THE ANALOG THING
Newsletter #6
Welcome to the sixth newsletter on all things THAT (THE ANALOG THING). We would like to update you on the current status of production and shipping and to share with you a few links to projects some new THAT owners have posted online.
Delays in production and test
Bringing a new electronics product to the market is challenging at the best of times - and it surely is a challenge during a global supply chain crisis! We thank all of you who are waiting for your THATs patiently for your understanding in this matter. This is not simply a matter of shipping THATs as quickly as possible. In many instances, it is a matter of weighing the speed of shipment against the quality of our product. And when this question presents itself, we prioritize quality.
Each THAT must successfully pass a 15-minute semi-automatic test procedure before being boxed and shipped. Unfortunately, the tests on the initial batch of PCBs we received from our manufacturer showed significant soldering defects, which contributed to shipping delays of several weeks.
What happened?
- The first batch of THATs consisted of 100 units. Tests performed on these units showed problems that can be attributed to the application of an erroneous temperature profile in the soldering process. This failure rate has affected about 50% of the units of the first batch. Two of our electronic engineers are working full time to repair and retest the affected units. This is time-consuming but necessary to meet our quality standards.
- As a further complication, this repair work has come to a full stop due to unforeseen legal reasons. Our landlord is prohibiting soldering work until a review of our fire safety provisions has been conducted and documented. This has held up the shipment of THATs in the past two weeks, and we hope that this situation will be rectified in the coming two to four weeks.
- In response to the faults introduced to the first batch by deficient soldering, we switched to a different supplier for future batches. However, parts procurement remains a challenge, especially in our medium-quantity range. In response, we have split the second batch of THATs into two parts, with the first part containing 100 units.
![[photography of more then 20 documented errnous THATs]](https://the-analog-thing.org/newsletter/6/debugging.jpg)
This photo is a glimpse at our lab, where massive amounts of units are tested, debugged and repaired.
Shipping estimates
| Order number | Batch | Estimated shipping date |
|---|---|---|
| AP1000 – AP1065 | 1.0 | shipped |
| AP1066 – AP1250 | 1.5 | May/June 2022 |
| AP1251 – AP1700 | 2.0 | June/July 2022 |
Beginning in July 2022, we expect to have enough THATs in stock to serve new orders immediately.
Priorization for educational purposes
For the time being, we are prioritizing customers who have ordered THATs for academic projects with fixed schedules. If your order is of this type, please do get in touch with us, and we will try to help accordingly.
Projects carried out with THAT
Here are some interesting reviews and projects that some new THAT owners have shared online:
- Youtube: little THAT impro by jestern
- Twitter: Playing with, looking at, and listening to "the transfiguration of foxes and hares" by @schichmax
- ... and an April Fool by German tech news: More Qubits instead of more horsepower – training for quantum mechanics
- Facebook: Euler spiral movie or people using a very nice Hantek/IPad visualization combination in the THAT facebook group
Contact
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us at that@anabrid.com if you have questions regarding THE ANALOG THING.
You can share this issue with the link https://the-analog-thing.org/newsletter/6/. At this place, you can also read all previous issues.
