I’m going to stick by my post. I’ve added the last three updates for anyone seeking more information.
Sure there’s a parts supply problem. But they said in November, “Since the last update we have also finally secured production stock of all long lead time ICs used in the design, and are moving onto more readily available passives and components next." So they have the parts.
And like I said and again stick by, they should have had the parts orders ready before the KS check hit their bank. They suddenly discover that they need a six layer board in January, come on, that also would have been knowable before they even went on KS.
Read the other updates too. Someone else can count the times throughout this project that they have expanded the project ( it’s called mission creep ) rather than making the sensible though difficult engineering decision to accept what is good enough, close the design, and move on to production.
I’ve done this level of project myself, and i’ve managed projects this size and much larger. I’ve slipped schedule, and dealt with supply issues. This one though just doesn’t wash.
November
We are continuing with steady progress into the end of the year.
With new engineering support in place we have finally validated our last module board and are on track to build a full revision prototype with the necessary improvements soon. We are also in the midst of an overdue firmware sprint, and our firmware collaborator is implementing several new features to catch up to the current state of our electrical design.
Since the last update we have also finally secured production stock of all long lead time ICs used in the design, and are moving onto more readily available passives and components next. Depending on upcoming supplier deliveries of production quantity parts, we are aiming for the production pilot prototype soon after the holidays.
-Superlative
January
Happy new year everyone. We are doing everything in our power to ship the SB01 as soon as possible this year.
Our firmware development sprint through the holidays was successful, and we now have a USB stack with both USB host and device, dual-role power, USB MIDI working for the first time. This was a major milestone, as it means we have now completed the foundation for all major USB features and stretch goals on our new microcontroller. This also clears the path to offer the keytar grip accessory as a USB device, which will be detailed in another update.
On the electrical side we have further refined and fixed issues with our last module board prototype. Due to component density this required us moving up to a 6-layer board and investing time on a new and final layout. Improvements are now being made on the main analog board and both board candidates are scheduled to be fabricated after the upcoming CNY holiday.
-Superlative
February
The main analog board has been undergoing additional design review and layout refinement to match the module board, and we are ordering both boards for test and assembly in the upcoming weeks.
As a side effect of our extended timeline, we were able to incorporate the newly offered AS3109 voltage controlled filter IC to replace our discrete clone with a single part, simplifying the signal path as close as we can to the original. Despite the work completed in reverse engineering the original filter IC, we would have chosen this solution from the start and are happy to include it in the final version.
In other news, we have installed a production grade reflow oven to use for all current and future prototyping needs. In-house assembly has proven faster than outsourced assembly in the current landscape, and rather than ship our critical parts and face long lead times we hope to meet our development needs faster by leveraging the tools and components we now have in-hand.
-Superlative
