Mooshimeter multi-channel multimeter - safe to use or more a gadget? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 07:54:30 pm
content: Anyone familiar with the Mooshimeter? How does it perform? Is it safe to use?https://www.dragoninnovation.com/projects/34-mooshimeterDoes it have enough blast resistance?

author: dadler
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 08:41:41 pm
content: Of interest:http://www.theamphour.com/218-an-interview-with-eric-vanwyk-meiotic-mountenance-mooshimeter/

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 09:06:08 pm
content: active thread here :https://www.eevblog.com/forum/crowd-funded-projects/mooshimeter-wireless-smartphone-multimetre/

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 10:45:11 pm
content: Personally, I really like the concept and they have made a device that answered my concerns about proper ratings. The unfortunate part is that the software seems to be rather limited still, and $120 is really steep. Each time I think I should buy one to support my solar installation work, I choke at the price. I realize that this is a more limited production item than most multimeters but I feel it should be well below $90. Just my humble opinion.

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 11:31:44 pm
content: If the software/app did the maths and gave Power, it would be great. It does do logging and graphing nicely though.

author: NoItAint
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 03:48:29 am
content: There's a bugI may have to wait for the second runOnce the hardware is solid, I'm sure the software will follow. There is a python API available for those so inclined.

author: jameswhong
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 04:33:43 am
content: Hi guys - this is James (the guy in the video).The high resistance lockup bug has a workaround in firmware, it shouldn't degrade your readings. I posted that because it was a rather annoying setback in shipping to backers of the crowdfunding campaign, and I wanted to be open about the delays. You should be fine reading high resistances (>1Mohm).If the price is still too steep the second manufacturing run is underway and you can still get in on a $100 preorder if you're OK waiting for about 6 weeks. Also the second run fixes the high resistance lockup bug at the hardware level if that's still a concern.Happy to answer questions, thanks for being interested!~James

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 10:32:58 am
content: Will the second production run have better input protection (MOVs, VARistors, blast compartment) to really make the supposed CAT III rating?There are so many videos out there about bad vs good multimeter design, and still these guys missed the basics on making it a safe design. First get the basics right, and then add the bells and whistles.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 10:56:02 am
content: Quote from: pascal_sweden on July 27, 2015, 07:54:30 pmEnough blast resistance for what?

author: idpromnut
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 11:34:46 am
content: Quote from: pascal_sweden on July 27, 2015, 07:54:30 pmI think if you're standing close enough to it for blast resistance to matter, you're doing it wrong. Also, those safety features are not for the meter, they're to protect the user, which in this case is done by distance from the meter or having a wall or some other obstacle in between the user and the meter.So, probably not important at all.

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 11:40:17 am
content: One thing people seem to forget here is that you still have to connect the leads to the appliance on which you are going to measure.So yes, it is important. Or are you going to send out a robot to make the connection?Moreover it is not rocket science to make it more safe. It will add to the cost, but will not reduce the product appeal, on the contrary, it will build up confidence in the overall product quality and performance. People will get the "these guys know what they are doing" feeling, instead of "what is this?"

author: ruffy91
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 11:52:45 am
content: Break before make. Just switch the appliance off, hook up the multimeter, turn it back on, not because the multimeter but because of the appliance. If diagnosing failures it is more likely the appliance you are diagnosing and have open in front of you will blast then anything other (making a short with the probes or replaced electrolytics the wrong way).

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 12:26:47 pm
content: Fully agree with making connections with the power off and with clipped leads rather than hand held, esp if sensitive circuits; far less stuff ups.

author: McBryce
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 01:00:00 pm
content: For electronics this usually isn't a problem, but there are many electrical tests where switching off the power is either impossible (the entire building is pulling power from the circuit) or undesirable (restarting the system is a 4 hour process).McBryce.

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 01:41:08 pm
content: Interesting bit of gear... Check the cost of shipping to the UK: $25. Pretty reasonableLet's add a spare fuse for just $3... Shipping is now $40And yes, if you want two spare fuses it's $55

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 01:56:23 pm
content: I've been looking at these meters for no other reason than in our entire collection of equipment we do not have any meters that are currently wireless, our available options are one of these or the wireless and bluetooth modules for the Flukes and Agilents that we have.The Fluke modules are currently on sale through E14 for around $60, I need to confirm the price on the Keysight BT adaptors but they were around $60 and $120 respectively.The only thing that I would miss with the Mooshimeter is a decent and trustworthy holster, I had a Fluke 70 series explode once accross 3 phase and the only thing that both survived and saved any personal injury was the holster, even though we are not likely to be using one of these in the same circumstance I still much prefer a meter surrounded in rubber.Also I need to find out if these can run directly off a Win 7 or XP PC for testing and logging as I dont expect that we will always use it with the tablets and phones, maybe they just write to the onboard card for this stuff, I need to do some more research.Muttley

author: Trax
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 04:01:27 pm
content: Mooshimeter LOLthat name is really funny in German

author: idpromnut
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 04:33:35 pm
content: Quote from: pascal_sweden on July 28, 2015, 11:40:17 amWouldn't you simply check with a "safer" multimeter before connecting your mooshimeter? I mean, either it'll go bad then, or you'll connect the mooshimeter and it will go bad after some action that changes the state of the system under measurement (which you at that point presumably have some control over).Also, if it's not rocket science to make a "safe" meter, why is it that people only seem to trust certain brands/models when testing high energy circuits?

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 04:36:03 pm
content: I have one, and it works pretty well, the concept and execution is sound, but I find I've found that I tend to use "normal" DMMs instead as I prefer the UI of a standard DMM. Using an app to measure I & V on the iPhone is just that little bit too fiddly, but I can understand why others may have a different view.I could not find a way to make the app display power or energy directly, although it will simultaneously measure current and voltage. There may be a more recent app revision since I last tried a couple of months ago that does this, I don't know.

author: jameswhong
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 05:14:01 pm
content: Yeah, direct power measurement is not displayed in the app yet. It's been on the to-do list for quite a while, just hard to figure out what to prioritize. I do all the support and fulfillment and coordination too so I find a frustratingly small amount of time to actually make forward technical progress. All I can say is "soon". And I hear you regarding using a normal DMM in most circumstances. I do too - it's just faster to reach for if you have to take a single quick measurement. I hope you're finding some uses for it though! I really appreciate feedback.Oh - I saw also in this thread that someone was sad about international shipping costs - sorry about that! It's a limitation of the selling platform... I can only specify a single international shipping price and a per-item price after that, it doesn't have a way to differentiate between shipping a Mooshimeter and shipping a fuse... very frustrating and I'm moving platform for the next manufacturing run.

author: McBryce
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 07:53:18 pm
content: Quote from: Trax on July 28, 2015, 04:01:27 pmI already have a Mooshimeter, but it only has a range of 30cm!McBryce.

author: dadler
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 07:58:29 pm
content: QuoteHmm... The etymology can't be random... I think with my heart all the time.I joined the second-run preorder back in May. Looking forward to the release, sounds like 6ish weeks out?

author: jameswhong
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 08:20:14 pm
content: Quote from: McBryce on July 28, 2015, 07:53:18 pmSorry about that. Didn't know about the meaning in German when deciding the nameBut that's very strange about the range. What device are you connecting to it with? I get easily over 50m with Galaxy S4.Quote from: dadler on July 28, 2015, 07:58:29 pmThanks! Most of the plastics and machined parts are China sourced and on a boat this week. Electronics assembly is starting up next week. So if all goes well, I expect the first units from the second run to start shipping in about 6 weeks *knock on wood*Mooshim (??) is a high minded buddhist concept but it's also my mom's dog's name, which is why the company is named as it is

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 08:20:23 pm
content: I own a Mooshimeter and am very happy with it. Very well contructed and yes,it does pass as a Cat III 600V deviceIt has very good resolution and accuracy (by my measurements) is within its specs.The phone/tablet UI does have a lot of room for improvement but the beauty of the device is that it can continually improve.The name issuewas discussed extensively in the original thread on the deviceduring the crowd funding campaign.

author: McBryce
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 08:37:58 pm
content: Quote from: jameswhong on July 28, 2015, 08:20:14 pmYou're not fully getting the joke and I'm not going to explain it here. I'll send you a PMMcBryce.

author: dadler
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 08:58:50 pm
content: My indoor cats have about 50m range.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 09:26:44 pm
content: jameswhong:I do appreciate what you have created, and I also see the utility of it. Like I said, the price is a bit high and the software is pretty limited. I want to buy one or two, but each time I think I will, I balk at the price. If the software was fully featured and the price was lower I am sure you would sell 10x as many.I would use mine in a professional situation and so the price should not be a big limiting factor in my case, but is is without better software. For the hobbyist, the price is critical factor and is beyond the impulse buy level. If you can get the software to a much higher level, and/or get the price down, I think you will sell many more.This is just a single opinion from one potential customer.Edit:Oh yes, no leads supplied? That is also a big sticking point. You need to buy leads in addition to your meter? If this is so, why aren't you offering a lead kit as an option? I know you are a busy person but the buying options are rather limited and paying the shipping fees as already mentioned for fuses makes it a no go.

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 10:39:46 pm
content: If you want to target German customers (a big market - Germany is big) you should consider a name change! You can browse through the other comments here to find out more about this. Hope you get the point eventually.If you want that your multimeter passes the tear down test of a famous video blogger, I would strongly recommend you to watch some previous multimeter tear down videos and learn about the need of a decent HRC fuse, MOVs and VARistors. Note that a CAT III rating isn't just a name that you can put on your product to make it sound fancy. The product should deserve the rating based on independent tests, such as those performed by UL, US Listed laboratories.The price point should match the complexity of the PCB print and the safety protection.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 10:47:31 pm
content: Quote from: Lightages on July 28, 2015, 09:26:44 pmLeads were supplied with mine, three of them, with three croc clip adapters that optionally slide on. Also a spare fuse was included as was a semi-hard cary case. The presentation is pretty slick.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 10:52:16 pm
content: Quote from: pascal_sweden on July 28, 2015, 10:39:46 pmI don't think there's any doubt in the provenance of the device, I recommend you listen to the Amp Hour episode here if you want to know more detailhttp://www.theamphour.com/218-an-interview-with-eric-vanwyk-meiotic-mountenance-mooshimeter/

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 11:15:31 pm
content: Quick teardown for you, captive nuts and all...

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 01:04:20 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on July 28, 2015, 10:47:31 pmWell that is great! Why isn't this mentioned on their web page? This is a serious marketing error and can prevent people from buying, like me! This is serious problem.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 02:44:06 am
content: Yeah, I got 3 leads, croc clips and the nice case as well. You're right they should advertise this. Though I guess it's possible that those were only included for the original backers of the crowdfunding campaign. Perhaps James can chime in and clarify.

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 03:53:27 am
content: Quote from: mtdoc on July 29, 2015, 02:44:06 amYes please James.I purchased one last Friday and I thought the freight was a killer.It will ease my pain if it ships with leads and case.

author: NoItAint
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 05:19:57 am
content: I'm in for the second run!I need a good excuse to have a better cell phone. I'm in for the collect-ability of when it was called "Mooshi-meter".After hooking up all the leads under the dash I don't want to kink my neck trying to view a regular meter. Two measurements at once. Autonomous logging, small form to stash in places. It's clever and seems well built. It's about time!Some of my projects just don't act up unless I look away. I can hook this up and walk away and fool my project into thinking I'm not watching it.I was just thinking how I wish I had a battery charger with bluetooth. I don't need it all the time, but now I can monitor a charge.Any maker who publishes a video about a bug their product has won me over with their honesty.I know more software is coming, and there's Python API, but Open up the software interface and you'll get a lot of people writing apps for it. Let some other folks help write these for you. It will become the "platform" of bluetooth meters. It'll move more hardware sales. My $.02

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 05:37:51 am
content: I certainly wasn't part of the campaign, I just ordered of their website as a normal punter.Regarding shipping charges, from my own experience this is a thorny problem indeed. When I started out, I used a Post Office "signed for" service for all my items. The good news was that it was a flat rate, about $13 or so to anywhere in the world. The problem with this was was that the service is not "time definite", and I was spending half my waking hours chasing packages about the planet aimlessly. The service also only offered limited tracking facilities, so I could show it was shipped, where it was in the UK, that it was siged for, but not where the package was outside he UK.In 99% of cases, the item arrived, finally. Of the 1% that didn't, the unit was returned 80% of the time by the post office, at which point I used DHL at my expense. The remaining 20%, the post office here was a "process" which will take up to five months to complete, with various forms, before you get the money back from the insurance. It is designed to make it so difficult, that except for very large value items, it's simply not administratively worthwhile to bother, and in the end I treated it like a tax on business.My fix to all this chasing of packages fruitlesly around the Earth was to switch to a fully tracked, time definite service using a service I negotiated from Fedex. It was more expensive, about $15 to $35, with the median being $18 and the mean $17. My shipping woes disappeared over night. My biggest market is the US, I get the item shipped there next day for $15 a piece on Fedex, and as a bonus they supply the shipping materials too. A few places are at the upper end of pricing, but it's the exception rather than the norm.

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 08:16:21 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on July 29, 2015, 05:37:51 amThat is very promising for me then... The case and leads are a plus.Quote from: Howardlong on July 29, 2015, 05:37:51 amMan, this was a killer...Meter plus 3 fuses came to USD70 for shipping.However, I have a purpose for this meter and if it performs as well as people are saying I will forgive the shipping cost...

author: McBryce
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 08:40:47 am
content: Maybe I'm missing something here, but why are people buying so many fuses for a Multimeter. In 25+ years I think I've only ever once had to change a fuse in a multimeter, both my Flukes still have their original fuses.McBryce.

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 09:08:01 am
content: Quote from: McBryce on July 29, 2015, 08:40:47 amIf you are only doing electronics work or only ever measure voltages, you're less likely. I didn't blow a fuse in 7 years, then I did some car work and blew three in one day, because I was stupid.

author: McBryce
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 09:16:10 am
content: I mainly do car work and low voltage electronics. I think it was on a mains voltage measurement that Imanaged to blow the fuse. Measuring Amps in a vehicle is probably the most likely "mistake" to make.McBryce.

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 10:27:10 am
content: Quote from: McBryce on July 29, 2015, 09:16:10 amEvery meter I have ever purchased I have purchased a couple of extra fuses.A basic paranoia of blowing a fuse when I most needed to take another measurement.Of the 8 meters I currently own, I have only ever popped one fuse once in one meter (old Fluke 87) - measuring DC without understanding the full current capability.However, my simple paranoia still makes me buy spare fuses every time...

author: pascal_sweden
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 10:42:30 am
content: Wouldn't it have been a better design option to select a 9V battery for the multimeter?This would have increased the hours of operation.Moreover 9V batteries are less prone to leaking over time.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 11:22:02 am
content: Quote from: pascal_sweden on July 29, 2015, 10:42:30 amMaybe it is part of the power scheme: if you have a 9V battery you _have_ to run a regulator of some form or another 24x7 with the quiescent load that entails. With 2xAA, you can run a microcontroller power domain directly off the batteries without the need to run a regulator 24x7.

author: Bob F.
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 01:26:09 pm
content: Quote from: pascal_sweden on July 29, 2015, 10:42:30 amWell, you could always buy a couple of Batterisers and get 800% more from your AA batteries...

author: jameswhong
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 08:00:50 pm
content: Woah! There's a lot to reply to.QuoteI agree 100% regarding fleshing out the software. I've been rolling out the new features pretty steadily - logging is the big one that's improved dramatically in the last few months. I know the marketing isn't up to the professional level yet, the goal right now is to get more manufactured and then focus on getting in to professional catalogs.QuoteI actually watched a whole bunch of Dave's teardowns in designing this device! He proved a really valuable resource. I'd like to submit one in a mailbag soon but I'm almost out of stock from the first run, so it seems like a bad time.Regarding input protections: The Mooshimeter is small but it's well protected. The CATIII 600V rating isn't a fashion statement, it was tested by TUV America to comply with the standard. I even had to make a rather inconvenient last minute design change to comply - originally I thought there was enough space between the PCB and the outside of the case that I could leave a slot open to retrieve the SD card, but this failed in the high-pot foil wrap test, so I had to get the molds modified. It turns out the failed test was inconclusive because the test lab made a mistake in the humidity preconditioning and the meter was being tested wet, but closing the slot was the safest and most surefire way to pass and avoid further schedule delays.Here are some of the testing videos. Eric is the one you hear in the video (and in the Amp Hour podcast linked elsewhere in this thread). He shepherded the meter through the testing process.Failures:Passing tests (kind of boring, but you can see 6000VAC being applied to the voltage input with no badness occurring. Not nearly as fun as Dave's Multimeter Destruction video:):@HowardLong Thanks for the teardown! And also thanks for the writeup on shipping issues. That's a big time-suck for me. All orders are still packed and shipped by yours truly. Now that the product has a little traction I'm prioritizing talking to distributors. I switched international orders from USPS First Class to USPS Priority recently - it raises the rates but seems more reliable. Anyway, the second manufacturing run will be shipped either from Amazon or a fulfillment house, so I won't ramble on about this because it's all going to change.Quote from: mtdoc on July 29, 2015, 02:44:06 amHoly cow, you're right that the tool case and accessories should be listed as well. On the original crowdfunding campaign it was explicitly spelled out and in my head when putting together the new order page I was thinking "they get whatever they got with the crowdfunding campaign". Thanks so much for pointing this out, I'll change it.I've also been shipping all the Mooshimeters with an extra fuse by default, but I don't want to list that because it's not happening on the second manufacturing run.Quote from: pascal_sweden on July 29, 2015, 10:42:30 amI don't think a 9V battery would increase battery life. Since all the logic is 3V, having a nominally 3V battery available means it can all run directly off the battery without switching or LDO losses introduced by converting 9V down to 3V. Quiescent current in the downconverter is also a big issue in this kind of "always on" application... running off 2 AA batteries meant I could mostly avoid those issues. In terms of which situation has more total energy available, it's kind of a wash. 2 AA batteries hold more energy total, BUT the 9V battery would be usable down to a lower state of charge (the Mooshimeter stops once the batteries drop below ~2.4V).Let me know if I'm missing somethingAlso I saw a few people from this thread ordering Mooshimeters! Thanks guys! I am going to go pack your orders now and then get back to work on firmware/app issues (power display is next priority).Thanks again

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 08:32:50 pm
content: Quote from: jameswhong on July 29, 2015, 08:00:50 pmAlso there is a python API for the Mooshi meter, Lightages, you could roll your own code... I'm still waiting for the design files, soft- and firmware to go open source. Any ETA for that? Github shouldn't be that difficult and going public might just help to improve the software faster.Quote from: jameswhong on July 29, 2015, 08:00:50 pmThanks for telling. I had wondered about why there was an indentation for the card slot but no cut out. I modified my meter to have the cut out but put electrical tape over it. In a next iteration, you could just design a plug or something, but it should be fixed to the rest of the enclosure to prevent loss.I 3D printed a plug-in adaptor. It has three shrouded banna plugs, a wall plug and a wall socket from an extension cord all safely mounted inside. I use it to measure power consumption on mains devices. A more professional one might be a cool ordering option for the Mooshimeter.Speaking of improvements: It's nice that the meter logs changes to the sample mode to SD card, but for calrity the exect settings every time they are changed would be nice. Also a timestamp (I realize there's no RTC chip on board but even if it's just an internal time in seconds to get a rough idea and correlate times with the real time would be nice - maybe setting a zero point and storing that point in the app, or getting time of the day from the app every time settings are changed).

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 08:46:11 pm
content: Regarding my experiences of shipping, like you I also do the shipping (as well as final assembly and testing) myself for my products that I sell directly (about half are sold through other distribution channels). If I'd continued to use the post office non-tracked service, I'd have had no choice but to employ someone to handle that side of the business. That is a very significant cost, and one that's innevitably going to be passed on.Switching to Fedex really simplified every part of the transaction for me, and once you get hold of an account manager and discuss your requirements with them they'll usually give you dramatic reductions on the pricing that Joe Public gets once you do volume, typically about 65%! I do currently make a slight loss on the shipping as I've maintained the same pricing to my customers despite regular repricing from Fedex, and I soak that cost up myself.Using Amazon or other fulfillment methods makes a lot of sense, maybe I'll consider that too. I guess I'm too much of a control freak!

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 08:48:49 pm
content: @HowardLong: Link to your products, please. You made me curious.

author: jameswhong
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 08:57:04 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on July 29, 2015, 08:46:11 pm65% reductions?! I didn't know they were that steep! If for some reason I have to keep doing fulfillment myself on the next run I'll definitely look in to that. Thank you!

author: jameswhong
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 09:05:08 pm
content: Quote from: con-f-use on July 29, 2015, 08:32:50 pmI've been going back and forth on releasing hardware design files... sorry, no ETA. The jist of it is that I don't fully understand the repercussions if someone just copies it outright. My business is still not super well established so I see it as an unnecessary risk right now.Regarding plug for the slot: Unfortunately the tests demand that any port that can be opened without a tool be open during testing, so you have to test with rubber plugs removed :-/3d printed adapter: That's cool! Is the stp/stl/sldprt file online anywhere?

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 30, 2015, 07:54:18 am
content: It's a euro plug which makes it bulky and I cannibalized the plugs. I'm not entirely happy with it. It was the first thing I printed. I will put the files online, when I got around revising the design.As for the hardware design, I guess your greatest asset are the cases, they are not that easy to reproduce and need volume. I fully understand that it's a risk for your young enterprise, and agree, you should wait. The software is more important to hobbyists than the hardware design. Then again, if someone really was to clone the Mooshimeter, they would just reverse engineer it.

author: KE5FX
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2015, 03:31:19 am
content: Quote+1. A true low-level API would be a huge selling point.Hiding information punishes your legitimate customers. If the Chinese want to clone your product, it won't slow them down at all.

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 03, 2015, 10:55:09 am
content: Since someone asked for my adapter, here it is:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1048982The picture shows my first prototype, that I printed hastily so the layers separated (hence the hot glue). In the .slt files it is a little less bulky, has the meter parallel to the enclosure, has guards to protect against plugging the meter in in the wrong orientation and has the connections labelled. I'm still not happy with it, but it is functional.