A small business in electronics, like any sort of business, requires a lot of different skills. 

First you come up with an idea, which is pretty damn hard to begin with, as just about everything you think of has already been done by someone somewhere. But let’s say you want to try something out, and you start breadboarding. But not so fast, do you have the parts? If not, prepare to spend some serious time sourcing things. 

And breadboarding a circuit is one part of a very complicated chain, if you intend to mass produce products. You need skills to design solid schematics. Then you need efficient parts lists. Then you need to source parts in quantity. Who offers the best prices? Has a wide selection? Forget most of the surplus places, unless they can supply in 1000 quantities. (I love the surplus places, but when I need 1000 CMOS chips, I go to Allied.)

Next you have to design a PCB. Just use the schematic, you say. Well, it’s not easy. You have to know PCB layouts. You need to know the sizes of parts. The lengths and spacing of leads. How easy is it going to be to assemble? Are traces too close? Is this easy for a beginner to understand? Where do you put the silkscreening?

Great, you have a board, but what do you put it into? You maybe didn’t take that into account. Now you have a cheap case, but the board won’t fit. So you redesign the board. Now the board fits, but you need a volume control and a power switch. Where do you put them? Do you drill holes? Are they PCB mounted? If so, you need to juggle your board again. And make it fit into a 2″ x 2″ space.

And what about power? 4 AA’s? 9V? Wall wart? Lots of decisions, and pros-and-cons. Do you have space in the case for the battery? If not, back to the drawing board.

And then you have the perfect PCB, so you have a couple of samples made, which takes time and a good chunk of money (buying 10 boards costs about the same as 50, and 100 boards is only about $50 difference from 50). You get the samples and find problems, so it’s back to the schematic, back to the PCB designer, re-fab (which takes another 14 days), and test again. Rinse and repeat.

Okay, now you have a PCB that actually works, now you need to order the 200 of this and 500 of that. Now you’re talking about spending $500 on freaking resistors! Those 50 cent audio amplifiers suddenly start looking expensive when you have to order 300 of them. Maybe we don’t actually need that third amp, and back to the breadboard you go.

But now you have ONE kit done, and that’s not enough. You need at least a handful, at different price points. And heck, you don’t want to keep buying different odd parts. You start standardizing. You make sure that everything runs on a 9V battery (or 4 AA’s, or whatever). Everything uses the same filter caps, the same LEDs, the same standoffs, and so on. Sure, you can one-off each kit, but then you lose the economy of scale, and have to maintain a wide inventory. A wide inventory for kits that might not even sell!

These are some of the things you need to keep in mind when developing any sort of product, and electronics kits in general. I’m sure there’s much more. There’s so much that I’m going to recommend to the Maker Faire people that they hold a workshop on “Starting An Electronics Business”. There is just so much to learn and manage that I think such a workshop would help a lot of people. Maybe it will be a little scary for people wanting to dip their toes, but at least they will have a good idea of what they are getting into.

And that leads me to a big reason why our company is called “Austin Kontore” and why I named it that. A kontore is an old German word used to describe a collection of business people, often in the same industry (ex. textiles), who banded together to share knowledge and resources. That’s a big part of what I want the company to be, not just a maker of kits, but a collection of like minded people banding togther to make a whole lot of different things, from kits to educational materials to art projects.

While working on our electronics projects I’ve read through a lot of schematics. And I’ve been endlessly annoyed. Error upon error upon error. It drives me up a wall, mainly because it means that I have to spend twice as long on a project. But also because it makes a beginners life so much harder.

Here are a couple of recommendations I have for the circuit designers our there. Most of these should be “no brainers” but I’ve seen so many errors that they are worth reiterating:

• Everything on the parts list should be clearly identified on the schematic.
• Everything on the schematic should be on the parts list.
• Be as descriptive as you can with components on the schematic. Labeling things “IC1″ or “R4″ is extremely frustrating. You should include the part # (IC1) along with a basic description (ex. CD4017). Even better, include a more detailed description. For example, IC1 CD4017 Decade Counter.
• Having jacks and terminal blocks on the schematics is okay, but you are mixing apples and oranges. A schematic should be an electronic representation of the circuit, not a physical one.
• If you do want to mix physical and electronic representations on a schematic, label properly. Don’t put “TB1″ (terminal block one) without indicating what it does. “TB1 DC In” and “TB2 Audio Out” are clear and simple.
• Check-double-check-triple-check. I’m honestly beginning to think that there are no proofreaders or editors left in this world. It is unacceptable that published (either book or magazine) work is not properly proofed. It’s gotten to the point of being embarrassing.
• Left to right. Top to bottom. That’s how we read in the West. That’s how we think. Nonstandard layouts, or inconsistent layouts, makes it very hard for a beginner to follow the “flow” of the circuit. If you can’t near-instantly tell where the power is, where the input is, where the output is, then you are doing it wrong.
• Constantly having to reference the text is annoying and error-prone. This goes back to being very descriptive on the schematic. If I have to go back and forth between the text, schematic, and parts list, then you aren’t doing a good job with the schematic.
• The text should supplement and expain in greater detail the contents of the schematic. You should not have to go to the text to determine what a part is. Only what it does.

…I’ll say it again. Our mass media is filled with a bunch of morons. Another great line from CNN:

Imagine your rich uncle calls up out of the blue and says, “I’m going to send you six hundred bucks – spend it however you want.” That’s exactly what’s Uncle Sam is about to do for millions of taxpayers.

Except, of course, that your rich uncle they speak of didn’t TAKE that $600 from you in the first place. Repeat after me: The government is giving me back what it already took from me. This is not a bonus check. This is not “free” money. This is money you have already put in the system.

Remember, the government gets a majority of it’s “income” from YOU. About 43% in income taxes and another 32% on social security taxes. So about 77% of what the government takes in is from your pocket, one way or another.

Okay, so maybe I’m harping too much on a FREE $600. But it doesn’t sound so impressive when you realize that $462 of that came from your bank account. So, it’s only $138 of FREE MONEY.

Unless, of course, you figure that the 13% government income from corporate income taxes gets billed back to you one way or another. So, I guess it’s only $60 in free money. But 6 more percent of the government income is a deficit, so it’s down to $24.

Doesn’t sound so exciting now, does it?

Fuel prices are bad enough, but what the heck is happening to our food? Lots of weird things happening that I don’t recall seeing before, at least outside of wartime (yea, Iraq, I know).

No butter in Japan:

Where is the butter? — cry Japanese consumers who have been hunting everywhere for the dairy product. The drastic reduction in raw milk production, complicated by hikes in the price of grain as well as changes in the global patterns of dairy product consumption, have caused a serious butter shortage in Japan.

Sam’s and Costco Limits Rice Purchases:

The two biggest U.S. warehouse retail chains are limiting how much rice customers can buy because of what Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., called on Wednesday “recent supply and demand trends.”

They were some saying that it’s because people are hoarding rice. This stands out for me because (a) our local Asian Market (Say Hi, Burnet & North Loop) warned us to buy more rice, since prices were going up soon (and they did). Also, Evelyn’s mom in PR mentioned that people are buying rice like crazy, due to shortages and rising prices. It’s really hurting people, especially since a huge percentage of the world population relies on rice as their primary source of food.

I’ve also seen that a number of worldwide charities have had to greatly cut back on food programs, mainly due to the big jumps in cost.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve hit some sort of “peak food” (a la “peak oil”) situation, though I’m certainly not an expert on global agriculture. Anyone have ideas of why food is scarcer than normal?

I can’t go a day without reading some article about how we have to come up with some Big Solution to some Big Problem. We Need A New Source Of Fuel For Cars. We Need New Cars. We Need New Sources Of Energy. We Need Wind Farms. We Need This We Need That.

It kind of reminds me of our “solutions” to the current money/credit/housing crisis. We Need A New Governance System For The Banks. We Need A Safety Net. No we don’t. People just need to stop spending so fucking much.

This post comes after reading another one of CNN’s brilliant (ha-ha) articles on how families are, god forbid, making their own meals and eating at home. And, god forbid, having to cut back on $5 lattes. (But “I can’t give up my bottled water” says one dirt farmer.) These people act like they are going through the great depression, when actually they are being “forced” to live within their god-damned means.

When did being fiscally responsible suddenly become some special-case? Shit, it reminds me of another article that drove me crazy. It was about a group of parents getting together a support group. It’s a support group for parents who, hold on to your hats, allow their children to play unattended! What is this, you say? Children can survive, and thrive, without constant parental observation? I’m shocked! Jumping Jesus On A Pogo-Stick, when did we start needing support groups for NORMAL activity? Has our definition of normal changed so greatly?

And this leads to another ubsurdity Evelyn and I saw yesterday.

We were taking one of our usual walks and came across a grammer shool, with all the perks (nice playgrounds, ball fields, a little track, etc).

At the volleyball court we saw a shoe. And a basketball. Near the playground we saw, literally, half a dozen jackets. Near the school building was another set of clothes. There were discarded clothes all over the place. It looked like a Goodwill truck had exploded.

Now that’s not all that odd, right? While they are playing, kids take off their coats, leave their balls around, and so on. But here’s the odd thing: There were no kids in sight. Not a one. These kids had been there, and left 20 articles of clothing, and a handful of good-sized toys.

I don’t know what shocked me more, the fact that these kids were just discarding stuff left and right, or that their parents let them do this. I’m all for a free and permissive society, but come on! Learn a little respect and value. I joked with Evelyn that if she came home without a shoe her parents would have her hold a 20 pound bag of rice for an hour as punishment. When the hell did it become okay for kids to discard expensive articles without a second thought? What the hell is wrong with these parents?

Okay, back on track. Back to Boring Solutions.

My point when I started this rant was that people love to look for big, complicated solutions. For two reasons. First, simple solutions are boring. They aren’t fun. They aren’t New And Improved. Second, it’s far easier to throw up your hands and say “what can I do?” when the solution appears complicated. Why worry about power problems when you don’t feel you can do anything about them?

Instead, we need to look for simple, basic solutions. Those types of solutions that allow us to “live within our means”, both financially and environmentally. They aren’t glitzy, but they get the job done.

Look at all the little things you can do to save energy, the environment, and your pocketbook:

• Carry around a study, easily foldable, bag in your pocket. It can be plastic for all I care, but carry it around. When you hit a store and pick up a small item, put it in your bag. No more wasted plastic or paper bags. We carry one around nearly all the time, for our second-hand store finds, and just for normal shopping. We’re always amazing by how people react when we pull out our little re-usable bag. They act like it’s so unique and amazing. “People actually have the forsight to bring their own carrying device? Amazing!” You’d think we were the second coming of Christ.
• Buy yourself 3-4 of those big, insulated, bags for carrying groceries. We HAD to buy them in PR because the grocery store was 1/2 hour, or more, from home and stuff would melt. Bring them in the store and load your groceries into them instead of the endless plastic (or paper) bags. They are sturdy, reusable, and keep your food cold. They also hold about 4-6 bags of regular groceries, so you don’t have to make as many trips between the car and the home. (You can sling them over your shoulder, saving your hands.)
• Second-hand has much as you can. We are very lucky to live in an area of Austin that has a lot of good second hand stores. Bookstores, clothing, general household. These are great for two main reasons: (a) Things are cheaper than new and (b) your “carbon footprint” is greatly reduced. You see, everything you buy used is a thing that doesn’t have to get made again.Just the other day we were able to pick up a heavy duty 40-year-old Steelcase shop stool for $15. Versus the $75 imported piece that Sears was selling. We save money and get a piece of furniture that didn’t need to be shipped across the world, and that will last another 40 years. About two weeks ago we found a set of machinist measuring tools, which cost us $60 second-hand. I looked them up later on and found that the tools along were worth $250 new. Besides the cost savings, it’s good to know that a nice tool tossed aside by the next-of-kin ended up in a loving home.
• Turn off the lights. Turn off the power ‘vampires’. It’s the age old battle between “dad” and the “kids”. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Simple as that. While you are at it, turn off those power strips with all those “wall warts” (power packs). Due to shitty / cheap designs, these power supplies use electricity even when nothing is plugged into them (hence the ‘vampire’). An average home can save $10-20 a month by shutting down unused equipment completely. (I’ve quantified this at home. There is a real savings.) 
• Walk, walk, walk. If it’s within a mile, walk. I realize this is easier said than done for people in colder climates, but it makes a difference. I hate the noise, but there’s something to be said about living in a city where almost everything I need is within walking distance. With the price of gas, you can’t afford not to walk. As an added bonus, you’ll get the exercise you need.

And in the bigger, but still close-to-home, scheme of things, there are plenty of things we can do in our communities that save a shitload of energy, time, and so on. Again, they are all boring, but they all work:

• Get rid of all those stupid security lights. Make them light up what they should. The parking lot doesn’t need to be illuminated to daytime light levels 24×7. It’s just stupid.
• Carpool. This works out well for Evelyn and the seniors in our complex, since many of them can’t drive. Everyone needs to go to Target, the grocery store, or whatever.
• We need to get rid of natural gas ‘vampires’. There is no need for pilot lights any more. It used to be “too cheap to be metered” “pennies a month” but now it’s real money a month, going up in smoke 80% of the time.
• For the love of god, we don’t need streetlights every 20 feet. I’m talking to you, Chicago.
• Manufacturers, we don’t need a clock in every fricken device. In my kitchen alone I have four devices with clocks, and each of them draws power. It used to be cheap, not any longer. They are the “pilot lights” that need to go away. (I was ranting about clocks to Evelyn the other week. I was able to count over three dozen time keeping devices in our house. That’s a rant for another entry.)
• Realize that we only really work 30 hours a week, so we need to cut back on our workweeks. People are too grumpy on Monday mornings and do nothing on Friday afternoons. “Make Monday the new Sunday” as the folks at Yakima would say. The savings on fuel would be huge.
• Quit watering the lawn. Please. For the love of god. Stop. Stop wasting water. Xeriscape.

Well, that’s enough ranting for now. Hopefully your find some useful nuggets in there.

There’s been a lot of finger-waving at the United States, most recently with the whole banking / subprime mess. “Oh, the US is evil. Oh, those stupid ‘mericans.” I guess it’s all the Americans fault that:

• The Bank of England is pumping huge quantities of cash into their own subprime nightmare.
• Germany wants out of the Euro, since countries like Spain are dragging down the value.
• There are water and food shortages (or, at least, rapid price increases) almost everywhere.

I guess it’s also all our fault that that Japanese markets took a nose-dive in the early 80′s, followed by the southeast Asian markets in the late 90′s. Those damn Americans!

I’m not trying to make excuses, I’m just trying to point out that we, as members of the human race, are all to blame. Wherever you are. You show me a place on this earth that’s supposed to be paradise, and I’ll point out the drug addiction and the suicide rates and the lack of free speech and whatever else.

Why is this? Because humans are humans. We’re trying to survive, with as little work as possible, for as long as possible. That innate behavior affects everything we do, wherever we are.

As you know, we’re in the process of putting together some kits for the upcoming “coming out” party at the Austin Maker Faire in October.

We still have a couple of slots open for yet-to-be-determined projects. So, if you’ve had an idea for an electronics kit, especially those involving light and sound, please drop us a note.

In preparation for the Maker Faire Austin in October, we’re putting together a couple of electronics learning products. These will range from traditional kits, to more extensive ‘lab’ type tools.

Leading up to this, we’re going to need some beta testers. People who will assemble the kits, run through the documentation, and experiment with the ‘lab’ products. The kits will require soldering experience and equipment (soldering iron, solder, assorted simple hand tools). The ‘lab’ will require no tools at all and will come with everything you need.

We’re trying to find a range of people. Those with some electronics experience (to proofread and verify) and those without (to make sure we aren’t making things too complicated). Many of the projects will be focused on electronic music and sound.

The beta program will start in July and run for about a month. Let me know if you, or someone you know, would be interested. Either leave a comment or send me an email at the following address:

Update: There is no cost for the beta testers. We’ll supply the kit (PCB), parts, and instructions. You just need to build the kit and provide feedback. You get to keep your finished product, though we’d ask that you take some photos so that we can see if the soldering was easy to do, if it fits together nicely, etc. 

Update 2: We’d also like to hear about some of the frustrations you might have had with kits in the past. Electronics in particular, but any kind of kit/project feedback would be helpful. Stuff like “they needed to include photos” or “they didn’t explain why to do this” or whatever. Send a note the the e-mail address above, or leave a comment. Thanks.

I recently upgraded to WordPress 2.5 and things seemed to go fine, until I tried uploading an image to a post. There are two bugs in the code which cause problems. I was able to find a simple fix that works. You’ll need to edit two files in your WordPress install:

wp-admin/includes/media.php
     Line 817 (debug: false) : Remove the trailing comma

wp-includes/js/swfupload/handlers.js
     Line 99 (height:26) : Remove the trailing comma

…goes to this person protesting the Beijing Olympics.

Maybe I should cut them some slack. In grammer and high school we never seemed to get past the 1890′s in history class. If we rushed, we’d cover WWI.

Sigh.