Product documentation and schematics

From: McFadden, Mike <mmcfadden_at_cmh.edu>
Date: Mon Jun 21 10:49:57 2004

Product documentation and schematics
First hint "never divulge all of the details in a patent".

Actually I know when we applied for patents and provided details of a
product we deliberately left out some key nuances and facts so that
somebody else could not totally reengineer the product from the details.
Much of the process of the internal workings and timings was not
detailed.

Our product was originally created and manufactured by some astronomical
engineers; they/we went out in the field to customer sites and made them
work. The system was based on a PDP-11/04 with all of the programming
stored in a PROM board. The entire software was one large program, no
OS. Original test units had been PDP-11/05's with core memory. Output
was on a VT52 with a built in hardcopy printer.

There were very accurate drawings and documentation however when it was
turned over to the medical manufacturing team the biggest problem was
the difference in the experience levels of the personnel and the
tweaking required to make each unit "work".

There is a big difference between 10-15 prototypes and 100 regular
customer units. It's also easy to retrofit, and keep 10-15 units
synched up, almost impossible with 100 units.

Support is also a problem, initially we had the designers and
engineering staff answer any support calls and troubleshoot problems, we
later converted to customer support to screen the calls. With 10-15
customers the initial adopters are motivated, usually analytical and
willing to work on problems to solve them. Regular customers just want
it to work.

"Institutional memory gets lost"

Mike
Received on Mon Jun 21 2004 - 10:49:57 BST