tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30877304764880112522024-03-13T11:58:33.656-06:00Wildhorse Innovations BlogWildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-15480184105920032262014-06-25T23:40:00.000-06:002014-06-30T08:04:21.765-06:00A Discussion on iGaging Scales and Wildhorse Innovations DROsNOTE: Nothing in this post is intended to imply that iGaging scales will work with the DRO-350. At the present time only the DRO-375 and DRO-550 support iGaging scales. Use of iGaging scales with the DRO-550 requires modifications to the PC Board, which if done incorrectly can render the board inoperable.
Model Engineers Digital Workshop in England has produced a daughter-board which is Wildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-18053903813941742242011-09-27T09:43:00.011-06:002011-09-27T12:52:26.266-06:00Comments on the DRO-350For over a year, Scott Shumate has displayed the following doomsday comment regarding the DRO-350 on his web site (Shumatech.com)."WARNING!!! The DRO-350 is an old design that uses obsolete parts. The DRO-350 has a number of problems including scale jitter, rounding errors, and axes that won't display. These problems will not be fixed and all future development activity will concentrate on theWildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-7648920352394273262010-03-04T10:22:00.007-07:002010-03-04T12:08:37.573-07:00DRO-550 Warranty?Several events have occurred of late that may alter the "non-warranty" status of the DRO-550.The "Power-Buy" was organized as a collection of individuals banding together to make a volume purchase of the DRO-550 board, and thereby obtain the pricing advantage of large purchases. Each purchase by a single entity (person) is a part of the collective whole. Scott Schmate generously volunteered to Wildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-84641506923087524242010-01-13T02:15:00.011-07:002010-01-19T13:34:21.260-07:00The EAGLE has landed (well, almost)The ShumaTech DRO-550I need to open this blog with a full disclosure. Wildhorse Innovations (and therefore myself) cannot be considered an impartial observer where the DRO-550 is concerned. We sell, among other things, the DRO-350. The potential for the DRO-550 to have an impact on our sales is undeniable.We always encourage reader comments and feedback. But especially in this instance we welcomeWildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-26251458188508178012009-11-12T22:33:00.001-07:002009-11-19T08:49:57.144-07:00A Redesign of the DRO-350/DPU-550 CaseLet me begin by stating that the comments and analysis contained herein are in noway a critism of the original design for the DRO-350 case. At the time that case was designed, the DPU-550 was not even a dream. But my experience with the DPU-550 has convinced be that a redesign of the DRO-350/DPU-550 case is in order.
The construction of the DRO-350/DPU-550 differs from a "Plain Jane" DRO-350 Wildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-76460703311601893792009-11-10T23:02:00.003-07:002009-11-12T23:36:25.250-07:00New Shipping Policies for Wildhorse InnovationsSince our inception in April of this year, Wildhorse Innovations has offered flat rate shipping on all orders. However, as we expand our product offerings to include more and more items of general interest to the home machinist, flat rate shipping has become a money losing proposition. (We can't ship a 50 lb. milling vise for $7.00.)
All of the shipping calculation programs availableWildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-53970177457065267672009-11-09T01:28:00.001-07:002009-11-13T02:32:58.218-07:00Hemostats - The Third Hand You Always Need When Assembling ElectronicsI've used hemostats for years for a variety of tasks. One of the most common uses has been to hold components in place for soldering when assembling an electronic kit.
When I found these compact, well made and inexpensive hemostats, I decided to add them to our Wildhorse Innovations store and write this blog about their use.
For those of you not familiar with hemostats, they were first Wildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-18574673608942120252009-10-23T05:40:00.002-06:002014-02-13T08:31:30.666-07:00A Bold Fresh Method of Mounting the Display LEDsOK, so I borrowed a bit of the title from Bill O'Reilly. I think a bit of poetic license is allowed since I have a Grand-Daughter named after him. (No they didn't name her Bill, her name is Reilly.)
If you've received a DRO-350 or DRO-350+ kit from Wildhorse Innovations lately, you may have noticed the scraps of plastic from the display LED windows (in the case) included in the kit.&Wildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-51544489368686530752009-09-28T20:04:00.002-06:002009-11-19T08:53:31.861-07:00The Ins and Outs of the GPL (General Public License)Since the software for the DPU-550 has been released under the General Public License (GPL) I thought a discussion regarding the ins and outs of the GPL would be a appropriate.
First, the GPL is not a copyright. The author of a project may retain the copyright to his works. Likewise any person who modifies the GPL program may hold a copyright on his modifications, although he must Wildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-71259096911778545512009-09-25T20:16:00.023-06:002009-09-26T13:12:57.084-06:00SO IS THE DRO-350 AND THE 16F876 PIC REALLY A DEAD-END STREET?Several reasons for the DRO-350 being at a dead-end are given. I discuss some of them below.
A compiler for the PIC series of processors is too expensive.
While the “Official” compiler from MicroChip, the compiler with which the original code for the DRO-350 was developed (Scott had access to it at one of his employers/clients/friends), is very expensive, there are several high quality C Wildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3087730476488011252.post-19308441460854454422009-09-25T15:00:00.011-06:002009-11-19T08:52:20.987-07:00THE DPU-550, A MUST HAVE OR CAN YOU LIVE WITHOUT IT?There has been much discussion about the “dead-end” status of the 16F876 MPU (the MPU currently found on the DRO-350). It has been stated that it is at EOL (End Of Life) for several reasons.
The DPU-550 extends the functionality, and thus the life of the DRO-350. It sports a 50mhz ARM7 processor (MPU) by Atmel and has a boxcar’s worth of memory when compared to the DRO-350’s PIC16F876A. It’s a Wildhorse Innovationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650844655593330148noreply@blogger.com0