Design Note #9
Eastman Kodak’s fifteen year old component-video recorder (shown left) had been unavailable for five years. All spare parts were exhausted. Eastman Kodak, had two more years of service contracts to honor. A replacement unit had to be found! OTEC’s task: Make four prototype units (like those shown in the picture below) in six weeks. Supply volume production in twelve.
Engineered 15 years ago, the Korean-made component video recorder served as a subsystem in Eastman Ordains larger end-product. The old unit recorded multiple S-Video images, provided synchronized S-Video feeds and accepted an undocumented, proprietary bidirectional command / control stream.
Drawing from its wealth of engineering know-how, OTEC rapidly crafted a programmable component video management engine. Simultaneously, OTEC engaged in reverse engineering the subtleties of the bidirectional command / control protocols.
OTEC delivered working prototype units in six weeks. Video image quality, software compatibility, mechanical ruggedness, manufacturability, and serviceability were scrutinized. OTEC listened carefully to Kodak’s comments. Adopting design modifications and improvements; OTEC rolled into full production.
Are you trying to put new life into aging designs? Do you need it fast? Are you experiencing obsolescence problems? Contact OTEC today, we’ll analyze your old product and design a new one for you too.