I’m currently attempting to get a batch of RS232 Rate Converters made in China, I’ve been getting the PCBs etched in China for months now so this is the logical next step.
The biggest problem so far has been sourcing the parts. I’m getting most of the stuff from DigiKey because they specialize in smaller orders [...]

The Serial Bit Rate Converter runs an ARM7 CPU which is complete overkill for the simple job of relaying serial data. I’ve often thought I should redesign it to run a cheaper and less powerful CPU like a PIC or AVR. I originally designed it with an ARM7 simply because I like them and enjoy [...]

I haven’t written very much about my goals here. My general long-term goal is to produce a range of for-sale products which might be either hardware, software or a combination of both, but my short-term goal is to simply become faster at designing and implementing stuff and that means:

Being able to learn new technologies quickly
Picking [...]

I’m getting orders for the Volume Box already. I haven’t even put up a web page for it. But wouldn’t you know it, the plastic case I want is not in stock with any of my regular suppliers (at least, those ones who are not still on extended Christmas holiday) so I’m having to get [...]

Sales of the RS232 Rate Converter were a little slow throughout October and November but they sure have caught up in the last couple of weeks. I thought I had enough stock to see me through until January but after a flurry of orders, I am now completely sold out.
So I’ve been frantically ordering parts [...]

Well, the RS232 Rate Converter is pretty mature now. It does it’s job well and there is not a lot of improvements to make to it anymore. So what to do next?
I’ve been talking with a friend in the home automation business and he reckons there’d be a small market for an RS232 controllable volume [...]

Since I changed my other sites, I may as well complete the trilogy. Ka-Ching Pal now has the same snazzy look as my other Silicon Sparrow branded sites.

I liked the new Super Transcribe site that Bea designed for me so much, I copied the design to Serial Gadget too! It has the Silicon Sparrow logo at the top and a more prominent BUY button. The colour scheme is much improved and it ties in well with my current branding exercise.
It looks like [...]

Bea did a neat new design for me. This is a lot better than the previous design.
I like the more prominent DOWNLOAD and BUY buttons, plus the news items are better separated from the main text. The Silicon Sparrow logo has been included in a big way which continues on the theme of drawing all [...]

I was setting up some eCommerce websites recently, maybe it was a combination of not enough sleep and too much coffee but I thought to myself, I wish that whenever I got a payment through PayPal, my PC would make a Ka-ching! noise.
So then I spent a couple of hours making a Windows Tray App [...]