Homebrew PCBs

I noticed on the end of the mail that it went off topic,
even off topic of the already a bit off topic discussion.
If you still want to read it go on...



>
>    Check this case in unnecessary design:
>
> http://www.rigelcorp.com/r535j.htm
> http://www.rigelcorp.com/__doc/8051/R535JASSM.pdf
>


Especially for a prototype / evaluation board 2 layer is a great advantage.
you can follow the tracs and you also can make changes as needed.
i would like to see how you make changes in a 4 layer board.


You can take apart whatever consumer equipment you like, 2 layer boards are
still very popular, as are 1 layer boards.

I do not know how this will develop, the demanding boards have more layers 
now,
but also the things get more and more integrated.
If you look how many layers they use for IC internal interconnection (14 
or so??)
you can maybe guess how the boards will develop. On the other hand, as the 
integrated
circuits get more and more functionality, requiring nearly no external 
components
the external circuit should get simpler, allowing less layers there.

The requirements are so different - some things need to be as small as 
possible, some
as cheap as possible, some both, some high quality, some easy to 
manufacture.
the demands are very different, and i think the solutions to meet them 
will be as different
in the future.

Development is not stopping now, that is the only thing you can be sure of.

I think the trend will be towards integration, but the human is not built
to interface silicone chips, it needs to use the fingers to operate the 
stuff
and needs audio and video feedback. this human interface is (in this way) 
impossible
to integrate into anything (on chip buttons and such ;-).
maybe the soultion to that is that the human carrys a
"Human interface device" with him all time, and the machines we build have 
no direct
interface at all, and communicate wireless with the HID of the individual.

This has certain advantages, but also a lot of disadvantages.
I'm known around here for my skills with electrics/electronics so if there 
is some problem
people call me to help them. I regualrly come somewhere only to discover 
there is no fault, but it
is just a user "inability". some equipment is simply too complicated for 
some people, especially
elderly people with disabilities like bad sight and such. If the TV or sat 
receiver is operated through
a complicated menu and they simply can't remember how this works, or if 
the buttons on the remote are simply
to small to read the lable (this happens) then i really question the 
purpose.
I mean, back a few years each tv had a row of buttons, and that's it. just 
press and look.

Now, if you follow the thought of the "universal human interface" this 
could lead to two consequences:
a) everything gets far too complicated for some. this limits the market - 
BAD.
b) you can program it, also in a "simple" mode. so that the stuff works 
with maybe limited functionality,
but WORKS. you could design human interfaces even for people with severe 
disabilities if you like.


Sure, the society changes, gets used to the technology, learns to keep up 
with it, but everyone?
and with each and every machine?
It happens not seldom that one of my professors, on a technical
university, (teaching electrotechnics or much more advanced stuff) can not 
manage to make the laptop
computer operate with the video beamer and switch all things on. Not that 
he is too stupid for it, of course
not, if he has some time and reads the manual it would work easily, but 
there and then there
is no manual, and no time to read it. He wants nothing else than a big 
green ON button and a big red OFF button.
he has no interest in all else of the functionality.

On the other hand, if you know what you do exactly, and the machine tells 
you "you can't do that now"
you are also upset (like formatting your system partition on the PC).

I could go on and on, but i think everyone who kept up reading so far got 
my point.

There will still be much development going on, no doubt, faster, cheaper, 
more functionality.
But we also need to keep in mind that the limited human needs to operate 
and use the stuff. Not the designer,
which knows every function and error, the simple consumer who wants not to 
waste much time with the manual.



THE END ;-)

Didn't read it after writing, there may be much errors.. you can keep them 
i have plenty.
look forward to discussion and possible solutions.

ST