I wished TaskLED offered some drivers in the $10-15 range with seriously stripped down features. Like with 1-2 features best. Perhaps something they should explore as $35 is a bit pricey for some people.
I know I'd buy a couple of the cheaper ones if TaskLED offered it just incase something gets blown up or something like that I can easily afford a spare.
Part of the reason the drivers cost money is the development time for the firmware. It takes several weeks of coding/testing/evaluating/changing to release a new version. There is several years of accumulated refinements that go into the latest firmware version. The first uFlex was designed & coded up back in 2003.
If "I" could buy drivers like maxFlex for $10 - $15, I would - cheaper than what it costs me to get them made!
Stripping out software features doesn't make things any cheaper - it takes just as much time to develop/test etc etc.
If you want cheap drivers, they are available (overseas and some of the cheaper shoppe drivers) - they just don't have any of the UI features that have taken so long to develop in the taskled drivers.
Just adding in the voltage monitoring and temperature monitoring required considerable time to design a workable system, including self calibration of the temperature sensing.
Removing features in the firmware would also mean I would have to have multiple versions of the firmware to test, maintain, inventory, document etc.
I'm one guy building, programming and shipping the drivers, the logistics of what I have to do to get stuff out the door would boggle many of you. From designing the schematics, laying out the boards, ordering components, building prototypes (yes, they cost money), ordering production PCB's and more components and then soldering the boards when they arrive, then programming, testing and putting them into inventory. Then when I get home from (real work) I process orders and pack them up to ship them out.
The only help I have is from Darell, who has given a lot of input to what the various UI's should look like and has helped with testing.
My two (young) kids help stamp the bubble mailers and the customs forms (for overseas stuff). They also sometimes help with running the programmer to load the firmware into each individual board. For CCHIPO they also assemble the switcher IC onto the heatsinks (just did a batch of 100 for me).
Anyhow, I know you guys aren't complaining - just wishing for lower prices etc. I hope some of the above info gives some insight into 'my world'...
cheers,
george.
