A tale of snow, tons of server requests and coordinates (2011-12-16)


EvilDragon

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If you followed the last news thread, you have probably seen we had some problems with the Pick and Place files for the PCB that needed to be solved - as well as having issues moving the cases, batteries and other parts from Craig to me in Germany


1. The tale of the lorry and the snow


Once upon a time there was a man with a weird hat.


He had boxes of full of treasures: Plastic cases, batteries, Wifi antennas and other, weird things (that most people wouldn't consider to be treasure at all).


One day, he lost that hat. While it's not important for our story, he was never again seen with this hat on any video again - which made many people sad.


But, as said, we won't care about that here - we care about his treasure.


In a land far, far away, there lived an EvilDragon. He wanted to grab the treasure of the man without the weird hat.


Somehow he managed to agree the man to send him all his boxes of treasure.


However, the boxes where too many and too heavy for the man without the hat to transport them himself.


He tried to get help from someone named UPS.


The next day UPS came - but the transporter he had with him was way too small.


He tried to load all the treasure boxes into his transporter anyway. However, it didn't work. They were too big and too heavy.


So he went home, promising the man without the hat to return with a bigger lorry the next day.


The next day came. It was cold. There was a lot of snow coming from the sky. UPS didn't come. He delayed and delayed - and finally, the man without the hat saw him in the distance - his lorry stuck in the snow.


Somehow he managed to get his lorry out of the snow and finally arrived at the home of the man without the hat.


It took an hour to load all the precious treasure boxes, and when he tried to leave for Germany... his lorry got stuck again.


It was getting dark, and UPS sure was scared - but somehow he managed to get the lorry out of the snow.


Therefore, the treasure boxes are on the way to the airport, headed for Germany.


Short story:


Craig tried to ship the Pandora parts he had to Germany. Yesterday the UPS driver had a too small transporter - and today he was fighting his way through piles of snow.


However, he managed to come and pickup all the stuff. So all the parts (cases, speakers, WiFi antennas, hinges, batteries, etc.) are now on the way to Germany.


2. Server slowdown: Script kiddies had fun playing


You probably noticed that the server today was unbearable slow. This was thanks to some random scripts sending tons of requests to apache2 and using up 90% of the apache2 Server.


I didn't have much time to look into it and after installing some useful mods (that didn't help much here, sadly), I finally found mod_evasion which worked fine.


Thanks to notaz for some help here. The server is now running fast and fine again :)


3. The fight with the Pick and Place files


This was the main concern of the last few days - and cost a lot of nerves, work and time.


As you know, we have ALL parts needed for the prototype run at Global Components already. Thanks to the GTA04 team, we even got the memory chips in time.


Then, Thursday morning, Global Components started to program the machine. Loaded up all the needed files and also loaded the Pick and Place files into the machine.


To those who don't know:


Pick and Place files are simple text files that have all the coordinates for every single part which is being put on a PCB in it.


The program which is used by the designer spits out these files automatically, so nothing could go wrong there... well, that's what most would think. We thought so as well.


However, when GC imported these files into the machine, all the parts were completely messed up.


Why? Well, some quick googling revealed it: It looks like there are different ways to define the coordinates of the parts. Some use Pin 1 of the component as coordinate, most use the center of the part as coordinate.


If you try to import Pin 1-Coordinates as Center-Coordinates, everything is messed up.


The funny thing is: The text file doesn't say ANYWHERE what coordinates it uses. It even has a header where it defines the units and the coordinates origin - but it doesn't include the information, WHAT type of coordination is uses... the only way to find that out is to load it up and see if it fits.


So, okay. MWeston used 1pin-files whereas the SIEMENS machine only eats centroid-files. So we had NO way of using these files.


We were busy for the whole day looking for solutions. There exist some programs that could recreated the PCB with components and export centroid files, but it turned out the only really proper way is when the PCB designer himself changes the coordinate type for every part and exports them...


Well, that's what MWeston did... it took hours and hours, but finally, he created ALL the needed coordinates for every part (511, to be exact) and exported them into new Pick and Place files.


That has happened, we got the new files. GC already got them and will probably hack them into the machine on Sunday, so we can finally start the prototype production on Monday / Tuesday (probably Tuesday).


There's only one thing I'm scared about: The leadtime for the bare PCBs is about 4 weeks... and the bare PCBs are being produced in China.


Chinese New Year is coming, and it might be hard getting the boards before the Chinese New Year... which would delay the planned production by 2 weeks.


Nothing is set yet - we're in contact with the bare PCB company and are trying to find a solution.


They know it's urgent and we have a high priority - so they might be able to finish all 1000 or at least 250 - 500 of the needed bare PCBs in time.


But that's something we can't tell for sure before the prototype testing run is finished and working.


Nikolaus Schaller (the designer of the GTA04 PCB) calmed me down during the last days - always telling me with a smile: "Such issues are perfectly normal before the main production run. It's very complex work, it's very rare nothing happens."


Thanks again to him for his help :)


Well, so another issue solved - the new files should now work fine (we'll find out within the next few days) and then it's finally time for the prototype run.


I've also got some neat surprises for you - but I'll keep quiet about them until christmas :)
 
Thanks for the update ED! I'd rather everything be worked out sooner than have to go back and fix everything piece by piece after its all said and done. Lets hope it all comes out right on Tuesday and we can move forward, whether the timeframe is compromised by Two Weeks, it's hella better than Two Months.
 
gEZZZZZZZZZ Here go again with delays and more reasons and excuses. Its obvious that things should have waited before even beginning to try the new business in Germany. Not because of Germany, just a rush to get stuff going has nothing more than paralell whats been going on for several years. And the telling of some silly tale is uncalled for being as everyone's hopes has been gashed. No pandoras will be forth coming in Jamuary or february. Its not my opinion as ll these things have happened before. Time should have been spent getting all the stuff together, quietly and not make a big splash jsut yet about pre orders but its to late for that now. Ed I respect you even though I have griped some here.
 
Errm, what?


As Nikolaus Schaller from the GTA04 team (a designer for years) and other professional designers I asked confirmed, such quirks before a production run are perfectly normal. That's why you DO a prototype run: To prepare everything and work out the issues.


Otherwise there wouldn't be a need for a prototype run - you could start with the full production run right away.


There's a REASON there are prototype runs, you know?


This is not as easy as getting a T-Shirt printed, where you send them your picture and get a printed T-Shirt back.


This is one of the most complex things you can do, and it's perfectly normal you have to face issues and work them out.


It's the same EVERY company (Apple, Sony, etc.) - but they're not telling anyone, they're doing this all behind closed doors.


However, as one of the special things about the Pandora is THAT you get insights into the production, that nothing happens behind closed doors but you can follow everything that happened.


Now there's the first thing NOT going according to plan here in Germany with such a complicated product, and you're griping?


Geez.


Besides, we did not make a big splash about preorders. I neither sent out a newsletter to the 17,000 subscribers out there nor did I contact anyone for press coverage yet - I won't do that before the prototype production run has happened and we're all set to go.


That was my plan from the very beginning and I stuck to it. The only places we posted about the new preorders were the official website, the facebook page and the boards. Nowhere else. That's not a big splash.


On the preorder page it says:


"If all goes according to the plans, the Pandora will start shipping in January / February."


I currently see no reason why shipping should NOT start in February - it might even still start in January.


Unless the prototype run will be a failure, but as our design is tested to work, that shouldn't be a problem.


Sometimes I really do wonder...
 
Thanks ED. :) Maybe some people would rather you post no progress updates at all :rolleyes:


Props to MWeston, rarely spotted in the wild these days but still plugging away in the background for both Pandora and iCP.


(I wonder if House Rothwell should adopt the words of House Stark: "Winter is coming.")
 
Thanks for the update, and be calm... in my opinion things are going as smooth as you can expect.
 
Thank you for all the hard work, we all appreciate it (even though some still find reason to complain).
 
Thanks for the update. I am not surprised, that setting up the new production line would cause some delay. Keep up the good work!
 
You probably noticed that the server today was unbearable slow. This was thanks to some random scripts sending tons of requests to apache2 and using up 90% of the apache2 Server.


I didn't have much time to look into it and after installing some useful mods (that didn't help much here, sadly), I finally found mod_evasion which worked fine.


Thanks to notaz for some help here. The server is now running fast and fine again :)
Is the server now save and secured? Because most of the Pandora Websites are laying on only one Server, it should be made hacker-save for the Future.


However, the new Pandora (pre)Production already runs much faster and better than the old one. In the Past we had weeks and Months of Delay and unsolved issues. Now it is fixed within a day or two, this seems to be a good sign. ^^
 
You probably noticed that the server today was unbearable slow. This was thanks to some random scripts sending tons of requests to apache2 and using up 90% of the apache2 Server.


I didn't have much time to look into it and after installing some useful mods (that didn't help much here, sadly), I finally found mod_evasion which worked fine.


Thanks to notaz for some help here. The server is now running fast and fine again :)
Is the server now save and secured? Because most of the Pandora Websites are laying on only one Server, it should be made hacker-save for the Future.

It never had been insecure.


There were just a lot of valid apache requests from some bots per second. They requested about 100 websites per second at the same time, and that slowed the server down for everyone (which is normal).
 
Is there any computer field where notaz is not good at ? :p

I'd like to see him complete Manic Miner.


I'm sorry for not getting the comical UPS stuck in the snow situation on camera, the driver didn't seem like a very happy man about it and


pointing a camera in his face might have made him unpredictable.


Well, that's pretty much all the Pandora parts gone from here, I can finish up my final video!
 
Keep it up guys! Glad to hear everything's working out so well :)
 
That has happened, we got the new files. GC already got them and will probably hack them into the machine on Sunday, so we can finally start the prototype production on Monday / Tuesday (probably Tuesday).

:blink: Sunday? Are you serious? They work on Sunday? That's awesome! =)


Oh, and a great applause for the story about the man with the weird hat. ;)
 
Many thanks for the update ED, please continue to keep us posted.


Best of luck for the prototyping on Tuesday.


Kinda sad I can't tell people when asking about my Pandora that it's 'made, or should I say assembled, in England'. That statement never failed to generate an utterly incredulous look. Still, German engineering still enjoys a certain cachet so it's not all bad. :)
 
Cheers for the well spun Christmas Tale ED :)


Pity there have been a few hitches but great to know things are still shaping up largely in the grander plan of things. I can appreciate a few folk feeling a little 'Here we go again!' and perhaps fearing huge delays though, as the CNY once again is poised on the horizon as a potential obstacle. It's almost as though Pandoraville has adopted its own festive tradition into the business plan, yet this all seems to be positive news really. I was going to say it's been a pity the man with the weird hat has failed to deliver his final video, though it now seems he's back on that case (look forward to the book one day too)! :)


MWeston sounds like he's worked magic lately and Christmas cheers should be his way sent by all, as it seems many Pandora folk are still on his nice list, despite often being naughty.


In defence of ED's argument that these kinds of things are to be expected in any production run, I'd like to point out that his analogy of even simply getting a T-shirt printed, is in-fact not as straight forward as it would appear, although things may have changed somewhat.


I used to work for a multi-million pound making, textile printing company at one time long ago, that produced a variety of clothing for clients like Technic's, Mambo, Aloha, HeadWorks, SaltRock and various other big companies (at one time BIG names in clothing, if your wondering 'who?') along with the companies own labels as sidelines. So sadly, even printing a T-shirt has more stages behind the scenes than you would imagine!


From artwork design teams, screen creation rooms, colour matching paint mixing teams, machine operators, mechanics, prototype printing calibration runs, fixing registration/screen issues, administration, ordering/stock control, PR and advertising teams etc etc. All working for tight deadlines of big companies, round the clock often, for not much to show for it sometimes, or being out-done by another lower bidder for corporate profits on occasion etc etc and all, for a simple T-shirt, or other garment or two!


That company was strangely also something of a community project, created by a few guys from separated places, starting out from a friends garage as a workshop. They did well for a time too and many reaped the rewards of the work they sowed, yet I hope for Pandora, that things go more smoothly from here on in and for the foreseeable future.


Many thanks to all for the work involved so far and for the product you have brought to market for us, after so many headaches and to all the community, for keeping it going against all the odds and as an example to the bigger fish, that even small ponds, can here, quite literally, create a legend, or hopefully two, in our lifetime, from what was once considered consigned to the myth cart ;)


Hope remains herein.


Merry Solstice/Christmas everyone !
 
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