yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
Project is Live!!

Ok Everyone, we finally got everything setup and the project is live at Indiegogo.com

http://www.indiegogo.com/microsdtomicrousb

Open to any feedback, question and positive criticism :good:

Please share it with as many people as you can, let's make this project happen.

As a quick update, I received great news from the test lab yesterday, I am getting Net 30 terms on the FCC Part 15 testing, so I can send the unit as soon as the production prototype is ready and we should be able to get an approval before the end of the year. (I know that "may" not sound like much, but for those that don't work on the industry, test house are 200% capacity during this period of the year due to large companies [mostly Toys and Electronics] trying to release product for the holiday season, most test house don't deal with small projects and small companies until the rush is over ny mid january).
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
Phandroid!!!

Says: "This looks helpful" @phandroid

:good::good::good:

Bumped the target build to 1000 units, and adjusted the Perks price.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] garreh:
This is a great idea but I think it's a bit optimistic to hope for $28k in funding for this project. Is there any way to bring that figure down?
[Nexus 7 Accessories] slo2lah:
Tutorial?
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
While I don't disagree that the target is a bit high, it is the best compromise I could manage. I could cut corners and deliver an untested and uncertified product, but this could mean that the device could damage or interfere with the device it will be plug into, or just heat up to the point that it will melt on your hand, or use really thin (and cheap) plastic and it would break as soon as you put it in your pocket. (pretty much make one of those Chinese copies you find on ebay for sub $1).

That is not what i want to do, I love my Nexus 7 and pretty much all my devices, I want to deliver a quality product that is tested and in compliance with governments requirements for consumers electronics.

On any case, the bare minimun required is about $19K to 20K to build about 250 to 300 units, this would make each unit at about $80, that would be unpractical.

BOM, PCB, Case manufacturing is more expensive in low quantities, keep in mind that I cannot buy 200 resistors and Caps, to assembly the unit I need to buy Reels that are a minimum of 2000 units.

Bumping the build target to 1000, allow me to have perks and reward at a more reasonable price ($16, $20ish). but the total amount needed increase to about 28K

Other large expenses are:

Professional 3D modeling of the case: ~3K

Injection Molding ~6K

FCC and EC Testing (FCC part 15 B) ~ 3K

Assembly & testing ~ 2.5K

Reward shipping: ~2K

BOM sourcing - 5K
[Nexus 7 Accessories] unbridled:
This seems high. Have you checked pricing by just using 3d printing instead of molding. Being such a small case would allow many case parts to be printed on a large format printer. Maybe they will model it for free if they get the print job?

Larry

Platinum Sponsor
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
Yes I had, the Modeling cost about 85/hour and the best quoted I got was 25 hours.

3D printing is only for prototyping, they wont print more than 40 to 50 units, after that they require you to do a soft mold (that can do up to a few thousands impressions), or a hard mold (that can do up to 100 of thousands).

SoftMolding cost about 4500K include a one revision if necessary, and then it is close to $1 per part injected.

there is a "free" or discounted option for the modeling (it is not really free they just add their cost to each unit), however minimum order is 5000 units.

As I mentioned before, the more you build, the cheaper it gets, however collecting 5000 people is harder than 500 or 1000.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] unbridled:
I like your adapter, but you need to get the word out about your project. I'm seeing a lots of people complaining about the lack of an SD slot on the N7 & N10. So you need to put your marketing hat and tell lots people they need your adapter. Googling no sd slot for the N7 and N10 found lots of forums where you can post your project. I just posted a link to your Indiegogo project in Tom's Hardware.

Larry
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Aleemz:
I wish I had the time to build a few of these for you guys, sorry :(

Considering how inexpensive the parts are, and the ease at which these can be made, I'd recommend anyone with basic soldering skills to give it a go. If the it doesn't turn out right, try again.

Please see these posts, and let me know if you need any clarification:

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=32239819&postcount=171

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=32436698&postcount=176

I didn't take any pics during the process, but I will do when I build the micro-USB to Micro-SD version.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
Thank you for your support, it is great to find people that get as excited as me for a project. Contact me if you got any question or need me to answer any question on those forums, I will try to imporve my marketing skills and spread the word even more. :D
[Nexus 7 Accessories] garreh:
Looks awesome. It's very similar to this youtube video in terms of size etc except no soldering required :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shf0XUCuhAg

Have you seen http://imgur.com/a/iTsAU ? That is frecking awesome. I've tried contacting the guy that made it to find out how exactly, no luck so far. I haven't seen any USB OTG sd/usb memory in any form that small anywhere. I can see it hanging on a keyring with my keys in a tiny case ;D
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
That's pretty much the final size of the project.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-...DEw/dKg9Lky3Bbk/s1055/IMG_20121020_213232.jpg
[Nexus 7 Accessories] miro_mad:
Idea!!!

Hi Maturola.

I have one idea about your micro USB card reader form. Look on the attached photo.

Your micro USB card reader can be made like a binder clip or crocodile clip, and can be made from silicone material, must be flexible.

Then this card reader can be more compact and can be hide a big part of rear side of the devices, on which it is used. I will be happy, if this can help you to made the best micro USB card reader :highfive:

Sorry for my bad english.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
I'm not sure where you are locating the MicroD socket, I cannot see it on the image.

It cannot be in the same plane as the MicroUSB, otherwise it will no fit into cases, and other devices that have Middle or lower mounted MicroUSB Sockets
[Nexus 7 Accessories] miro_mad:
My idea is the micro USB card reader be like a mussel shell. Top part is a micro USB, bottom part is a micro SD socket and micro SD card,

and this two parts are connected together like a mussel shell. And this mussel shell can be adapted to difference devices with more or less open.

Just like a binder clip. I hope now you understand me. In side view it is like a V, more or less opened. One part \ is micro USB,

another part / is micro SD socket, in which we can insert micro SD card. And this V can be flexible.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
Got you, that's a difficult mechanical casing to accomplish, specially to make it durable. and I don;t think that it will be any smaller than the Socket right behind the micrUSB plug (once inserted), but I good a idea to at least try with some SLAs
[Nexus 7 Accessories] garreh:
That's so cool! In figure 2 what exactly is the "mechanical support" ? As a temporary solution instead of a case, do you think using another case like in the image I posted would work sufficiently? I'm wondering what kind of material he used? It looks like melted plastic/silicon to bind it all together, possibly epoxy?
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
The mechanical support is what it is required for the MicroUSB plug, the Plug required at least half an inch of PCB or "support" behing it to be stable. (that's why you see most cable got that tick pastic around the plug). That's is also why you cannot have a super invisible, small, fold to back design like most people want, MicroUSB was just not design for that.

Routing the signals when the socket is sideways is a little harder on a 2 layer board, so that is why it need to move to the left a little bit, leaving that space in there for "Mechanical Support".

no, it is not intended to replace the case, that's just the internals.

what you see on the pic, it's just heat shrink. that is a very similar design to the one i got on my video, However I got a lot of development hardware in there (wires, header, test points), that is why is much bigger, once tested and design is final none of that is require, making the final product very small.

I don't think I've done a great job communicating that on the website or the campaign, I am better at designing things than marketing them :laugh:

I'll try to do something to show much better the final size.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Aleemz:
The OTG adapter in the youtube video is exactly what I was looking for, but couldn't find, before I decided to build my own.

Any idea where I can buy one of these?

I haven't some across the micro-USB Flash Drive mod that you linked to (although I had considered making one), so thanks for that too. I agree, it's cool, and quite easy to build, if that's what you want. My preference would be for the micro-USB to Micro-SD adapter so that the micro-SD card could be changed when required.

Anyway, if anybody has any news on where I can get the adapter in the youtube link, I'd be grateful.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] garreh:
The only place I can see such a right-angle adapter is here http://www.pocketgames.jp/item_deta...9f73e675c3eca5a43b21ffdc6988004686abf66d5bea8

So maybe making your own was a good move ;)

"quite easy to build" well I'd love a tutorial on how to build such a tiny device for the non-electrical literate, wiring schematics, etc. After a bit of research it seems it's just a case of wiring & soldering directly from the micro-b connection to the contacts on the micro sd circuit board. Then as Maturola says use shrink wrap to lock it all into place. In the picture it looks fairly stable though eyes might be deceiving. Any suggestions on that?

It might be possible to strip and use a really tiny micro sd reader and solder the contacts from that onto the micro b contacts in OTG arrangement.

I know this is pretty much exactly what Maturola is doing , but it would be nice to have some pictures/tutorial available to create the device :)
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Aleemz:
The pocketjames.jp website was the only place I could find it too.

I'll be sure to do a picture tutorial when I make the micro-USB to micro-SD reader adapter, but yes, it is just a case of soldering a few wires carefully. To stabilize the structure and ad some strength you can use epoxy glue, or like I did, use hot glue. The advantage of using hot glue is that it dries as soon as the glue cools, so less waiting to finish the job off. The downside is that you have virtually no time to correct any errors in positioning etc, which epoxy glue would allow.

Some shrink wrap, like you mention, to finish the job off.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] sam-had:
Hi guys , I think I found what you were asking for !

I was wondering the same about that Micro usb to Micro Sd adapter and I made some search and found this project which still in development process but it is almost there .

hope it answers your needs

I can't post the full link but you can find it there : indiegogo.com

just put in the search micro usb to micro sd .
[Nexus 7 Accessories] garreh:
Sigh. You really should read the thread posts before commenting.

---------- Post added at 09:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:15 AM ----------

I'd absolutely love to see the results of your micro-USB to micro-SD reader adapter. Do you have the necessary parts to try it? Might I suggest to film yourself creating the device? :)

I think using epoxy and shrink wrap would be an awesome alternative to the plastic case.

Personally, not to sound negative, but I don't think the indiegogo project will kick off. In a dream world it would be great to have a professionally designed, fully tested and FCC approved device, but it's asking for too much for such a small, simple device and small market. Even if we manage to find people that generously gave $8 each we would have to find 3500+ people willing to support this project. I propose instead to provide instructions on how to build such a device the good-old-fashioned-xda-way and come up with an alternative casing that would be cheap, durable and sturdy without having to resort to 3D modelling/plastic moulds etc.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
I don't think it is a small market, for the contrary, Nexus deices selling at a rate of a million a month, I believe it is a great market. Some people like to do it themselves and that is great, I do it all the time, but the average user have no soldering skills, or access to soldering equipment, or hot glue gun, or even know how to handle epoxy. and yes going out and getting all that stuff is an options, but it is way easier to drop $16 to support the project and get a retail grade product that is tested not to damage your deice.

There is always a risk when modding electronics, taking a product apart and changing the conector it was designed for could introduce power and heating issues that can permanently damage your device, some people are ok with that risk, but most average users are not.

I don't disagreed that the project is slow taking off and may not reach its goal, and I believe that is because it is on a too early stage, it is on a stage that only those "hackers", "modders" and Engineers can really understand, to the regular user it look HUGE and not practical.

I am going to need to move it forward on my own, try to get some colleagues to chip in with some support on the technical sides I am weaker and get it closer to production quality, and maybe try again once the development and test part are done and we can just fund the manufacturing, however that takes time and by them I am sure some large manufacture (with far more resources) would have an option out.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] NicoGa:
All these discussions are promising!

Maturola, I'm pretty interested in your project ... but I think you should update the presentation in indiegogo, as it is not clear, at first look, that you are planning to do a tiny microusb-microsd adaptor ... you first picture might scared/upset many people ... as I was at first.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] garreh:
Might sound silly or really obvious but wouldn't it be possible to buy a 3D printer instead of the "Professional 3D modeling of the case: ~3K

Injection Molding ~6K" -- a 3D printer costs approx 2K so would save a considerable amount.

I would try and think about cutting corners and being as simple and realistic as possible at first, then push the boat out a bit more before you have a real certified product being mass-produced.

While I agree there is a huge market for the adapter, I disagree that there is a demand for it. This is somewhat proven by the fact that no manufacturers have made such a device. They certainly have the ability to create such a device very simply and cheaply, but they know the industry better than all of us and what is profitable and what isn't. They realise the device would be appealing to only so many, mainly the enthusiasts than the average everyday tablet/phone user. The adapter could also seen as being flawed in design as users will need to have their phone rooted; this is really a niche market as most do not have the technical ability to do so nor do they want to void their warranty.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
I disagreed with you once again, the reason that the dive hasn't been created it is for technical reasons, and lack of demand until this point. The market was there for MicrSD to USB not MircoUSB, and the reason is that there was not (until very recently) a Board mounted MicroUSB connector, Only one manufacture have a single connector that is SMT and another have 1 that is Through hole, MicroUSB was design to be Cable mounted. I asked around at target, best buy and walmart and they had told me that many people ask for a device like that, however they don;t even know what it would be call, but base on what they want to do (pretty much use the MicroUSB to read multiple MicrSD cards), that is what they want. That is a lot more than just "enthusiasts".

Root is required for Android at this time if you want to write. No rooting is required if you want to read from it, you can put all your data using your computer and then read on your android device, ton of work is being done so it can work (read and write) without rooting, that is just momentary, also it work perfectly in other devices with MicroUSB. Not to mention that rooting a nexus device is 1 click with the new tools available.

Thanks for your support. I am working on it, however it is not as simple, I don't like to "cut corners" as it was mentioned, I like quility and tested devices that won't damage my electronics.

Here is what i've been working on:
[Nexus 7 Accessories] exxpired:
Im hoping the casing will cover most of the micro usb?
[Nexus 7 Accessories] CazeW:
That looks promising and I would imagine that with the launch of Nexus 10, the demand for such a device increases. If possible, I would try though to put the reader in a 90 degree angle and rotate it to follow the bezel because like that it's still going to stick out somewhat annoyingly. Something like what the OP did here but smaller (and without the lego :p).
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
Yes, the case would have this "conical" shape at the neck of the Micro USB and cover the Base/Shield

That is pretty much the smallest it can be ( I think I can shave 0.2 inches more), rotating the socket 90 degree doesn't make it any smaller, you cannot make it any closer to the edge of the device or it will not fit with a case, and it will not fit other devices, the idea is to make it work with as many android devices as possible, not only the nexus 7/10

Phase 2 of the project (if i can get Phase 1 funded) is to design it on a Rigid-Flex PCB and use a soft plastic cover, so it look like those Flat cables the Cable companies use to put the coax under doors and enclosures. this way you can just plug it into your device and bend it behing the device.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Hairum:
Maturola, your design looks quite promising. While I'm quite interested in getting a Nexus 4, the size limitations have been a big worry of mine. I'm glad to see a product like yours, and I hope it gets funded.

You definitely need to spread the word and practice whatever marketing skills you may or may not have. I'd suggest that you start by personally contacting the news websites that talk about the lack of an SD card slot and/or size limitations of the new Nexus phones (or any device, really), and make your case to them in a friendly manner. More so from the perspective of "I have a product that yours viewers will want to know about; it will solve an issue; I could use some help getting the campaign for it more well known," rather than "I need you to advertise this product for me so I can make money," if you catch my drift.

I gave $16 to your campaign. Best of luck.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] garreh:
We should try and get the major android news websites onboard with this idea. I'm sure at least some of them would be willing to submit it to their news feed. It should be marketed at the moment towards the new Nexus range. Of course it's an adapter for all micro-usb devices that support mounting but the timing of the recent Nexus announcement not having an SD card and rather low amount of memory, it'll attract just the right audience. Also it would be a good idea to submit this to reddit (/r/android).

It's just a question of how to market it without it looking like commercial venture and reassure them this is a serious commitment and not start-up that will sink away along with their donation. If we get the above in on the adapter, we will easily have 3,000+ people.

Maturola, just a few suggestions

1. Would it be possible to mount the usb connector below the circuit board so it sticks out as little as possible? I think most people would prefer a slightly thicker adapter than a long one. Or so that it's going at a right-angle rather than the standard usb pen-sticking-out-ready-to-be-broken design.

2. As others have suggested I think you should update the videos first picture to reflect what the adapter will look like. It's a bit misleading looking at the large "development" adapter.

3. In the final design would it be possible to add a hole in edge of the adapter to attach it as a keyring?

4. It would be good if the connection part could be retracted inside the device, like some usb pen drives in order to protect the connection, or alternatively design a protective cap.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
Thanks again for all the support :D

ask away as much as you want, if you don't mind I would use some of those question on the campaign and the website as part of the FAQ.

1. Not really possible, the connector is edge mounted (it have 3 pings on the bottom of the board, and 4 on the top), this is again for mechanical support, there is not way to mount the socket on the same plane as the connector, (however i can move most of the hardware bellow the socket, so the connector can be closer to the socket, I think I can cut 0.2 inches more)

2. Working on it as I type, I am trying to get a "model" printed that represent better the final casing even if it is on a solid block and non-funtional. Should have it up by this weekend.

3. Yes, I was planning on adding a small hole on he corner for a keyring placement

4. Retractable designs are very complex, and actually add size to the device when it is "open" not to mentioned complexity to the molding. I rather stay away from it for right now. However a protective cap for the plug is planned, but not as part of the initial Rewards/Perks fulfillment.

I've been trying to get on the android news website with not much success, Phandroid linked the video on theirs twitter and got a great feedback from an admin on Androidforums, but that's about all I gotten, I tried Reddit as well without any results.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] garreh:
No problem buddy. Did you email the edditors of the news websites or just did a @twitter type thing? It might be more personal to send an email and say you really need their support to get the community behind it and would appreciate it if they would consider posting on their news feed. I know xda often link to interesting forum posts, apps from developers etc, I can see no reason why this wouldn't get a lot of attention if directed to the right person.

I tried submitting this to reddit this morning but thought I'd clear it by you before in case you would like to add/change anything. This is what I was going to post....
[Nexus 7 Accessories] Maturola:
I sent lot of @twitter for sure, but I did also send some email to some blogger/contributor of those websites, I may had not gotten to the right person as you said. I need to try to collect the right contact info.

I like the reddit post, I like it a lot, All I would change is the "Infinite" part, just put something like "additional" or up to 64GB, since those are the format supported by the device at the moment, don't want to be misleading.

Also I would change the "donation" for "support", while we need people to participate, they are not quite "donations" since everyone is getting something on return on the form of perks/rewards.

Other than that, it sounds great, I would use some of the wording on the campaign I like the energy. :victory:

PS: also if you are a contributor, you can use the link provided on the "share" section of the campaign, this allow me to track your referrals, I was planning on doing something "extra" at the end for the person with most referrals.
[Nexus 7 Accessories] smirkis:
i'd be interested in contributing to that device, if it were a lot smaller. like, a lot smaller lol.

unless it smaller then this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micro-USB-b...515557?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item416c47bf25

there is almost no point in going thru the R&D. this piece is already a 4gb unit, and has microsd capability.