Today is the last day before the holidays here in Lithuania and we thought it is a perfect time to share some details with you on how Midihub project is progressing, so here we go!
Certification
After completing pre-certification tests for Midihub at Kaunas University of Technology we have finalized the PCB design and Midihub was submitted to be tested by certified regulatory authority here in Lithuania (RRT). We are glad to say that Midihub has successfully passed all of the required radiated disturbance, electrostatic discharge immunity and radiated electromagnetic field immunity tests. Certification procedures not only ensure that we are shipping out a product that can withstand harsh conditions but also having declarations of conformity opens the doors for us to work with retailers all around the world.
Part Sourcing and PCB assembly
Once the certification stage was over we were able to continue with sourcing the parts. We had some issues finding the necessary amount of rubber feet for the Enclosure as well as LEDs, so we had to order those in batches of smaller quantities from different suppliers, but at this point in time all of the parts needed for the initial batch are ordered and should reach our PCBA partner here in Lithuania till the 19th of January. The PCB assembly process will take around 2-3 weeks.
Enclosure
On this front we are facing the biggest challenge. 10 days ago our partner indicated that they have to postpone our enclosure manufacturing till the middle/end of February. It turns out, that being a subsidiary of a German company, they are obliged to prioritize contracts coming from them. The plan B where different enclosure manufacturing steps are fulfilled by different companies is always an option but we prioritize a single-point-of-failure model as it highly simplifies the logistics and quality control aspects. We are in talks with two companies as possible one-stop solutions, but the details will be clear only after the holidays are over.
Code
Code polishing is something that we are working on in parallel throughout the entire process. One of the most exciting aspect for me personally is that we have already acquired code signing certificates from DigiCert, meaning that now when installing Midihub Editor on Windows instead of a “Unknown Publisher” warning you see our company details (UAB Vilniaus blokas). Certificates from Apple are coming next.
Testing and Packaging
We have acquired a special testing rig that will allow us to test Midihub in a professional fast-paced manner and the packaging design has been finalized and will be ordered first thing next year.
Impact on Fulfilment Estimates and Shipping
Compared to our initial plan we are couple of weeks behind on the PCB assembly pipeline as certification part took a bit longer than expected. Also issue with our Enclosure manufacturer could cost us another 3-to-4 weeks. No impact for February and March batches expected.
Summary
In general we are quite happy how the project is moving forward and we can’t wait to start shipping out Midihubs to you guys! If you have any questions, let us know in the comments.
Have a cosy Holiday season! 