Project update 4 of 12
From Development to Your Hands: Behind the Scenes
by TechxArtisanHi everyone!
We’re back with another update on our crowdfunding journey, and we’ve got some exciting news to share!
Hitting a Major Milestone
First things first, we’re absolutely over the moon to announce that we’ve hit an astonishing 1100% of our original funding goal! A massive thank you to each and every one of you. Your support has been nothing short of phenomenal!
Production Planning
We’ve been super busy on the production front already! This week, we visited the tech-forward city of Shenzhen and had the chance to tour one of the top tech manufacturers. These folks work with big names like Meta, ABB, and Blaupunkt, and it was incredible to see their advanced production lines and quality control machinery in action. I wish I could share more photos, but here’s one with a bit of digital mosaic for confidentiality.
(We were discussing QC with the production line manager.)
We’re feeling very positive about this partnership and their enthusiasm to support a tech startup like ours. We’re committed to ensuring the manufacturing phase is handled with the utmost dedication and quality so we can get our product into your hands soon! Here’s a snapshot of our core team members at the factory entrance:
(From left to right: Shawn, Billy, Kevin, Vileer.)
Upgrading Toolkit Accessories
We’re always looking for ways to improve, and our add-on VGA-to-HDMI cable has now been upgraded to 1 meter long with enhanced quality, as you can see from our previous Week 2 update.
Next up, we’re also looking into our 1.5 meter long Type-C cable for connecting to the host computer. Type-C is becoming increasingly common across new computers, laptops, and even servers. After testing many manufacturers, we found one that could produce this stylish orange Type-C cable with a lovely silicone feel that meets our quality standards.
Currently, an extra Type-C-to-USB-A adapter is required if our Mini-KVM works with a host computer that only has USB-A ports.
We know it’s a bit of a hassle, so we’re working closely with our manufacturer to improve it by integrating an attached Type-C-to-USB-A adapter. Here’s a mock-up of what it might look like.
This stylish orange cable, with a good silicone feel and 1.5 metres long, features Type-C connectors on both ends and includes an adapter to convert one end from Type-C to USB-A. It doesn’t exist on the market and requires our custom OEM production. We’re aiming to include this solution in our final toolkit package for backers, but I’m still crunching the numbers and giving my calculator a workout! To make this happen, we need more support to reduce the overall cost of production for our mini-KVM toolkit. Given the current crowdfunding numbers and production costs, making this custom Type-C cable is becoming more feasible, as it is approaching the break-even point. I’ll keep everyone updated in the Openterface community on any progress!
For your part, if you find our project promising and believe the Mini-KVM can make your tech life easier, please consider backing us and spreading the word to your friends. Let’s ensure we can enhance the product even further while keeping it wallet-friendly for everyone in this crowdfunding campaign! Thanks a bunch!
Open Source Updates and Global Teamwork!
Please bear with us during this early stage of development, as there are still bugs and changes happening in our host applications. That’s where our beta team comes in! We’ve already organized two rounds of beta testing. Check out our posts here to learn more:
- Update on Applications for Beta Team Round 1 on Apr 1, 2024
- Shipment to Beta Team Round 1 on Apr 23, 2024
- Application for Joining Beta Team Round 2 on May 11, 2024
- Update on Applications for Beta Team Round 2 on May 22, 2024
As you can see from the above posts, we received an overwhelming number of fantastic applications in Rounds 1 and 2, and it was a real challenge to narrow down the candidates from such a brilliant pool. We had to make some tough decisions due to the limited spots available at this exclusive phase!
Our beta team is an exceptional, truly global collaboration, with members from the US 🇺🇸, UK 🇬🇧, Japan 🇯🇵, Germany 🇩🇪, Czech Republic 🇨🇿, Norway 🇳🇴, Belgium 🇧🇪, France 🇫🇷, Austria 🇦🇹, Australia 🇦🇺, Poland 🇵🇱, Netherlands 🇳🇱, China 🇨🇳, and more joining soon. These testers bring development experience, real-world use cases for the Openterface Mini-KVM, and a passion for supporting open-source projects like ours. Our beta team is already using this handy gadget in their daily tasks, raising issues, and suggesting features for us to improve further.
Although most of you don’t have this early version of mini-KVM, you can still review our code on GitHub and join the conversation with our beta and dev teams in our community! Let us know what you find so we can make this device awesome together!
Here are updates on our open-source Github repo:
Openterface_MacOS
Our Openterface MacOS host app is already officially live on the Apple App Store. Just search for ‘Openterface’ or ‘mini-KVM’ to find our app page. Even better, we’ve uploaded the full code to our GitHub repo: Openterface_MacOS for the Mini-KVM. You can check out this basic operation demo on MacOS.
Openterface_QT
QT is a versatile framework that we love, so we built our mini-KVM based on it. For the Windows version, check out our early demo video here. You can see from the demo that it works great with low latency and a stable connection! You can find and download the early beta app from the github repo there.
As for Linux-based systems, packaging for different architectures like ARM32, ARM64, ARMv7, and ARMv8, especially for the Raspberry Pi, is quite a challenge (with hours and hours of waiting for packaging), but we’re working on it. Expect a Linux demo soon, hopefully within a week.
Now, we have just uploaded all our fresh code for Openterface_QT on GitHub! Dive in and have a look, but brace yourselves – it’s still in the early development stages, so there are still quite a few inevitable quirks and some work for us to improve it. We wouldn’t mind a hand. If you are a developer, please join us. Happy coding!
Openterface_Android and Openterface_WebExtension
We’ve completed the proof of concept for both Android and WebExtension. While these are lower priorities compared to macOS, Windows, and Linux, rest assured they’re in the pipeline. Based on our preliminary research, the Openterface_Android project might also support ChromeOS. If you have any insights, please join the discussion!
Even for iPadOS?
We’re also exploring compatibility with Apple’s mobile systems, like iPadOS. Due to Apple’s stringent controls, these platforms might not support wired connections with third-party devices. However, we’re investigating potential workarounds, especially for iPads with M series chips. Our beta mate Seb has already made some interesting findings and this is worth exploring further, though nothing is confirmed yet. If you have any insights or suggestions, join our community and let’s discuss!
Openterface_Mini-KVM_Hardware
We will start releasing the hardware details incrementally over the next two to three weeks. Additionally, to maintain a high standard of open source, we plan to adhere to the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) certification requirements.
In the meantime, you can learn more about our hardware here: datasheet and How It Works for now. This page explains our USB-HDMI capture integration, featuring the CH9329 chip for keyboard and mouse control. Technical enthusiasts may find the details on this chip particularly interesting. Additionally, our mini-KVM utilises the CH340 chip, supporting two built-in USB hubs for both the host and target sides. Our mini-KVM is comparable to many video capture cards currently on the market.
Please hang tight!
We’re hard working here and in the process of open-sourcing both our software and hardware. Good things take time to cook! We will keep you updated on this progress within our community. Thanks for your patience and understanding! Stay tuned and cheers!
Addressing Concerns
We understand that some people may be sceptical, given the number of scam crowdfunding projects out there. Here are a few points that might reassure you about our crowdfunding project:
Trust the Crowd Supply Platform: This is one of the top crowdfunding platforms for electronic products in the US since 2012. The Crowd Supply team has been closely overseeing our development progress of the Openterface Mini-KVM and offering us professional advice to ensure that what we have been creating is just right for you. A shout of thanks to the Crowd Supply team here too! Moreover, You can read more about how your rights as a backer are protected on the Crowd Supply platform, including for our project: Crowd Supply Guide: How are Backers Protected?
"Every project that has ever received funds through Crowd Supply has delivered to their backers (or is on track to do so). You are not funding someone’s pipe-dream; at Crowd Supply, you are purchasing an actual product."
Trust the Experience of Our Team: We are a group of versatile developers, skilful makers, and experienced project and production managers, especially in work that involves a blend of both hardware and software development. We are an innovative tech creative studio with over six years of experience in advanced tech projects in fields such as IoT, AI, edge computing, and tech art. To learn more about us, check out our TechxArtisan Studio website.
Trust the Culture of Our Team: Our team is dedicated not only to technical excellence but also to the overall user experience. This includes everything from user and developer documentation to design aesthetics. We are passionate about cutting-edge technology and frequently engage in spirited discussions about new advancements from various perspectives. These debates help us define what makes an outstanding electronic product and how to bring it to life through our teamwork. This collaborative approach ensures our products enhance user experience and demonstrate our dedication to quality and detail. Furthermore, we embrace a culture of open source and community collaboration.
Observe What We Have Achieved and Are Doing: We’ve been working very hard on this project. You can join our community on Reddit and Discord, see what we have been crafting from the very early prototype to the current pre-production version, and stay informed about our up-to-date progress. We would love to see you in our community and engage with us!
Chat with Us Directly: If you have any questions or concerns about our Mini-KVM, please don’t hesitate to email me at info@techxartisan.com. Additionally, we are planning a livestream, hosted by David Groom from MAKE: Magazine on Wednesday, the 29th. We’ll be discussing our Openterface Mini-KVM and the story behind it. I will post the video later on our community page.
Finally, we totally understand if you’re still unsure. That’s OK! If your work involves managing headless devices, we’re confident our efforts in crafting the Openterface Mini-KVM will eventually win you over. Wait and see! 😄
What’s Next?
Stay tuned for next week’s update, where we’ll dive into more details about our host application functions, its roadmap, production progress, real use cases shared by our beta team, and more! In the meantime, check out our website Openterface and FAQs, consider backing us on Crowd Supply, and help spread the word!
Thank you for reading and being part of this journey with us! Peace!
Best,
Billy Wang, Project Manager
Openterface Team | TechxArtisan Studio