[time-nuts] Symmetricom chip scale atomic clock

Attila Kinali attila at kinali.ch
Fri Apr 25 06:14:06 UTC 2014


On Fri, 25 Apr 2014 08:33:06 +0300
MailLists <lists at medesign.ro> wrote:

> The recently acquired cash cow isn't working exactly as 
> expected/advertised. We still don't have a clue when/if the fundamental 
> (as in physics laws) design (we can't officially blame the cheap Chinese 
> manufacturer) flaw will be fixed (manufacturer replaced), but as our 
> main customer, which is used to (literally) blow up tons of (others') 
> money, isn't very concerned (for now), and the profit margin is (still) 
> high enough to replace (no questions asked, for the time being) the 
> failed units of the other (civilian/commercial) customer(s).

Sorry, but this is was not necessary.
Not every company is evil and not every company just works for the
short term bottom line.

It is very normal that problems show up in series production which 
were not visible before in the prototypes or pre-series production.
It's part of the very nature how volume production work. And no, 
you cannot always attriubute it to less care taken in the volume
production than in the pre-series. Some flaws are only visible if
you get enough produced and then it's still one in a couple hundred
if not a one in a couple hundred thousand.

Every product i was ever involved with had some flaws uncovered during
series production. Even if the gratest care was taken. IMHO it does not
matter whether the product has a shows suddenly a flaw or not, but how
the manufacturer reacts to it. And as it seems Microsemi is replacing
the failing units without causing trouble. 

Also, please be aware that fixing a flaw that only very few units show
is not an easy thing. You cannot just build a prototype and be sure
that the bug is gone. You have to first produce enough to have a statistical
significant sample size. This all takes time, weeks, months, or even years.


So, please refrain from spreading false rumors that anyone is ignoring the
issue when aparently the contrary is the case.


			Attila Kinali

PS: Disclaimer: i neither work for or have any ties with Microsemi or 
Jacksonlabs.

-- 
I pity people who can't find laughter or at least some bit of amusement in
the little doings of the day. I believe I could find something ridiculous
even in the saddest moment, if necessary. It has nothing to do with being
superficial. It's a matter of joy in life.
			-- Sophie Scholl



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