This is Part 2 of the updates for May. If you haven’t read the first part, you can read it here.
A special something for our backers and those who pre-ordered a Dygma Raise
As we mentioned before, we will be sending you all a gift included with your Dygma Raise!
Watch the short video of Manel, our Product Manager, talking about this special present.
We really want to show our appreciation for all of your support in our project. So here it is! A traveling case for your Raise keyboard! ?
We’ve been trying to hide this for so long, but it’s in so many photos that we couldn’t hide it anymore ?
It’s a semi-rigid transport case that has designated slots for your cables, palm pads, Neuron (formerly called the Huble), keycap and switch puller, and the extra test switches.
For those who ordered extra switches and keycaps, you will get that in a separate box.
We hope you guys like it as much as we do! And we hope it can make up for the long built anticipation of getting your keyboard ?
After pre-orders are out, we will be selling this case at $50 in addition to the keyboard.
Unboxing the Dygma Raise
One of our backers, Stuart, who is living in Shenzhen visited Manel in the factory and was one of the first people to unbox a pre-production Dygma Raise! How exciting!
Check out to his unboxing video here!
We are so happy with his reaction and how the DVT samples turned out but there are still a few things that need modifications. We want to make sure we test all the samples before starting mass production just in case there are still a few things that we can improve.
Manufacturing Updates
Manel has been in China this whole month working in the factories for the DVT (Design Validation Test). He was making sure that all components met the top-notch quality control standards.
However, he did find inconsistencies with some components but luckily we already have the solutions. They will be implemented and fixed for mass production.
- The cable finishing of the white long cables was different from the white short cables. They are supposed to be shiny and not matte because we found out after some testing that the matte gets dirty easily. We’ve already informed the supplier about this and it will be the corrected for mass production.
- The quality of the white ISO ABS keycaps wasn’t the same as the Golden Prototype. The supplier had made a mistake and used poor-quality paint. They will prepare the correct one for mass production.
- The dimensions of the PCB holes of the LEDs and sockets were too small by 0.05mm. The supplier had made a mistake. But now it has been corrected. The PCBs are being prepared for mass production.
- The quality of the base was inconsistent. Some of the base’s materials were too different that the underglow was uneven and simply unacceptable. The reason for the inconsistency was the supplier used a different ratio for the polycarbonate formula. We are discussing with the factory that they make sure they get the same formula we used in the last sample that we approved.
- The glue that is used to stick the joint metal piece to the base wasn’t strong enough in some samples. They used a different glue that was approved in the Golden Prototype. So the suppliers will go back to the glue we used back then.
It’s normal to see mistakes in the DVT. But it is better to spot the issues in this phase rather than in mass production. Our suppliers are already redoing the components. We are working tirelessly getting everything ready.
But more importantly, we are making sure that we have the most effective quality control system in our factories so that these mistakes don't happen again. And if they do, we can spot them easily and reject the components that don't meet our standards.
Electronic updates
The main problem we are facing right now is the electronics. We had a difficult time dealing with the PCBA factory during the DVT. The factory didn't have the right quality control measures and it messed up some of our electronics.
It was a frustrating time for us since we are already in the final stage before mass production. We expected this to be on point, especially from our suppliers. But it just made us realise that we have to be extra vigilant with them when mass production starts. Quality control is number one.
Because of the issues, we needed to make another set of modifications on the Neuron. Matt, our CTO, was able to fix this after some help from consultants. A new set of PCBs are already being made and will be tested soon.
The plan for mass production (MP)
We are now waiting for Manel and the samples to arrive in Valencia. We are very excited to see them!! We will test the keyboards ourselves and afterwards, we will have other people test them out too.
Once we have everything in order with the electronics and the PCBA factory, and once we have tested the Raise and solved all other issues we encounter (if ever there are any), we can finally launch the MP!
We are very close to finishing, but there are just these last hurdles that we need to overcome. We want to make sure we deliver to all of you the best product possible with no flaws.
We are doing our best and we hope you see this with us till the end!
Configurator Software
We are finally moving forward with the configurator software! It will be working with the Chrysalis GUI of the Kaleidoscope firmware. It works for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
We are working on an alpha version. The goal is for it to be totally functional. Once that's done, we will rework the aesthetics so it matches the design we showed you months ago.
We are currently working on improving the LED color assignment and making it work with an ISO or ANSI layout.
We have hired a javascript programmer to help us fix bugs and implement our must-have features. Unfortunately, the configurator doesn't work without a keyboard plugged in, so we have been trying to send the new programmer a keyboard for the last 2 weeks and both packages got lost! Super bad luck! So we ended up sending it with the most expensive UPS with a hefty amount of insurance. Hopefully, the programmer receives it asap.
The most critical missing features are:
- ANSI/ISO layout
- Improved LED color control
- Firmware updates
Once we have more info about the software, we will share it with all of you!
What else we did in China
We are planning on opening our market to other crowdfunding platforms in other countries. One platform we are looking at is JD Crowdfunding. It is one of the most popular crowdfunding sites in China. We’re hoping that by opening our market there, it can bring more funds for us in order to create more products in the future.
Manel met with a few agencies in Shenzhen and showed them a Dygma Raise sample. They all loved the product! They showed a lot of optimism and this gave us a great deal of encouragement.
We can’t wait for more people to learn about the Raise and start using it in the future. We’re slowly growing worldwide and we just wanted to share this exciting news with you. After all, you guys are a big part of our company.
We really hope you enjoyed the videos and this update!
Thank you so much for being part of all our developments. If you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to write them down below!
- Dygma Team
