I am pleased to announce that over 12 months of work, setbacks, and delays, the PMCv1 is finally available for purchase! Both PHR (2008-2009) and GHR (2010) model units are now available. Visit the PMCv1 page for more information. Also, don’t forget to read the FAQ before buying. It is critical that you purchase the CORRECT VERSION for your TV!
Thanks so much for your continued interest in the PMCv1,
..dane
I have 86 units programmed and tested. I have to heat-shrink the protective sleeve around the circuitry and wrap up the installation instructions, and then the sales page will go live! Expect another update in the coming days to notify you that the sales page is up.
I am waiting on a connector to test the 2010 units with but it won’t arrive for a few more days.. 2010 model year PMCv1 units should be available early next week. I will only have about a dozen of them available at first, however.
Thanks for your continued interest in the PMCv1!
..dane
The envelopes and shipping labels aren’t even supposed to be here until tomorrow, but thanks to a super coworker who stopped by after work to help get these things done, we have all 100 PMCv1’s through the basic test (loading the test program), and 18 of those now have connectors loaded and have had passed their I/O test — as far as I’m concerned, 18 units are ready for sale! … almost.
I need to work on getting the sale page finished up with PayPal buttons. I also need to get some basic paperwork written to put in the envelope with the PMCv1 units. (People following this blog may not need it, but it still needs to get done.) I need to get the shrink-wrap that will protect the little microcontroller from touching anything within the TV after it’s connected. (I totally forgot that when I ordered everything else from Amazon the other day.. du-OH!) I also need to setup some sort of feedback page where people can post their experiences for others. (I will probably have to moderate that page so spammers and trolls don’t take over though..) Thankfully the remaining tasks are each small. But they still need to get done! I will try to squeeze in a few of these tasks throughout the week, but I can’t make any promises.
Still, we’re close! So close!
..dane
A simple test platform is up and running that tests the LEDs and the three communication pins! PMCv1 is that much closer to sales. Remaining tasks include building the programming adapter (to program them quickly), testing the units, and getting the bubble wrap envelopes! A 15sec video of the simple test platform is included below.
Unfortunately when building the test platform, I could only find a PHR11 connector (Digikey, Newark, etc), which is the larger of the two. The good news is that most models use the larger PHR connector. Unfortunately however I cannot at this time test a PMCv1 with a smaller GHR connector. As I approach sales, I will clearly indicate which models use which connector and its current state of testing.. I am not going to hold up PHR sales. I have not yet decided if I am going to offer untested GHR connector units. Even if I put a PHR connector on the board and test it, there is always a chance that changing the connector to a GHR connector introduces problems (bad solder joint, etc). Hopefully it will not be long and I’ll be able to track down a GHR11 board connector so I can build a GHR test adapter.
A couple weeks? Next week I’ll get the programming adapter soldered, and the following week I will try to test at least 50 PMCv1 units with PHR11 connectors. Once I have a number of units tested, I will put up the sale page!
cheers,
..dane
It feels so good to be working on the PMCv1 again! The software feels ready for release, and I think I finally figured out how to to build up a test platform to test PMCv1’s “en mass.” This has been a good day for PMCv1.. It may be time to place a bulk-order for those shipping envelopes from Amazon..
Tonight I finished stepping through at least 80% of the code on my test PMCv1 board (loving labeled “#1”). Since the new PMCv1 hardware arrived earlier this summer with buttons and LEDs and a different pinout than the little premade board I was using before, there quite a few code changes that needed to occur. Splitting up LED functionality into red and green, adding dual toggle switch support (only one is being used in the current firmware), and then trying to place myself into the lay-person’s shoes trying to figure out how to install this thing.. All of these scenarios induce their own pressures onto the code. LED colors and blink patterns need to make sense (and I hope they do); Switches need to be intuitive (and I hope they are); and it needs to be reasonably dummy-proof (and and I hope it is). But as choppy as my time has been, even though I’ve been working on the software, I always felt fairly disconnected and “not fully with it.” Tonight that changed and I am feeling very confident with the code now.
So far as I can tell, the code is ready for release. It finally “feels ready.”
My career background is in telecommunications (where “Five-9’s,” [99.999%] reliability is required), automotive (where 100,000 mile and 10 year reliability is required), and military (where things have to sit on a shelf for 30 years and still work when you need it). Needless to say, when I set out to engineer something, my wife wonders (a) if we’ll still be alive when it’s ready, and (b) how many generations it will take to break..
Long story short, I need a way to test 98 PMCv1 units, and have been struggling all summer with test platforms ideas that each end up more complicated than the PMCv1 itself! But this isn’t telecom, automotive, or military. I needed a paradigm shift in my thinking and the Lord finally gave it to me tonight while I was writing this update. With this new test concept, I may be able to have the Test Platform ready for use with just a couple hour’s work (using a few buttons, wires, and an oscilloscope)! If all goes well, then we’ll have PMCv1’s shipping within a few weeks!
I always think its fun to see where people work.. Today I rearranged my office, and thought it’d be fun to show it off.. In the lower middle you can see a PMCv1 with its Red (UNDO) light illuminated.. (and another one sitting next to it waiting to be tested)
I wanted to thank those of you who have written through email and online forums asking for updates on my wife and sharing kind words regarding all the goings on in recent weeks with our personal life. My wife’s recovery has been touch-and-go, but it seems that is actually normal when recovering from multiple pulmonary embolisms and pleurosis. The pain has been ebbing and flowing even after being discharged from the hospital. She’s not allowed to “overdo it” but also not allowed to “sit down all day.” Overall we both feel things are improving however and her pain this week is less than last.
We had planned almost a year ago to go on a mission trip to Guatemala together, but with her condition occurring just one week before our scheduled departure, she had to give up her seat. It was bittersweet however because we were able to bless someone else who took her spot who may not have been able to go otherwise (we don’t know, but we didn’t ask for a refund). I still went and had a wonderful experience (and took over 600 pictures for my wife to enjoy) and look forward to going with my wife next time.
That’s all for this week..
..dane
I was out of the country on a mission trip last week, and did not realize that my hosting service was failing to renew.. I had renewed the domain earlier in August but apparently not the hosting service. Sorry for those who could not contact the site. All is well now and we’re back online. Wife is doing better, mission trip is over, cold that I caught on mission trip is almost done, and I hope to have an update sometime next week..
cheers,
..dane
I apologize for the update delay. In mid July (after my last update) I had a week long business trip, at the beginning of August I attended the Blackhat and DEFCON hacker conferences in Las Vegas, and tonight I am (hopefully) spending the last of five (5) nights in the hospital with my wife who was diagnosed on Friday with Pulmonary Embolisms (blood clots in her lungs). To say I have been too busy to work on the PMCv1 is a bit of an understatement. Here are some relevant updates:
Boards: I have received the repaired boards (as discussed in an earlier update, the red and green LEDs were swapped which would have caused you the customer endless confusion and me the designer endless questions and complaints). I was able to work on the software some during my business trip in July and am anxious to get back to it. The software has been updated to run on the custom PMCv1 hardware and is just about ready for testing on my TV. Unfortunately, I have not yet had time to develop a test scenario to easily and quickly test each unit before sale. I am reluctant to ship units untested, so I am trying to develop a test as quickly as possible, but time has not been on my side lately.
Connectors: The connectors should be arriving any day; I received the shipping notification sometime while we’ve been in the hospital.
Availability: Some will curse me for saying that there has been another delay, some will understand that this labor of love is still, realistically, a hobby project and takes a back-seat to family and to work. Either way, I’m trying as hard as I can to get it done, but lately I just haven’t had time. I am disappointed and embarrassed. 🙁
Feet Selfie: Some folks post pictures of their feet overlooking the ocean or the pool. Here is a shot of my wife and I doing our best to enjoy a rented DVD.. We are praying that we will be discharged tomorrow and allowed to return home. We appreciate any and all prayers for continued and complete healing.. She’s finally feeling better, her fevers are gone, her pain is subsiding, and she’s finally sleeping next to me right now quite peacefully. (At least for another hour until the nurse comes to change her IV.)
cheers,
..dane
Short and sweet update tonight..
Summary For Those Not Wanting to Read Any Further: Code is getting ready for final testing, boards are getting ready for final testing, and connectors are on their way. The long pole in the tent is the connectors, which are not expected to arrive until mid-August. I have one sample unit that I will use to get everything ready in the mean time. I hope to “open the store front” as soon as the connectors arrive. Everything else should be done by then. Wahoo!
Board Details: Moving along nicely. Red and green LEDs were swapped (the red is where the green goes, the green is where the red goes). This wouldn’t normally be a big deal (they’re color coded, after all), except the board also has text printed on it to indicate meaning (for those who may be color blind, for example). So a RED light blinking when things are GOOD can get confusing.. Likewise a GREEN light blinking when things are bad can get confusing as well. So– the boards have been shipped back to have their Red and Green LED’s swapped. Should be about a week or so. I kept two (2) units to continue working while the other 98 units are being repaired. I also have a little finger-edge connector to build-up to help me quickly program 100 PMCv1 units..
Software Details: Also moving along nicely. The software has been updated to reflect the new LEDs (once they’re in the right locations) and the new switches, and the new micro-controller has allowed me a little more code space to do some code updates that make things nice on my end (easier to maintain down-the-road if I need to make changes). I’ll be hooking up the first official PMCv1 hardware to my TV in a week or so and verify that the communications to the TV work properly and that I can both reset and undo the black level age counter on my set. Once that verification is complete, I will go through a few times and try to break and abuse the PMCv1 and make sure it doesn’t crash, make sure it doesn’t cause problems, make sure it doesn’t get confused on the job it’s supposed to do, etc. Once that’s done, the software will be complete and ready for loading onto the modules.
Connector Details: The connector snag has been corrected, and I submitted “1st article approval” tonight. That means they sent me one of each (PHR and GHR) connector with pigtail wires for me to approve the assembly before they go build 100pcs of each type. I will only be supporting the two most common 11pin connectors at this time due to cost. The 20pin connector will not be supported at this time. When I get the ordering page ready to go, it will be very clear which connector type you need. So far I believe everyone can use one of the 11pin connectors (PHR or GHR).
That’s all for tonight!
..dane
A box of 100 PMCv1’s arrived at the house this week! Woo-hoo! Wonna see one? I thought so!
Unfortunately, a supplier-snafu caused the order of pigtail connectors (that attach the PMCv1 unit to your TV) to not go through properly. That problem has been remedied but starts the order over again, pushing out all the connectors until late-August. boo. But that’s not going to stop this train! I am pushing forward getting this little guy ready to go! In the coming days I’ll blow off the dust from the code I wrote last fall and get it all working properly with the new hardware, including some new code to use the new fancy red and green LEDs.
Soon these bad boys will be ready for purchase!
cheers,
..dane
I am pleased and proud to report that the first 100pcs of PMCv1 are now officially in production. Additionally, even though I’ve yet again slipped several weeks past my last target date for an 6-week order, I was able to place a much quicker 3-week order in an attempt to reduce the delays to first availability.
I have setup the PayPal “Buy Now” button for the ordering of the first 100 PMCv1 units (buying is not yet enabled, I’m just getting it all ready). Depending on demand, this will be either the first and last run of PMCv1 units, or the first of many PMCv1 units. If it takes more than 6 months to sell 100 PMCv1 units, then I will probably retire the product. I am hopeful that there is enough demand to deplete PMCv1 stock within 60 days; that would allow me to place another order for 300 or even 500 units!
Once I receive the initial units and have tested them and am comfortable that they are functional, I will open up the website ordering process. My current expectations are to receive the items in early July and put them up for sale near mid- to late- July. But as we’ve all learned through this process, “Semper Gumby,” or be always flexible.
I have begun the transition of these pages into to a product sales area. This transformation includes conversion of this development blog into a “Timeline” style capture of the history of PMCv1 and its predecessor discoveries at AVS Forum. You can find that page here, I hope you enjoy it. Soon I will remove access to the development blog but will maintain the mailing list for future updates.
I have also begun to capture some S.T.E.M. resources as well as my perspective on how to harness things like the Creative Writing process in order to teach Engineering techniques to kids. This is a woefully young and incomplete process on my site, but I’ve put some stuff together as a placeholder (if nothing else) for something larger in the future. I hope you enjoy it.
thanks for reading!
..dane