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Unread 04-05-2012, 10:35
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Re: TI and future Jaguars

Quote:
Originally Posted by dsirovica View Post
World was fun! Must have walked several miles back and forth between the arena and the pits – really unnecessary people flow problems created by the staff.

I talked to TI at the event. Basically they want out f the Jag business due to its lack of business. The are donating everything except their silicon (Stellaris and a few other chips on-board). They are aware of current issues but clearly have no motivation to fix anything.

They also don't see who would want this business with the exception of the manufacturer if Victors whom they think/hope will bid on the RFP. They did not think an open-source program would have the industrial strength to be successful in the long run.

They have some Jaguars in stock, but they didn't think it was enough to carry FIRST through the next season.

I do think the the Victor manufacturer makes most sense to take this and produce a super-vic a fusion of a Vic & Jag. However from a business perspective I do not see them doing it with any resulting benefit to FIRST. As all business people know, if you have a monopoly you jack up the prices and stop further innovation... If you take the current Vic and just add the Stellaris processor to it their margins will take a hit.

At the end of the day for a successful solution we need a product that has other markets than the 2000 teams at FRC. The Vic is the only contender at this time.

This is just sad.
Dean
I figured that had to be the case because the FIRST statements in the RFQ alluding to maintaining a diverse set of product can really only apply to the manufactures of the Victors. Unless there's some other company making approved speed controls.

As far as the issue of other markets. I think the modularity construct opens the door to that. FIRST can move in whatever direction they like, the rest of the product line can move in whatever direction it likes. We share only the common aspects where costs combine without major headaches.

In the end, as long as we limit ourselves to the existing power limits that FIRST wants any speed control will be stuck with only that market and only that sort of motor unless you can change that limit by swapping out the power section. I can see plenty of situations where the power limits FIRST requires are too high or too low.

In a straight up...hard and fast...quantity manufacturing situation the modular idea adds cost. There's probably no way we can make a modular speed control like this that will be on the cheap end of the R/C car spectrum. However, the value is in the flexibility. I'm sure that flexibility has a market as I've seen few unique alternatives. Also let's not forget that the Victor survives just fine apparently and it's not on the cheap end of the R/C car spectrum either.

As others have pointed out from the issues on the Einstein field, and through out the year at other venues, the whole expense of building something you don't absolutely *need* to survive is sort of lost when you drive blindly for cost. If a better radio, even $50 more expensive, would have prevented that situation I suspect the economics would be well on it's side considering the cost of even competing in just one competition. I know plenty of people that use electronic motor controls in hobby situations that would drool over some flexibility to mix and match, or more important convert their expensive model toy from entirely tele-operated to partially or completely autonomous.

It makes me wonder, however, when you spoke with TI did you describe the project as merely open-source or did you give them details? I do agree that if you suggest the manufacture of a electronic motor control with not much further inspiration from the Victor and Jaguar your market is severely limited, that's why I'm not really doing that here.

Last edited by techhelpbb : 04-05-2012 at 10:49.
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