JohnW
pfm member
Just a quick "check in" I'm currently on an overseas business trip since late last week - I'll back in the lab tomorrow AM.
The prime reason for investing in the larger reflow oven is to be able to manufacture pending the physically larger Amplifier PCB's (our current cheap Chinese IR reflow oven is to small for the large amp boards).
Tomorrow AM, the carpenters should arrive to install the new lab bench for the reflow oven (which is currently sitting on the floor) - then we will be "technically" capable of manufacturing the amplifiers.
I'm currently working on the 8200MB+ update PCB design, the forerunner to the full sized VFET's. The intention with the 8200MB+ is to :-
1. Be able to manufacture amplifiers without worrying about the mechanical chassis (sourcing high quality mechanical parts is currently a massive headache).
2. Prove advanced sections of the VFET circuit design
3. We need decent amplifiers in the nearterm for the MDAC2 DD2A audio evaluation
4. Bring in funds to help cover the VFET chassis (I need to turn the 8200MB's into cash to help pay for the custom VFET chassis).
5. An "affordable" Amplifier design we can sell beyond the parts limited run of the Reference VFET amps.
Apart from using the VFET output devices and a fully balanced output stage (Bridged design) - no "expense" is being spared on the 8200MB+ design (Tube front-end etc) - they should be very good amps.
I have to balance my design time between MDAC2 DDA, 8200MB's and other projects to keep help keep the lights on - it does look like the 8200MB+ will be the first design ready at this time - we might issue a primarily MDAC2 DD2A PCB before to de-risk the design.
The prime reason for investing in the larger reflow oven is to be able to manufacture pending the physically larger Amplifier PCB's (our current cheap Chinese IR reflow oven is to small for the large amp boards).
Tomorrow AM, the carpenters should arrive to install the new lab bench for the reflow oven (which is currently sitting on the floor) - then we will be "technically" capable of manufacturing the amplifiers.
I'm currently working on the 8200MB+ update PCB design, the forerunner to the full sized VFET's. The intention with the 8200MB+ is to :-
1. Be able to manufacture amplifiers without worrying about the mechanical chassis (sourcing high quality mechanical parts is currently a massive headache).
2. Prove advanced sections of the VFET circuit design
3. We need decent amplifiers in the nearterm for the MDAC2 DD2A audio evaluation
4. Bring in funds to help cover the VFET chassis (I need to turn the 8200MB's into cash to help pay for the custom VFET chassis).
5. An "affordable" Amplifier design we can sell beyond the parts limited run of the Reference VFET amps.
Apart from using the VFET output devices and a fully balanced output stage (Bridged design) - no "expense" is being spared on the 8200MB+ design (Tube front-end etc) - they should be very good amps.
I have to balance my design time between MDAC2 DDA, 8200MB's and other projects to keep help keep the lights on - it does look like the 8200MB+ will be the first design ready at this time - we might issue a primarily MDAC2 DD2A PCB before to de-risk the design.