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leo2017
31
Oct 11, 2018
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Hi everybody,
My name is Tom Yang, 杨立涛in Chinese. I’m the owner of Ace Pad Tech, also the owner of the patent of the Hall Effect mechanical switches.
I started working on this switches in 2014, applied for the Patent in China on Jan. 30th 2015, and got the patent on June 17th 2015. Patent Number: ZL 2015 2 0068083.8
We worked with many different materials for the cases of the keyboards, and then we decided to stay with the bamboo cases and acrylic cases to start selling the Hall Effect Mechanical keyboard on Alibaba.com.
Then in the summer of 2016, XMIT got in contact with us via Alibaba.com, got some samples for him and for some members from https://deskthority.net/, from there our story started.
Then there were 2 runs on Massdrop as most of us already know, at the name of XMIT.
We want to thank XMIT very much for his devote to improve our Hall Effect mechanical keyboards, such as the right screws to hold the keyboard case nicer, non-floating switches and 0.5u.
And we want to thank XMIT very much for bringing our Hall Effect mechanical keyboard to Massdrop members.
But we want to make it very clear that we didn’t rip off his design. This is our design.
For the latest run of the drop of the APT Hall Effect mechanical keyboards, you may notice the cases are better than previous drops, especially for the 60% teakwood case and acrylic case.
Before this drop, the 60% teakwood design came out first, and then it was the 60% acrylic case.
Actually when we came out with the 60% teakwood design, we send pictures of the first teakwood keyboard to XMIT, and he decided to get a sample keyboard to check it out.
Then again he asked something we cannot provide to him, like the source code, as a start up business, it’s provided by our supplier who will never give it to us.
XMIT also asked for our datasheet of the Hall sensors, the circus diagram, the 3D designs of our switches (where applies to the Patent), and many more. We send him all of them except the 3D designs of our switches.
Then on March 26th 2018, XMIT wrote to us: I will never again sell or ship a keyboard for which I do not have full source code access to firmware and remapping tools. If this is a deal breaker then I will write the software myself and take my business elsewhere.
Then he said he wasn’t interested in the teakwood sample keyboard anymore.
That’s how our story ends.
Lastly, may I ask XMIT, if you take your business elsewhere, will it still be Hall Effect mechanical switches same as ours?
Oct 11, 2018
Elrick
2105
Oct 11, 2018
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leo2017Did you FIX the stabilizers on this latest keyboard?
Until we get a response and a promise from you that is has finally been fixed, this keyboard is best left to be avoided at all costs.
All of your previous releases suffered from terrible stabilizers, so first repair that by using proper GMK stabs then we have something to talk about.
Oct 11, 2018
leo2017
31
Oct 11, 2018
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ElrickThank you. We did make improvement on the stablizers, and tested it among some customers, no complains. Anyway it seems we still need to improve the stablizers, we'll try GMK stabs and see how it works. BTW, we were trying to use a stablizer, which is more suitable for CNC, which might be wrong?
Does anybody has no problem with the stablizers at all?
Oct 11, 2018
XMIT
881
XMIT
Oct 11, 2018
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leo2017I have a 100 page design document that details all of the material designs that went into the keyboard. I concede that Ace owns the switch and sensor designs. The key layout, key placement, packaging choice, stabilizer choice, and countless other details were the direct result of hundreds of hours of my time in collaboration with Tom and others.
I've decided to make that design document public. It is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19HVJByislTFl6ymvIfH9z54IOYUQ0ZQBtR4BhuUG6eE/edit?usp=sharing .
All the quality issues that anyone mentioned from Round 1 are in that doc. Many of them are still problems.
I have plans for Hall sensor switches that use off the shelf sensors (with predictable and consistent characteristics - something that could never be guaranteed given you did not provide data sheets) and a new switch design (that won't bind, has better tolerances, responds better to off center presses, should be smoother).
As for writing my own firmware, or doing something similar: I had plans to port an existing keyboard firmware to the Ace board, or write a new one. This is challenging to do when the vendor changes the MCU supplier without informing me.
In short: I've had an idea for a Hall sensor based keyboard in my head for a while. I was really excited when I came across Ace as their design was about 70% of what I had in mind. Turns out that last 30% is really important.
I'll also note that this is the first time I've really heard from Tom, the owner, apart from one or two random responses to issues along the way. Perhaps had I met Tom earlier - in person - we could have had a better working relationship. Indeed, I'm open to the idea of future collaboration in various forms (such as Ace providing stuffed PCBs and switch assemblies as part of the bill of materials for a different keyboard).
But let's take a step back. Massdrop decided to work with the vendor directly without even consulting me about this, *despite the fact that we had in place a bidirectional exclusive vendor-designer contract*. Of course Tom wants to continue selling Ace boards in the US.
Oct 11, 2018
leo2017
31
Oct 19, 2018
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XMITYes we can further discuss the possibilities of future collaboration in various forms.
Oct 19, 2018
XMIT
881
XMIT
Aug 20, 2019
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leo2017Tom or Macy please reach out to me, I had a question for you. Thank you.
Aug 20, 2019
XMIT
881
XMIT
Aug 20, 2019
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leo2017Please contact me, I've got a question for you. Cheers.
Aug 20, 2019
Elrick
2105
Aug 21, 2019
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leo2017Looking forward to a full 108 keyed keyboard done in Aluminium here. You do know that Aluminium is a non metallic material, which would be perfect for your keyboard design. Be the First Company to make this design instead of making something cheap and nasty because MassDrop is indeed for everyone BUT certain high QUALITY keyboards, attain certain interest and respect when it's presented that way. Concentrate on far more than only installing Hall Effect switches here, make sure they are inserted into a truly unique keyboard design, that will last forever. That would entice far more customers than simply focusing upon the 'cheap skates' in the Keyboard World. Super-fine keyboards cost a lot but their owners never complain or hesitate in buying another one ; )
Aug 21, 2019
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