Keep in mind the logo may not replicate well when laser etched on the Propeller 2 packaging. Jen's initial post will work, but the limited contrast could make it difficult to see any detail.
Silkscreen graphics were once possible on a die, but the packaging companies only support that process at a very high cost and usually for legacy products. It's messy, has poor yield, and requires drying time.
Laser etching provides high resolution and is done very fast, and is used for perhaps 99.95% of all packaging artwork. You can see by looking at a Propeller chip that it's a brown color, a small contrast from the black plastic packaging.
Keep in mind the logo may not replicate well when laser etched on the Propeller 2 packaging. Jen's initial post will work, but the limited contrast could make it difficult to see any detail.
Silkscreen graphics were once possible on a die, but the packaging companies only support that process at a very high cost and usually for legacy products. It's messy, has poor yield, and requires drying time.
Laser etching provides high resolution and is done very fast, and is used for perhaps 99.95% of all packaging artwork. You can see by looking at a Propeller chip that it's a brown color, a small contrast from the black plastic packaging.
Ken Gracey
True. I promise to refine the digital mock up as we approach completion.
Laser etching provides high resolution and is done very fast, and is used for perhaps 99.95% of all packaging artwork. You can see by looking at a Propeller chip that it's a brown color, a small contrast from the black plastic packaging.
You might find there is also some area factor in Laser marking ?
Some Chips I have here have quite deep laser marks, and smallish looking Vendor logos.
Exactly, Cody. That's the idea. We'd like to host a core group to get up close with the P2 in FPGA by running and coding some of our examples with Chip showing us the way.
As soon as we have the first revision of the FPGA board complete we will start making plans. The idea would be that you buy an FPGA board, come to Parallax for two days, and walk away with lots of experience. Does this seem interesting to you and others?
Ken Gracey
That would be awesome! I'm planning on being in the area again in May, for a wedding and maybe the Bay Area Maker Faire, but I have a funny feeling that this may slip to June or later so I may have to travel there twice. Either way, it's something I don't want to miss!
On the other hand, wouldn't it be awesome if Chip could travel around the country (world) and do the P2 FPGA hands-on thing in a couple of places where there is a significant number of developers?
In the long run, even after the P2 gets produced, it might be a good way to get developers around the world interested. You might not wat to drag Chip around the world to instruct people to do the same Blinkenlight seminar over and over (after all, he's going to be busy with the PX832B and the Propeller 3, right? ;-) ) but maybe someone else?
On the other hand, wouldn't it be awesome if Chip could travel around the country (world) and do the P2 FPGA hands-on thing in a couple of places where there is a significant number of developers?
Not goin' to happen. He's got Tacos to make and Walnuts to harvest.
What if we tempt Chip with the 2014 National Tortilla Tour???
Regionally, we put together Tortilla Cook Offs (like rib cook offs but those are so last century), Chip could be a celebrity judge (ok , we know why he's a celebrity, the tortilla cooks don't need to know) and after he's done judging on say Friday night, he could stay over for a P2 symposium on Saturday! It's a win-win-win!!!
What if we tempt Chip with the 2014 National Tortilla Tour???
Regionally, we put together Tortilla Cook Offs (like rib cook offs but those are so last century), Chip could be a celebrity judge (ok , we know why he's a celebrity, the tortilla cooks don't need to know) and after he's done judging on say Friday night, he could stay over for a P2 symposium on Saturday! It's a win-win-win!!!
Shhhh, Rick. I might have to exercise my moderation authority if you get Chip off track. At the moment, the tortilla gig is sorta mothballed while we get P2 wrapped up.
Maybe you want to move out to California and run the tortilla operation yourself? You could bring the corn from Ohio.
We are also working on an FPGA board that will have lots of support circuits which will allow people to really exercise the chip. I want to get a few months of that underway to suss out any warts before we take the silicon approach again. This will push things out a little further, but will ensure that the next try is very likely a "go". It's so expensive and time-consuming to go through that process that I'd like to minimize the chance of another false start. I'm hoping we'll have chips by the end of the year.
I think these words are generally consistent with what has already been stated here in this thread and in Ken's Insider News "Propeller 2 Schedule Update." The overall goal is the same (chips by the end of 2014), though the exact timing of the steps to reach that goal might vary a bit. I can see how this might mean that full production might not ramp up until the beginning of next year (note: that's just my read/take), but I think we'd all be thrilled to see actual silicon this year. And if it were my money being spent, I'd certainly want to test the chip design prior to fabrication, and also synthesis, if a path existed for doing so. Yes, I know that the world is not wont to stand still while this is done (there are always relevant windows-of-opportunity to consider, though I think the Propeller 2 and Parallax will create/open their own windows), but there's no sense spending time and resources to produce a chip that has problems if such problems could have been avoided by prudent measures. This is a case where "taking it slow/careful" gets us there sooner, not later, due to avoiding time-consuming mistakes. Anyway, I just thought that these words from Chip echo or add to what we already have on the matter. And it certainly appears that Chip and Ken are on the same page, here, or at least in the same chapter, lol, which is great.
Having said all that, I trust that there's a sense of urgency with all of this (I know that there is), as we've all waited a long time and want to make things and see Parallax succeed. Chip is working "day and night" on this, as he mentioned recently, which is way more than we should ask, and Ken's constantly looking for opportunities along the way to get the infrastructure in place as this thing comes together. So, I get that: but, in the interest of seeing this dream realized in a reasonable time frame, please do try to make the "end of this year" thing a very solid target now months before such a self-imposed deadline draws close, as work tends to expand to fill and, unfortunately, exceed the "available" time if we don't stay on track. Of course, unforeseen things will come up and should be factored-in into the schedule, and such can also cause the schedule to be understandably pushed back. But at least the goal should be clear, and the effort towards it coordinated to match, which, by the way, I believe is the case. But it's not an easy coordination to keep synchronized, hence the plea here from the sidelines. And thanks to Ken/Chip/Parallax for the Insider News update...because, if I'm not mistaken, it was the first, detailed statement (with its own kind of official page) of the schedule (or at least since the last fab attempt). Though a scarry thing to do, that shows commitment. Thanks! --Jim
Comments
I would not include anything specific to the Propeller such as the hub graphic or 8 of anything.
The logo needs to represent Parallax, not a specific product.
C.W.
Silkscreen graphics were once possible on a die, but the packaging companies only support that process at a very high cost and usually for legacy products. It's messy, has poor yield, and requires drying time.
Laser etching provides high resolution and is done very fast, and is used for perhaps 99.95% of all packaging artwork. You can see by looking at a Propeller chip that it's a brown color, a small contrast from the black plastic packaging.
Ken Gracey
True. I promise to refine the digital mock up as we approach completion.
You might find there is also some area factor in Laser marking ?
Some Chips I have here have quite deep laser marks, and smallish looking Vendor logos.
I can't wait for this to all pan out.
By the way. I like the new logo much more then the old one. : ]
Thanks All!
--Andrew.
That would be awesome! I'm planning on being in the area again in May, for a wedding and maybe the Bay Area Maker Faire, but I have a funny feeling that this may slip to June or later so I may have to travel there twice. Either way, it's something I don't want to miss!
On the other hand, wouldn't it be awesome if Chip could travel around the country (world) and do the P2 FPGA hands-on thing in a couple of places where there is a significant number of developers?
In the long run, even after the P2 gets produced, it might be a good way to get developers around the world interested. You might not wat to drag Chip around the world to instruct people to do the same Blinkenlight seminar over and over (after all, he's going to be busy with the PX832B and the Propeller 3, right? ;-) ) but maybe someone else?
===Jac
Not goin' to happen. He's got Tacos to make and Walnuts to harvest.
Regionally, we put together Tortilla Cook Offs (like rib cook offs but those are so last century), Chip could be a celebrity judge (ok , we know why he's a celebrity, the tortilla cooks don't need to know) and after he's done judging on say Friday night, he could stay over for a P2 symposium on Saturday! It's a win-win-win!!!
Shhhh, Rick. I might have to exercise my moderation authority if you get Chip off track. At the moment, the tortilla gig is sorta mothballed while we get P2 wrapped up.
Maybe you want to move out to California and run the tortilla operation yourself? You could bring the corn from Ohio.
Ken Gracey
I think these words are generally consistent with what has already been stated here in this thread and in Ken's Insider News "Propeller 2 Schedule Update." The overall goal is the same (chips by the end of 2014), though the exact timing of the steps to reach that goal might vary a bit. I can see how this might mean that full production might not ramp up until the beginning of next year (note: that's just my read/take), but I think we'd all be thrilled to see actual silicon this year. And if it were my money being spent, I'd certainly want to test the chip design prior to fabrication, and also synthesis, if a path existed for doing so. Yes, I know that the world is not wont to stand still while this is done (there are always relevant windows-of-opportunity to consider, though I think the Propeller 2 and Parallax will create/open their own windows), but there's no sense spending time and resources to produce a chip that has problems if such problems could have been avoided by prudent measures. This is a case where "taking it slow/careful" gets us there sooner, not later, due to avoiding time-consuming mistakes. Anyway, I just thought that these words from Chip echo or add to what we already have on the matter. And it certainly appears that Chip and Ken are on the same page, here, or at least in the same chapter, lol, which is great.
Having said all that, I trust that there's a sense of urgency with all of this (I know that there is), as we've all waited a long time and want to make things and see Parallax succeed. Chip is working "day and night" on this, as he mentioned recently, which is way more than we should ask, and Ken's constantly looking for opportunities along the way to get the infrastructure in place as this thing comes together. So, I get that: but, in the interest of seeing this dream realized in a reasonable time frame, please do try to make the "end of this year" thing a very solid target now months before such a self-imposed deadline draws close, as work tends to expand to fill and, unfortunately, exceed the "available" time if we don't stay on track. Of course, unforeseen things will come up and should be factored-in into the schedule, and such can also cause the schedule to be understandably pushed back. But at least the goal should be clear, and the effort towards it coordinated to match, which, by the way, I believe is the case. But it's not an easy coordination to keep synchronized, hence the plea here from the sidelines. And thanks to Ken/Chip/Parallax for the Insider News update...because, if I'm not mistaken, it was the first, detailed statement (with its own kind of official page) of the schedule (or at least since the last fab attempt). Though a scarry thing to do, that shows commitment. Thanks! --Jim