RE: New project...PCI based servo control board

["Craig Edwards" <cedwards-at-ceinetworks.com>]

Thanks Jon... Pretty sobering inputs!   No doubt, the business case for
doing this project is half baked at best... And I'm sure makes no sense
without a marketing budget / plan.  It seems like there is a lot of interest
in an "open source" concept as well... And I've not even begun to think
through how that might play out.

Actually, I'm surprised / disappointed that you've only sold a few of the
Universal Stepper Controls, it looks like a great value considering most of
the simple breakout boards for parallel port interfaces cost over $100.
Just shows what a tough group of "consumers" we'll dealing with!

Well, maybe if nothing else, this flurry of discussion over the "BEST CNC
interface" has stimulated some interest in your products...:)  Will you be
at NAMES this year?  If so, I'd like to meet with you, maybe there are some
activities we could collaborate on.

-Craig



Craig Edwards wrote:

>Well, sure I hope so...:)
>
>Honestly, I really can't comment intelligently on "price" at this 
>stage, because I'm not even sure that I can afford to offer this as a 
>"product".
>
>I will say that I think it has to priced under $500.... and perhaps 
>much lower.  Actually, if anyone has input as to a key target price or 
>competitive product I'd much appreciate it.
>
Well, here's some data that you may find unpleasant.  I have had the PPMC on
the market at US $650 for the 4 axis setup with 16 opto-isolated digital 
inputs
and place for 8 SSRs to mount right on the board, so you don't need an 
Opto-22
board, too.  This has 4 16-bit DACs, 4 24-bit encoder counters with index
channel.  For $30 extra, you get differential receivers for the encoder 
inputs.
And, it has all the E-stop logic, with a watchdog timer, built in, too. This
has been on the market for over a year, and I've sold SIX units!  I 
haven't
even managed to use up the run of 10 prototype boards!

I have had the Universal Stepper Controller out for nearly a year (I demoed
it at the last NAMES show) at $200, and Ive sold FIVE!  I'm basically giving
these away at this price, at this volume.  The FPGA on this product costs
$30.  But, it has 4 24-bit encoder counters (with index) and 4 digital step
rate generators with 24-bit rate selection, so you can get step pulse rates
from .625 Hz to 1 MHz or so, with 100 nS timing resolution. (Essentially
same digital I/O as above product, too.)

So, here I have developed these products, no one wants them, and yet you
guys are STILL arguing over what would be the all-time BEST CNC interface.

All I can tell you, is unless you want to invest several thousand $ a MONTH
into advertising, you won't sell more than 10 of them a year.

Note that I have NO IP charges to amortize, either, other than what I
created for the project.

Jon