For a piece of low voltage test equipment, I see nothing wrong with using a 3D printed case. At least it won't be hard to source a replacement if it gets damaged, and it is easy to customise.
Mind you I already have a 3D printer, and not sure if the dimensions of the tiq would be printable on it (maybe diagonally).
An off the shelf "probe" enclosure is unlikely to have suitable cut-outs for the display, buttons, LED, leads, etc - so it will either compromise Mark's design, or require a bunch of additional machining. It is a pity he couldn't get the funding to do a custom mould - but maybe he could still fund a small batch with
http://www.protolabs.com/protomold (maybe funded via pre-orders?)
Hi Mark,
would you mind to tell me what the manufacturer (or even including product number) of the marked probe tip is? I'm looking for a very short probe for 4mm banana jacks and this looks like the shortest one I've seen. Or does anyone else know where this probe is from?
Thank you very much.
Hi Mark,
would you mind to tell me what the manufacturer (or even including product number) of the marked probe tip is? I'm looking for a very short probe for 4mm banana jacks and this looks like the shortest one I've seen. Or does anyone else know where this probe is from?
Thank you very much.
Sure - it's from TPI and I got from Digikey (no stock today?). Note that it has a shrouded MALE banana plug - the piece to the right of this part in the picture is a female-female adapter (which would be required for tiq - since tiq also has a shrouded male plug):
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/SSP2/290-1063-ND/152194Hope it works for you!
Mark
Can this probe check if xtal/crystal is working or only via clock ?
I wouldn't suggest use of
tiq for measuring directly on xtals - it's really meant for logic level clocks. Depending on the xtal and oscillator circuit the sine amplitude on the xtal legs when probed with an instrument like
tiq may trigger the logic level detectors, but you can't rely on that. Better use the 'scope for that one.
Mark
3D printing definitely has it's place, but is somewhat "overused" in that some people think it's the greatest thing and can do everything, almost like a buzzword. But really cool to see people tinkering with it and coming up with some awesome designs of both the printers and the parts. It's great to see such a hobby community evolving.
3D printing is great for prototyping though. For case concepts it would be a great idea. However, if you're looking to sell, lets say 50-100 of a "Rev A", perhaps you could make some moulds up using a 3D printed part. Somewhat of a forgotten tech with the 3D printing buzz. Not too hard to print a 3d Positive, hand polish it, mould it, then cast it in hard polyurethane (shore D hardness) or something similar.
Might be worth considering if you want to do a smaller production run and cant raise the capital for an injection moulding setup?
Would be interesting to see a more ergonomic case
Would be interesting to see a more ergonomic case
Attached is latest incarnation of the case - more rounded to fit the hand. Specific suggestions on how to make this more ergonomic?
Thanks!
Mark
Sorry if this has already been mentioned in the last 13 pages, but 5 mS is 5 millisiemens, a unit of conductivity. 5 ms is milliseconds, which is probably what this device should be displaying.
It's looking OK Mark,
I would have thought that you would have put the real LCD slot into the prototype enclosure by now, not the cut out.
Also, have you figured out how to get this tooled ($) yet? What's your plan?
The best way to get something ergonomic is to mould it out of plasticine and see how it feels in your hand
. What you ideally want is something that "feels natural" in your hands. Dont forget the balance too (too top heavy not good).
I'd thin it out if possible, make sure there are no sharp corners and maybe make some rubberised grip (although the last bit is harder). Perhaps the display could be higher and the grip thinner near the bottom? Maybe just optimise the "width". Seems the thumb rests on a corner that looks fairly sharp. Ideally you'd want the thumb where the lcd is though.. (well, further down). See how you hold a highlighter for example.
Though, you'll want to keep it symmetric so it can be used left and right handed (I assume you can flip the display text for that?).
Although, if the case isnt as ergonomic as it could be, at least if it went into production you could get some going and then keep a fancier case for V2? It may just be easier to add a grip on top and bottom so you can "pinch" the probe similar to what you're doing in the pic but rotated a little so thumb is on the flat, not the corner. Just doesnt feel as ergonomic to me as wrapping the thumb around and having the screen higher up (I was playing around with a highlighter).
I really have no idea if i'm making any sense or being even vaguely useful
Sorry if this has already been mentioned in the last 13 pages, but 5 mS is 5 millisiemens, a unit of conductivity. 5 ms is milliseconds, which is probably what this device should be displaying.
Yes, my bad, this has been corrected. Silly error, I'm usually a stickler for correct SI units
Mark
It's looking OK Mark,
I would have thought that you would have put the real LCD slot into the prototype enclosure by now, not the cut out.
Also, have you figured out how to get this tooled ($) yet? What's your plan?
I've had the 3D printed enclosure with the LCD cutout for some time (attached here - yes, that's a right-handed version:)), the last pics I posted were a little older, put up to ask the "ergonomic" questions!
Right now I'm thinking of offering a number of enclosure options - allowing folks to pick their own effort/appearance/cost preference.
Cheers -
Mark
I wouldn't bother offering a number of enclosure options, just make one version. And don't spend forever fine tuning the casing, leave that for a mk2 etc...
Maybe add a little hand-grip, to make it less likely to slip out of your hand. And a lanyard hook would be nice.
...
Right now I'm thinking of offering a number of enclosure options - allowing folks to pick their own effort/appearance/cost preference.
More options == bigger pain in the ass for fulfillment. I'd pick one enclosure and offer an alternative option of a bare board for those DYIers. And don't worry about getting perfect, there is no perfect in "Shipped".
Why does everyone have XE as their avatar?
Also, just adding something valid to this discussion - don't worry about the fine points of the case design, just build the thing!!!
Why does everyone have XE as their avatar?
Xenon is clearly the coolest noble gas.
Any news Mark on the tiq?
fcb - thanks for the inquiries and continued encouragement -
tiq lives on - a small number of the original prototypes are in regular field use and we've racked up some good experience with them. It's the tool I reach for first every time (despite 2 decent 'scopes on the bench) - and it honestly surprises me all the time what it can tell me fully automatically. The concept continues to hold up and work well in practice. The biggest issue/limitation technically is the display - availability of a really clear, readable, flippable (RH and LH use) display that's small enough to fit into a compact probe and large enough to be easily readable by anyone (aka old folks like me
). Surprisingly that's hard to find (I did another search yesterday). I have built a version around a pSoC 4 part with a 1" OLED display that fits into a "fat pen" (vs. the "fat highlighter" of the original
tiq), stripped out some of the functions people didn't seem to want (signal gen etc.) and added in some they did (1.8V, 2.5V, 3.3V levels). The OLED meets most of the requirements and has great sharpness and contrast, but it's SO SMALL.... Sigh. Have also played with BT 4.0 LE and ESP8266 for wireless connectivity - very practical and low cost nowadays. I'm still intending to bring a version of this tool to market, but in the meantime other projects and "life" have intervened, so I don't have a timeline.
Have you thought about trying KS again? I am sure you have learned a lot since the first try.
If so can I suggest a name change? TIQ pronounced "tick" sounds like a bug that gives you lime disease, a rather nasty bug. Maybe run a "name that baby" contest here on the forum, with the winner getting one.
If you do change, pick a name someone can pronounce. I would not know TIQ was "tick". My point is if you can't think it you can't remember it.
Thanks for the update Mark.
FFS don't introduce wireless into the unit - there's already too much of this around a lab already. Don't get hung up on getting the *perfect* display, build/release mk1 and see how it goes.
IMHO keep the name, I don't think it is too bad.