Have you been told to keep quiet about a circuit fault? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Faringdon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 03:45:01 pm
content: Some years ago I started work in a company who were shipping a product which contained an SMPS which would charge up its vout to a certain voltage within 1 second. This was a necessary spec’d selling point. I was required to do some work on the product, checking its Test report for a start.However, the SMPS in it was “open loop”, and the tolerance of the current limit they were relying upon within the controller might sometimes mean it taking 1.4 seconds to charge up…depending on chip-batch tolerance. However, such loosely toleranced parts had never, so far, entered any production batch.I put forward a very minor mod that would solve the issue, but was told no. They didn’t want a change, as it would be like an admission of having made an error. I was told to just keep schtum….that the wide tolerance parts would never come into production, and even if they did, it would not be my issue.Has this happened to you? You find a fault. On a board you have been working on..and so may be deemed an “involved party”. You request a solving mod…No is the reply (from your immediate boss, not the company owner) …what did you then do?

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 03:57:26 pm
content: I guessed OP by the topic title.Did not read the fictional story in the post.There is more to life than SMPSs.

author: Kim Christensen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 04:07:24 pm
content: Yup... This was one company's early days of manufacturing P25 mountain top radio modules when I worked in the system configuration dept. I discovered that the receiver modules had a glitch where if the carrier rapidly came and went (picket fencing) then the system would lock up due to a firmware bug. Only way to recover was to cycle the power. Told my direct supervisor who raised it up the chain where it was ignored. I raised it again with our QC department and engineering dept. who were also told by upper management that meeting the shipping date was more important. I demo'd the fault and it was poo-poo'd as, "That's never going to happen in the field".Yea, we had a lot of returns and pissed off customers especially those who had to helicopter to swap out modules over the following months.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 04:18:08 pm
content: of course not that never happensit never ever happens in the field. you should know that. the field is a nice relaxing green place where you frolic around without shoes.What we are really interested in testing is our customer service department. Please don't bother us with these demonstrations anymore.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 04:41:31 pm
content: this thread is general and has no purpose in being assaulted because its a place to share stories and jokes regardless of the creatorthe post by kim already justified this thread. its very valuable information unless you are worried the drones might rebel. also anything that can improve the engineering ethics of treez is good for society.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 04:46:44 pm
content: There are always multiple sides to the story. Threads like this will attract "see I was right" stories from the engineers that may not be aware or outside factors.Sometimes you do have to ship on time to fulfill contractual obligations and it is better to take a potential reputational hit in the future than a real monetary hit now. It sucks as a customer, but it is just business.And in many cases once you are "in", it is far harder to be designed out. So, getting in on time is more important from a business point of view. Again, shitty approach, but business is not about making everyone feel good.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 04:55:17 pm
content: Attention seeking OP might do better mixing in some Harry Potter with the fiction, for his benefit.Engineering is constantly against mistakes and cover ups. Rush rush push cheaper hurry get the product out now. Hire only interns, noobs and outsource so we save money. Sack all experienced engineers.If it causes fire, explosions, loss of life then a corporation considers doing something about it.Last week, Hyundai, Genesis and Kiarecalled603,176 cars in Canada and additional 1.6M in the US and another 1.7M Kias. "Fire risk" please park outside, away from buildings."It is a basic engineering mistake there, when mosfets get wet.

author: Kim Christensen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 05:01:11 pm
content: Quote from: ataradov on October 01, 2023, 04:46:44 pmWell, thisisEEVBLOG and not MBABLOG.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 05:15:04 pm
content: I'll save everyone some time - whistleblowing does not work. You just get disliked, alienated and "phased out". Profit is King.Whether Boeing 737 Max MCAS, Oceangate Titan sub, Tesla self-driving... just remember the mantra: STFU.

author: Faringdon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 05:39:29 pm
content: One co had products in the field without much problem for 8 years...then a harsh winter, and a micro detected zero degC from an NTC divider...and shut the product down, unwantedly...the whole company went into liquidation. The products were essentially very good otherwise. So the "brand name" was eventually picked back up and trades to this day, albeit with totally different group of directors.Also one place had a legacy SMPS shoved into production without the engineer getting chance to test it proeprly....4.5 million quids worth of damage caused.One Engineer friend was asked to partake in a range of "parallel LED light engines"....which would have been a disaster...not even well thermally coupled. He was told to shut it by all...so whistled the owner, then bolted, since everyone would have lost their job anyway. Many did loose job..but due to the appreciation of the whistling by the owner, the whole place was re-built approx 5 times bigger..big invesment. The poorer guys who would have otherwise suffered most, were thus protected.