When EEs Design with Hobbyists and Modders In Mind

When EEs Design with Hobbyists and Modders In Mind

The Ben Heck Show (revision3.com/tbhs) is an online series devoted to modding consumer electronics. In the show, host Ben Heckendorn voids warranties, reconfigures circuit boards, and expresses his fondness for CNC machines as he modifies LCD televisions, game consoles, and nearly any other consumer electronic device one could imagine.

Heckendorn and his audience represent a unique segment of electronics consumers, those who purchase products for the purpose of customizing or modifying them.

Some recent remarks in one of Heckendorn's episodes made me wonder if EEs or even semiconductor and electronic component makers might do more to encourage customers to tinker.

The PlayStation 3 example

“I love taking apart the PS3 slim,” Heckdendorn said in an episode (revision3.com/tbhs/ps3pelicancase) about creating a portable, self-contained gaming system. “It looks like a car inside. It's got this plastic molding here with text on it that says, 'Sony Computer Entertainment.' They expect you to open it.”

Heckdendorn was absolutely positive as he described what Sony engineers have done to make its PS3 game console friendly to a seemingly small segment of its customers who will peal back the case to see what's inside.

The Kinect example

A second example of hobbyist interest in the electronics EEs design is the Microsoft Kinect for the X-Box 360. The device represented an improvement in human machine interfaces. Hobbyists and modders almost immediately began using the Kinect in people tracking and 3D video experiments. I know several friends that purchased the device specifically to replicate demonstrations seen on YouTube.

Being considerate of Modders

So what does it mean to be considerate of hobbyists when you design? It can be as simple as laying out your boards for easy access or using connectors that are simple to remove and replace. Put simply: Think about what you'd like to find inside of the case if you opened it.

Armando Roggio