #502 on:** July 12, 2013, 02:34:11 am »

Quote from: wayfarer on July 11, 2013, 09:43:33 pm

It looks like the SMD components might be on the bottom. In the table reflection, you can see a gull-wing SMD IC(which, frankly could be anything) right below the power cable and above the lens reflection.

Yep, looks like a small gullwing type chip, maybe a TQFP.

Quote

The "big slider switch" looks like it's actually a 0.1" female header (5 or 6 pin?) with a 0.1" 2-pin male header behind it right next to the lens.

Yep, could be.

In either case, there isn't much on this board. Almost certainly no WiFi module.

ataradov · « **Reply #503 on:** July 12, 2013, 02:38:41 am »

I like it this way much better. I personally have no use for a thermal camera, and all the drama is amazing.

It is like Apple fans going nuts as soon as some questionable drawings of a case for the next iCrap are leaked form some Chinese factory

EEVblog · « **Reply #504 on:** July 12, 2013, 02:41:05 am »

The lens in the photo looks an awful lot like one of these:
http://eom.umicore.com/en/infrared-optics/product-range/

Corporate666 · « **Reply #505 on:** July 12, 2013, 02:53:13 am »

So what about the blue box? I don't recognize it as any sort of programmer... especially with the parallel cable coming out of it. Is it an in-circuit debugger?

They said they were using an Atmel Sam3x chip, but I don't use those and never have - no idea what the programmers/debuggers look like.

Of course, if someone recognized it as a programmer/debugger for something entirely different, it would certainly call into question what this picture is actually of.

ataradov · « **Reply #506 on:** July 12, 2013, 02:54:31 am »

It has been recognized just a couple of messages before your first question. It is Atmel SAM-ICE JTAG debugger.

Corporate666 · « **Reply #507 on:** July 12, 2013, 08:34:00 am »

Quote from: ataradov on July 12, 2013, 02:54:31 am

It has been recognized just a couple of messages before your first question. It is Atmel SAM-ICE JTAG debugger.

Thanks ataradov!

I missed most of page 34, apparently

romovs · « **Reply #508 on:** July 14, 2013, 01:02:19 pm »

Someone here asked recently where to get a microbolometer.
I just received a price quote from a few manufactures in China and Israel.
The prices start at 1000$/1000pcs for a cheapest alpha-Si 160x120 consumer grade sensor.
Sample prices (that is, one unit) start at 2000$.

EEVblog · « **Reply #509 on:** July 16, 2013, 05:19:49 am »

Am I mistaken, or have they removed the last update from the campaign page?

Corporate666 · « **Reply #510 on:** July 16, 2013, 05:45:39 am »

Quote from: EEVblog on July 16, 2013, 05:19:49 am

Am I mistaken, or have they removed the last update from the campaign page?

Nope, you are not mistaken. They have removed the update and the pictures.

These guys are either total hacks or total shysters. They are constantly removing stuff, adjusting stuff, changing stuff. There is no reason to do that if they have nothing to hide... so clearly they very much do have something to hide.

tom66 · « **Reply #511 on:** July 16, 2013, 01:36:28 pm »

Very strange indeed, perhaps people were harassing the guy (Abe Burleigh??) and he did not appreciate the attention.

grenert · « **Reply #512 on:** July 16, 2013, 02:05:46 pm »

What's REALLY strange is that photo is actually still posted in the gallery section!
So I wonder if what they wanted to get rid of was the (mostly useless) text which talks about mistakes made. It didn't make it sound like they knew what they were doing. I think that what they're really hoping for is money from naiive outside investors. Hence all of the nonsense about the big investors they already have (so you better get in quick!)

Or maybe they're so incompetent they don't even realize the gallery photo is still there.

MacAttak · « **Reply #513 on:** July 16, 2013, 05:35:52 pm »

Quote from: tom66 on July 16, 2013, 01:36:28 pm

Very strange indeed, perhaps people were harassing the guy (Abe Burleigh??) and he did not appreciate the attention.

If that's the case, then why would he be listed on the IGG campaign as "Master Product Engineer for Mu Optics"?

I'm not sure why they pulled the update, but I'm pretty confident that privacy concerns weren't a part of it.

MacAttak · « **Reply #514 on:** July 16, 2013, 11:40:14 pm »

Project owner says he isn't sure why the last update disappeared - he reposted it along with a money shot. I guess the wifi hardware is no longer an open question.

CanadianAvenger · « **Reply #515 on:** July 17, 2013, 12:05:06 am »

Yep, that's a RedPine radio in the corner [was hidden behind the ICE cable in the original photo], that's the Atmel MCU in the foreground, I'm guessing the gull-wing SMT component on the bottom [in the previous photo] is the ADC due to its proximity to the imaging sensor. The lens holder appears to be 3D printed. Finally a pair of images that [partially] corroborate what they have been saying for specs... though it's way late. My question is "Was that so hard?" -- The answer to that probably is that they didn't have anything to show till now. Given that they are only showing now [what appears to be a first run prototype, maybe 2nd... but then why didn't they show the other one?], they started from nothing more than an idea at the close of the campaign -- much less than what they led on to have.

Still no imagery from the sensor, which still begs the question of whether they can actually make it work, at the price-point promised? [We have no idea what imaging sensor lies under that lens]

EEVblog · « **Reply #516 on:** July 17, 2013, 12:24:31 am »

Quote from: CanadianAvenger on July 17, 2013, 12:05:06 am

Yep, that's a RedPine radio in the corner [was hidden behind the ICE cable in the original photo], that's the Atmel MCU in the foreground, I'm guessing the gull-wing SMT component on the bottom [in the previous photo] is the ADC due to its proximity to the imaging sensor. The lens holder appears to be 3D printed. Finally a pair of images that [partially] corroborate what they have been saying for specs... though it's way late. My question is "Was that so hard?" -- The answer to that probably is that they didn't have anything to show till now. Given that they are only showing now [what appears to be a first run prototype, maybe 2nd... but then why didn't they show the other one?], they started from nothing more than an idea at the close of the campaign -- much less than what they led on to have.

Yes, why did it take them so long to show this? You can only assume they had nothing to show before now? They let all that resentment and speculation build up in the backers in the comments section, and as a result a lot of people asked for refunds. If they were just upfront to begin with then none of that would have happened.

Quote

Still no imagery from the sensor, which still begs the question of whether they can actually make it work, at the price-point promised? [We have no idea what imaging sensor lies under that lens]

Again, if they have a thermal image to show they should show it to keep the backers happy. So one can only assume they have no thermal image to show yet?

Anyway, I guess the question the original poster posed 4 months ago in this massive thread is no, it's not fake.
But it seems they are a long long long way from delivering the camera as promised.

Rasz · « **Reply #517 on:** July 17, 2013, 01:52:08 am »

Quote from: EEVblog on July 17, 2013, 12:24:31 am

Anyway, I guess the question the original poster posed 4 months ago in this massive thread is no, it's not fake.

It was fake back then, and still is at this price point.
All they had at the beginning were thermal images from commercial cameras that they misrepresented as their own (not to mention that famous look at me doing thermo vision through glass window video), all they have now is a prototype they poke with old scope in hopes of getting first image

EEVblog · « **Reply #518 on:** July 17, 2013, 02:17:00 am »

Quote from: Rasz on July 17, 2013, 01:52:08 am

It was fake back then, and still is at this price point.

Well Mu's problem is that they have to deliver the perks at the claimed price point, even if they make a loss.
It's either that, or ultimately not deliver at all.

firewalker · « **Reply #519 on:** July 17, 2013, 07:09:35 am »

Is this th pcb they ha to respin?

Alexander.

CanadianAvenger · « **Reply #520 on:** July 17, 2013, 12:03:19 pm »

Quote from: EEVblog on July 17, 2013, 12:24:31 am

Anyway, I guess the question the original poster posed 4 months ago in this massive thread is no, it's not fake.
But it seems they are a long long long way from delivering the camera as promised.

It appears that they are trying to develop the camera. The problem for me lies in the fact that they got the money to develop it through deceit. They claimed to have a working prototype, and posted images to get backers to part with cash. The images turned out to be taken with a commercial camera, the hardware turned out to be non-existent until this point. [and we have no idea if it even works as we still have not seen a single image from said camera] So for me it is still a fraud. I'm as out now as I was the day I asked for my refund - I have no regrets for getting out when I did.

tom66 · « **Reply #521 on:** July 17, 2013, 12:09:56 pm »

The RedPine module featured is around $35 -- not a cheap part!

firewalker · « **Reply #522 on:** July 17, 2013, 01:00:35 pm »

It could be around 20 $ for >1k order. For the module. I would be very surprised if the use the module in the final design.

Alexander.

mikeselectricstuff · « **Reply #523 on:** July 17, 2013, 01:57:28 pm »

Quote from: tom66 on July 17, 2013, 12:09:56 pm

The RedPine module featured is around $35 -- not a cheap part!

$35 for the wireless is the least of their problems..

tom66 · « **Reply #524 on:** July 17, 2013, 02:06:20 pm »

It leaves them with the problem of sourcing a sub $100 thermal imager, that's for sure. I will be amazed if they can.


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Author Topic: Mµ Thermal Imager - real or fake? (Read 485031 times)

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