Ok people, good news.
The fitment issue is not a PCB issue, so it is clear. We are just left with quoting prototypes and large-scale quantities in several fabs, and possibly tuning the design to use components that are better available.
I have done what I could. Jaxx knows I am all his to make this happen and I will do everything in my power to see people have their keyboards.
Now guys, please stop DMing me. Unless its nudes, in which case by all means. Just know I'll send some back.
Ok. Thank you Gondo for trying. So when you say it is not a PCB issue that means the earlier statement from Jaxx to LE group stating PCB components have clearance issue will or should no longer be an issues from tuning/selecting the correct or alternative components to avoid clearance issues?
Is it safe to say at this time PCB were not ordered so large quantities of the PCB don't exist and need to still be ordered?
In summary, the remaining issues are in a nutshell.
1. refinish or remanufacture rukia cases & weights depending on the damage
2. order and wait ro PCB?
If only he had reached out and been transparent I'm sure there would have been quite a few individuals that could of offered help and advised as you have. Thank you again.
Long time lurker here: I have some friends who joined the GB and I'm hoping they receive their boards soon. Why does Jaxx post updates in a Discord server that has been shut down? I feel like it should be posted on Geekhack as well because not everyone is on the Discord server. My friends aren't active on Discord and check Geekhack.
Also, given the status of the cases AND the PCBs, are there plans to re-open the GB for all the charged-back spots that are happening due to the delays (assuming the board cases are done)? It wouldn't make sense for Jaxx to sit on a ton of Rukia cases.
For the people who only requested the case, what happens if the aftermarket PCBs don't work? Are you just going to sit on an empty Rukia case for months until Gondo's PCBs are complete?
not surprised it was an issue with the case size- not warping, not threads, etc. it was fairly suspect that something was wrong with the cases when he did not want to ship boards without pcbs instead to try to pass it off as an issue with the components of pcbs instead (becos of course we could use aftermarket pcb instead if he just gave us the case... problem was those wouldnt work either)
I know that my messages seem like I just want to cover my ass and leave Jaxx with his problems. But my realm of responsibility is the PCB I was commissioned to design, which fits the purpose of the case and fulfills specifications made by Jaxx. I can state right now that albeit PCBs were not completely flashed and confirmedly working, they have passed a very strict commission, schematic, layout, pinout and manufacturability design check which I run through all my PCBs and has worked for years now but for a few instances. Jaxx has also confirmed he
has ordered prototypes and the PCBs do fit tried ordering prototypes and was not able. According to the 3D files supplied the PCB fits perfectly; manufacturing them en masse is problematic right now due to the chip shortage. I am currently back to the draft sheet, talking to factory and distributors, to coordinate what the best re-design solutions are to get this train back on its track.
As far as case design or manufacture, refunds, GB communication and distribution go, I was never involved in that, nor was I ever a part of Mint Autumn. I was hired on a design-by-case basis as a freelance professional, as I do all my commissions in this community. So I can't state anything or take decisions, hence I am not responsible for those.
In layman terms: PCB fits, it works, we just need to figure out minor changes component-wise so it is cheaper/faster to manufacture and uses components currently available. Case-wise, GB-wise, I'll leave it up to Jaxx.
There is another problem here. As a part of the design of the keyboard, I obviously have access to privileged information which was given to me under a tacit, yet well understood, agreement of confidence. Breaking that confidence leaves me in a very awkward position not only with Jaxx but also with future projects as potential clients might deem me not trustworthy anymore, effectively diminishing my value as a designer. So I will not step out of that circle of trust. I do not think Jaxx is ill-intended here, he is just having issues which causes were outside of his control; wether he dealt with them in the best way possible is up to the stakeholders, that is, people that spent significant amounts of money on this endeavour and are now (understandably) frustrated. I am a stakeholder too not because I am owed a keyboard but because I was not paid yet and, well, I need to eat, pay my rent and occasionally I need coffee. Most importantly however is I want people to have their PCBs with my logo on it and think it was a well-designed PCB.
Finally, disclosing that information here will simply not do any good. It is as simple as that. It will only stirr the pot and everyone's already agitated, me included, so I'll refrain from whatever judgement. We will unfortunately need to wait until Jaxx communicates.
So all I am saying is: as far as my PCB designer responsibility goes, my part of the design is flawless and I am going out of my way here. I am not making these public statements to criticize Jaxx, as in saying the GB has not evolved since september, or making the judgement call on his behavior. All I am saying is: the PCB I was commissioned to design works, it is going through a normal -- albeit delayed -- development cycle and I am doing my best to make it a reality. All the rest is up to Jaxx.
