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Ultimarc Spinner details...
KevSteele:
Wait. I'm confused. Andy's product is some "off the shelf" product from another manufacturer with his interface, right?
Then how did he blatantly rip off RandyT's design? Sounds like someone else already has a spinner similar to Randy's out there...
RandyT:
--- Quote from: KevSteele on July 21, 2008, 01:10:57 pm ---Wait. I'm confused. Andy's product is some "off the shelf" product from another manufacturer with his interface, right?
Then how did he blatantly rip off RandyT's design? Sounds like someone else already has a spinner similar to Randy's out there...
--- End quote ---
The "encoder module" that sits below the spinner body is "off the shelf". Everything else is not. It seems like there is intentional confusion between the two.
This would be akin to stating that the High-Low is "off the shelf" because it too uses the same type of encoder module as the TT2.
Of course, if this is not the case, and a knockoff is being produced and sold by another company, I'd be interested in knowing who this is.
RandyT
AndyWarne:
Note that we were the first to launch a spinner with a rear-mounted detachable flywheel. When the TT2 was launched with this feature I didnt say a thing.
When a version of the KeyWiz was launched which has the same connector layout as the I-PAC I didnt either. Just seemed to be a reasonable advance as its a neater layout than the original.
I remember when the TT1 was launched thinking how much like the Tornado it seemed. A good product nevertheless.
Andy
KevSteele:
So the encoder is off-the-shelf, the interface is Andy's, and the spinner hardware is what you feel is being copied, right? The "push-button size" mount, correct?
I know patents can take a long time, but if the submission's been made, you probably should put a "Patent Pending" on your site. Hopefully there's no prior patent on a similar design, but that's what takes so long for Patent Lawyers.
AndyWarne:
--- Quote from: KevSteele on July 21, 2008, 01:10:57 pm ---Wait. I'm confused. Andy's product is some "off the shelf" product from another manufacturer with his interface, right?
Then how did he blatantly rip off RandyT's design? Sounds like someone else already has a spinner similar to Randy's out there...
--- End quote ---
Indeed. The entire unit is a DIN-standard encoder. The manufacturers part number is ENC 33/6DS-300AB/5V
Dont forget these are not really just "spinners" but standard incremental encoders used in many industrial applications. The actual encoder PCB and optical wheel is not something bolted on, we buy the entire unit. I do know that the optical part is not the US Digital unit but is the manufacturers own.
At the moment we have units which have the DIN standard connector pinout so we are having to re-jig the connector pinout as ours is different.