$90 USB Cable!!!?!
- Thread starter cuyler
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Lenaxia
Contributor
The picture isn't working form the person who claims it's more than just a simple cable, however I am still inclined to believe that it isn't anything more.
My girlfriend is in the process of fab-ing a USB cable for her Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 which is a $600 tablet that is less than 2 months old on the market. The only thing it requires? A single 20k ohm resistor.
Making a "smart" cable as is suggested in a "more than simple" cable would require putting a microprocessor inside the head of the cable and programming it to communicate with the dive computer. While entirely possible it is not practical for several reasons.
- As someone stated in the thread you linked, "The Aeris Download Cable also works on the oceanic and the sherwood computers", suggesting that there is no specificity for the cables brand-wise. That would be counter to the idea of making cables with special circuitry as with a microprocessor inside the cable Oceanic would easily be able to make their cables not work with Aeries or Sherwood computers.
- Cables do not and should not, provide a major source of income for dive companies. Most people don't buy them and their cost of production is incredibly low. The price of a microprocessor the side of the cable head runs about 20-30 cents at volume prices, $1 maximum for a high end MP.
- Technology companies in general have never found it profitable to invest much technology into cables as can be seen from my example above about how easy it is to fabricate a cable for a brand new $600 tablet new to market.
- Dive computer companies do not invest much money into actual dive computers as can be evidenced by how far behind the technology curve dive computers are. Poor PC syncing capabilities, dated screen technology when equally reliable modern alternatives exist, etc. Investing money into cable design would run counter to how much they invest in anything else.
Compared to my Garmin Edge 500 cycling computer which cost $500, the $400 I paid for my Nitek Trio was a complete rip off. The capabilities of my Edge 500 already include heart rate monitoring, GPS, cadence and speed (both actual and calculated from GPS). Additionally it has a full on true dot matrix LCD screen unlike half of the dive computers out there which have the old school fixed display LCDs which allows me to customize the display infinitely for how I want it.
I would estimate that dive computers are approximately 10-15 years behind the current technology curve, and when it comes down to it waterproofing a computer is a trivial task compared to the actual design of the computer as the technology for waterproofing is well established and matured.
This somehow turned into tirade against how crappily designed dive computers are but you get the idea.
I will open up my Oceanic cable that came with one of my computers this weekend. At most I suspect a resistor or two but nothing that should not be easily reproducible by any handy DIY person.
Spg01
Contributor
http://www.divecable.com/site/downloads/DIY-pc-interface-seiko-dc-v1.3.pdf
Here is some instructions on how to make a cable for a few different computers. There is a spot to buy them premade, but I have never seen them in stock.
I wrote to Tusa once about my IQ-700 asking if the price would be coming down since the cable has been out forever. They said NO. So I still do not have one....
Here is some instructions on how to make a cable for a few different computers. There is a spot to buy them premade, but I have never seen them in stock.
I wrote to Tusa once about my IQ-700 asking if the price would be coming down since the cable has been out forever. They said NO. So I still do not have one....
CT Sean
Contributor
It would certainly be nice if it were "DIY'able" I'd love to d/l my dives from my GEO 2.0 but have no intention of paying 90.00 to be able to do it.
Far as I'm concerned, the damn cable should come with the PC for free.
Far as I'm concerned, the damn cable should come with the PC for free.
FWADIVER
Contributor
more than a resistor, there is a usb/serial data converter, building a cable wouldnt be the hard part, getting it to talk to the drivers or writing your own and making them talk to logging software would be. Its supply and demand, scuba computers are a small demand market and therefore prices are going to reflect that. Making things water resistant to 100meters and more is not as trivial as you think it is.
You don't "make" the cable / computer talk to the logging software; that is the software's job.
The USB presents certain voltages to certain pins in the appropriate standard.
The other end presents the appropriate voltages to the appropriate pins of the computer. Most of these are all in serial connection standards.
Find a USB computer cable, and figure out which pins go to where on the computer end by reading simple connectivity with a multi-meter. Then make a cable that has the same connectivity.
The USB presents certain voltages to certain pins in the appropriate standard.
The other end presents the appropriate voltages to the appropriate pins of the computer. Most of these are all in serial connection standards.
Find a USB computer cable, and figure out which pins go to where on the computer end by reading simple connectivity with a multi-meter. Then make a cable that has the same connectivity.
Lenaxia
Contributor
Interesting... Well all I have to say, as someone who works in the blue chip industry. That is retarded. This again just reiterates how far behind the tech curve dive computer technology is.
Making things resistant to 100 meters isn't trivial but it isn't new science either. Just as designing computers isn't difficult anymore these days, the knowledge for waterproofing devices is well established. Or they could just do what Uwatec did for their depth gauge and pour lacquer over the computer.
Making things resistant to 100 meters isn't trivial but it isn't new science either. Just as designing computers isn't difficult anymore these days, the knowledge for waterproofing devices is well established. Or they could just do what Uwatec did for their depth gauge and pour lacquer over the computer.
FWADIVER
Contributor
Speaking as someone who designs and manufactures various bits and pieces for military radio systems its a volume issue. Often I have phone call with vendors that go something like this:
Vendor: sure we can build that for you, how many do you want
Me: we need 1,000
Vendor: thats great, now is that 1,000 a day or 1,000 a week
Me: 1,000 total over the 20 year fielded life of the product
Vendor: 'laughs then hangs up on me'
That is the reality of the electronics industry, if you arent building 1,000 a day they dont want to talk to you, its not worth starting their assembly line, so dive computers, like the military electronics I build are regulated to specialty low run mfg's and are going to cost more. It has nothing to do with technology or being behind the curve, its a NRE, DTUPC, and ROI issue.
Vendor: sure we can build that for you, how many do you want
Me: we need 1,000
Vendor: thats great, now is that 1,000 a day or 1,000 a week
Me: 1,000 total over the 20 year fielded life of the product
Vendor: 'laughs then hangs up on me'
That is the reality of the electronics industry, if you arent building 1,000 a day they dont want to talk to you, its not worth starting their assembly line, so dive computers, like the military electronics I build are regulated to specialty low run mfg's and are going to cost more. It has nothing to do with technology or being behind the curve, its a NRE, DTUPC, and ROI issue.
Lenaxia
Contributor
I concede that the volume is an issue with Scuba diving being the niche market that it is.
I would really be interested to get numbers on how many dive computers are sold each year.
I would really be interested to get numbers on how many dive computers are sold each year.
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