RFI: Need resource for circuit design

I have the technical skills to make what you want, but that wont do you any good because I also have enough business background to believe that you probably don't have any idea about starting a business.

A lot of peole think that with a good idea you can make a lot of money. The fact is that you need a good idea *and* and lot of money to have any chance at success.

You just don't know how many times I've heard this over the last 40 years.

Luhan

Well, for anyone else who is curious or willing.. I'm only interested in paying someone to do the work; not take on a business partner. I imagine the design to be simple enough that I could off-shore it for general production. I have a family member who frequently travels overseas to supervise the outsourcing of some optical routing equipment, so I could hopefully get a manufacturer through her.

any idea about starting a business

40 years can sure make someone cynical... You shouldn't assume that because my expertise doesn't include circuit design that I don't know about starting a business. I started my first successful business in High School - Excelsior Software - selling Sim-CGA, the 'color graphics simulator for monochrome monitors' (if you can remember when software required a CGA card to run, but affordable PC's came w/ monochrome monitors & Hercules adapters). Helped put myself through college (comp sci degree). 5 years for a gov contractor, then I was an independent contractor in NYC for the next 10 years. In my free time, I founded and still am president of localendar.com (a profitable web site for over 6 years. Feel free to check it out). I've always worked in the financial sector, and am currently a senior architect @ a major US financial firm- so I happen to have a lot of "business knowledge" from multiple angles (including helping my wife get her MBA from Stern. She is a private banker, btw, and we interact regularly w/ self-made millionaires at corporate functions)

Anyway, I have a good idea, and money from previous ventures to finance it. Just looking to hire someone to do what I'm incapable of :-) That said, if anyone is interested in quoting a price, or can recommend a firm, it would be appreciated.

Tx, Mike

Luhan wrote:

have any idea about starting a business

business. I have both succeeded and failed several times myself.

You should be able to find someone here to do your design. I am now retired, mostly.

Luhan

I didn't want to clog up the initial post w/ too much info, but here are some more details...

1. Yes, battery powered. To keep costs/size down, the battery doesn't need to be replaceable.

1. In the situation where this circuit will be used, there will be almost no other ambient noise. I would say an analogous situation would be someone sitting at a desk writing, they cough/sneeze, and the led blinks... I suppose it shouldn't blink when they're just breathing/writing/turning a page, but those are pretty noiseless in and of themselves.

2. I haven't decided on the blink pattern, but it is relevant. Perhaps on 1/2 sec, off 1/2 sec for 5 seconds, off 2 seconds. Repeat 2 times. I'm flexible here b/c I realize that this can add size/complexity.

1. I'd like a yellow LED, and not the "full size" ones you used to buy at Radio Shack for .99/ea. There's one about the size of 1-2 BB's that would be good.

FWIW, I'm not totally clueless around hardware, but I've always been a software guy. I restore old vector arcade games as a hobby (Star Wars, Tempest, Gravitar, Space Duel, Asteroids) and I've been lucky enough not to electrocute myself so far ;-) But Fixing != Creating.

Any further ?'s, please let me know.

Mike

The only real problem here is distinguishing "a cough[etc]" from ambient office noise. Once that's done, any flash pattern for any LED is pretty much trivial.

Maye a bandpass filter and some kind of threshold detector, and put the mic very close to the person whom you're expecting to do the coughing - is this some kind of "asthma attack" monitor or something?

Thanks, Rich

How many minutes/hours/days/months/years are you expecting the batteries to last? Assuming no trigger or maximum number of triggers?

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

--
"it\'s the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com

No, and I can't say much more (I promise to post prototype pics back here). It will be in an environment where there's almost no ambient noise. As I noted above: a quiet room w/ someone reading/writing, then something about as loud as a cough or sneeze. I mean, the Clapper almost works that way, right?

Lifetime (since the battery doesn't need to be replaceable)? I was hoping about a year based on the thinking it did its blink thing for about 1-3 times a day. Maybe that's unrealistic and the batteries need to be replaceable. My only knowledge in this area comes from empirical observation of annoying toys that my kids have.

I'm also thinking about cost. I suppose Li-Ion, NiCad, NiMH all have their power/price tradeoffs. This final price needs to come in (mass-produced) @ around $14.95, based on my initial research. That means the circuit itself needs to be substantially cheaper, which I think is realistic (in quantity). That probably rules out Li-I though.

M

Hi,

If you want such a long battery life I think that you should not light LEDs directly with DC currents. You could use high frequency pulsed surrents which can save battery life considerably. You can look at LED drivers at

for free samples.

Pubudu

Pubudu.

Looks like its all been done already...

Luhan

The use is completely different, but the circuit might suffice for a prototype. Alas, to get it manufactured myself I can't cannabilize parts from some other device. But the examples on that page will probably help me get better specs for the person who designs it.

Okay- so the app is close- a sound activated LED night light- now that you're aged and have to get up 20x per night without disturbing the spouse too much.

Ha ha - I never thought of that use. The "bladder alarm". I hope there never comes a time where I need one...

I've gotten a few responses via email,and I'll probably follow up w/ those folks. I'm travelling on business thru Wed, so if you've sent me a mail and I've not yet responded, please bear w/ me.

Tx, Mike