21 Mar
2014
21 Mar
'14
6:04 p.m.
On 3/21/2014 5:19 PM, TeoZ wrote:
CAD and bean counters. Using the latest CAD programs
and simulations
people can design machines on the edge of properly working with little
fudge factor, then the bean counters trim some more parts away to save
a few pennies. You seen many newer motherboards with spaces for
capacitors that were never installed to save a buck. Back when
machines were many thousands of dollars and expected to work a long
time designers were much more careful in design. You also have the
higher heat of operating systems.
Older systems were designed, and at times it
wasn't bean counters, but
engineers with wire clippers who attacked them.
Earl Muntz is a classic example. He made three total restarts until he
got a TV chassis that was as cheap as he wanted and the most of the
techniques were just leaving out parts and seeing how well it worked.
He also did do another thing which was to eliminate channel tuner parts
for markets which were large and just put in the channels that he knew
had the most viewers. But it was not very scientific.
One of my EE professors had some stories about things shorting out and
the design still working and giving direction to what to eliminate or
change.
jim