How long has it been?

Okay... Let me start off this post by saying sorry to all our followers. This update was due for weeks. 

But the delay by no means imply that we were idle all this time. In fact, it's quite the contrary. We were really really busy.

So, let me update all of you about  what was going on within the last few weeks...

First of all, our circuit is working!!!!! and not just on a projection board, on a PCB!!!

Well, let me tell you about the journey so far. It was by no means easy. Creating a PCB is really really tough. You need to make one to understand for yourself. Well, perhaps it gets easier with time, you know, like most things in life, but at the moment, it is a really tough thing. Well, needless to say, we had to create more than one, in fact we created four separate PCBs.

Before creating anything though, we had to combine the two circuits together. The indicator and the charger. Afterwards, we used orcad to create the schematic and eventually the PCB print. This took a whole lot of time, but in the end, turned out to be just fine.

Soldering  was the fun part, well, let's call it fun... but still, it was a really good experience, even though, some of us got a few 'burning' memories to share with our kids someday...

Well, to put it in a nutshell, remember the post on the HUNT, well, within these few weeks, there were so many hunts... so many, in fact, I've lost count!

Well, to wrap up this post, I'll just mention what we need to do, before the 31st!!!

1. Presentation needs to be finalized

2. Casing needs more work!

3. Proof reading.

4. We need to do a talk time evaluation, if possible

5. Maybe we need to pray as well, not that we do, but still, I fear we'll be hammered at the final presentation, who knows, some might find it an enjoyable experience. 

Well, think this would work as an update, just... well, don't think an update before the 31st would be possible, but if possible, an update will be made on the 30th, just to let you know our progress so far.

Till then, cheers!

 

It's only as good as it looks!

Finally... The dimensions of the final product are as follows:

• Length : 60mm (55mm is possible)

• Width : 36mm 

• Height : 32mm (27mm might be a possibility) 

With this prototype in mind, the actual size of the PCB can be finalized. 

• PCB size : 34mm X 53mm (maximum!) with a height of 10mm (a maximum of 12mm can be arranged!)

Note that the major concern of these dimensions happens to be the height, at least, as at now... 

A word about the marketing angle:

The SIP happens to be a portable charger. No matter where you are, you should be able to use it. The main reason behind not using AAA batteries happens to be this same concern. (The availability factor of AA batteries is much higher in comparison with AAA batteries [at least in SL].) Therefore, our main goal should be to focus on those who travel, preferably on a regular basis. Most of the travellers have at least a single set of keys with them. Since the dimensions seem to be appropriate, marketing this charger as a charger + key tag would be an advantage.

The marketability of the product heavily depends on the design of the casing, so, sure this'll be one of the most challenging phases of the whole project.. 

So far so good

There are several things we have to do besides making the actual product.
Presentation (very important) - Nishan
Report (has to be handed in 2 days b4 the presentation) - Sandamali and Gayashan
Documentation - Dakshitha
Finance - Akalanka
Web site and blog - Mahesh
CD - havent decided yet. But this should be easy when compared to the other stuff
Manual and brochures - to be decided next week

Still have to come up with a good plan for marketing!!! Will decide at Monday's group meeting

We need to buy some more components. Decided to send 4 people to Pettah for that next week.
We also need to meet some people who can handle the casing stuff for us.

Tz been 2 weeks since we were given the project and we have already learned a lot abt various issues people face when designing and marketing new products, or even modifying old ones. Safe to say this will b an experience we will neva forget! :P

The Hunt - part 1

We went to Pettah to look for the electronic components... It was 10 when we actually started looking as some of our members came according to 'Sri Lankan time' i.e. 1 hour late! :P

It was a hard job as the IC we had first decided on was not available. Checke...d all the electronics shops (and some NON electronics shops.. hehe) in that area, but no luck :(

Therefore we had to come with a whole new plan!
Searched and came up with a new circuit (BINGO!), sent it to our supervisor for approval.
Meanwhile, we managed to buy all the other components needed, both for the first circuit and for Friday’s practical.

Could not check on the casing or the box as we were dead tired by the time we were done buying components (about 1.30 - horrible time!) So decided to leave it to another day

All in all, a good day's work! Well done everyone! It means a lot that all 10 of us actually turned up, lets keep the spirit going! :)

Main Circuit Diagram - Socket In Pocket

Project Proposal-Socket In Pocket

University of Moratuwa

Dept. of Electronic & Telecommunication Engineering

B.Sc. Eng. Level 1, Term A2

EN1962 & EN1952

Project Proposal – Group No: 04

Project Title:

Socket in your Pocket – The Cost Efficient Portable Battery Charger

Project Goal: (Function/ Quantity/ Price)

Our goal is to create a device which is very light and easy to carry and its main functionality is that it can charge any device which uses a USB plug system for connectivity. It is also very useful in emergencies.

Estimated Units and Cost: For the first marketing phase we expect to produce 100 units so that we can get discounts by buying parts in a wholesale manner. Total manufacturing cost of our first phase will be Rs.150,000/= which will make Rs.1,500/= per one unit. In the international market a device with same functionality will cost around Rs. 3,500/= ($30).

Background: (Available products/ Reasons for selections/ Improvements)

Many people tend to travel these days so it is a must that they have a trustworthy communication method. When the batteries of a cell phone dies or becomes low, the traveler faces a major issue. This problem persists commonly in Sri Lanka because many parts of the country are still remote and without electricity. Even though there are many products available in the international market to overcome this issue, we have come to the understanding that such devices are not marketed in Sri Lanka. We did a research about the products available in the international market, and after a few calculations and estimations, came to the conclusion that a suitable device can be made for a lower cost, which means it can be sold at a cheaper price. We expect that it could be marketed in our country very easily as there is a great need for devices like this in today’s world, and our target consumers would be people who travel a lot. We are also hoping to make our product very light and easy to use, with an attractive casing, so that it is a welcome change from the bulky phone and battery chargers available at present.

Description of project: (Functions/ Capabilities)

• Highly portable, instant phone charger.

• Can be used to charge various audio devices like mp3 players

• Convenient - Uses two AA size batteries which can be found almost anywhere in Sri Lanka.

• Around 3 hours of talking time can be gained using our charger. (Time may vary according to the headsets and phones)

• The charging time is similar to a wall charger.

• Indicator light to indicate the battery level.

Socket In Pocket is a new creation of the Engineering students in University of Moratuwa at Department of Electronic and Telecommunication. This Product will help you to charge up your mobile phone at any where. Actually it is a portable Mobile Phone Charger. It is easy to work and easy to keep it in your pocket. Any one can understand and handle it.

We have given the project proposal on 01/03/2010. We started thinking about this project on 22/02/2010. So in these days we are deciding the additional features we can add to our product.We have think of putting an indicator in it to indicate the capacity of the batteries. Therefore the user can easily change the batteries when it is needed. The project is still in progress. See more at our official web site - http://socketinpocket.yolasite.com/. And also don't forget to contact us through our official e-mail - socketinpocket@live.com .

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