Expert Insights on Electronics Testing & Manufacturing including LabVIEW, ATE, Test Systems & Engineering - S5 Solutions | LabVIEW, ATE, Test Engineering Services

Focus on the Problem at Hand

10/21/2021

We inherited a project from a client that was frustrated with the previous engineer not delivering. They had been working on the device for too long, spending a lot of time trying to implement host-mode Bluetooth for audio streaming. Not only was the Bluetooth not working, but it still didn’t do the most important functions. The Bluetooth was a distraction.

We asked the customer if we could hold off on Bluetooth for version 1 and they agreed. The S5 engineers had the important core functionality working in under two days. There was more engineering to be done, but the necessary functionality was working quickly after a long and unnecessary wait. Focusing on the right problem made all the difference.

Measure a Million Times, Cut Once

10/20/2021

Measure twice, cut once. Better yet, you’ve got a computer… measure a million times, do statistical analysis of all those measurements to make a solid choice based on data.

...Then put that data into a cloud database, provide access through a web interface, share it with your team, track the quality of your product, use SPC to improve it...

Need help with any of that? Give us a call.

Clear your Mind

10/20/2021

I posted a few days ago about “Constructive Distraction”. Stepping away from a problem can give your mind a rest, so you can come back with a renewed perspective.

My favorite creative distraction is flying a paramotor. It is an activity that is relaxing and yet requires focus and commitment. There is always more to learn and room build skills. At the same time, it is the best way I have found to leave all the cares of the world behind, and return to the ground ready for what comes next.

Constructive Distraction

10/4/2021

Have you ever been at the point where you get on a track that you are determined is the right path, but the harder you push to force it to work, it just won’t work?

It is easy for our minds to fixate on a problem.

Our minds have incredible abilities to solve puzzles in the unconscious if we give them a chance. I have found that clearing my mind from actively working on the problem can often let my unconscious mind come to the rescue.

This is not an excuse to take too many coffee breaks or spend all your time at the water cooler chatting about last night's game (although some of that might work!). It is more than that. It is about getting in a state of Constructive Distraction that lets your whole brain be involved in solving problems. A good distraction can put some distance between your conscious mind and the problem, allowing your unconscious mind to engage.

Sometimes taking time away from a problem can be the most productive way of solving it.

Do you do this? What works for you to provide Constructive Distraction?

Blue Origin First Flight

9/23/2021

We received a very nice thank you note today from Blue Origin for our involvement with the New Shepard program that made it's first human flight in July.

Congratulations to Blue Origin, and thanks to the S5 Solutions team and all their effort, especially Tony Kuiper, the project lead on the S5 side.

We are proud to have been part of such an historic event.

The Freedom of Constraints

9/23/2021

Boundaries can be freedom, not always a limitation. If you understand all the confines of a system, you can then move freely about the entire system, finding ways to maximize it.

In chess, an amateur and master play on the same board by the same rules, but what they do can be dramatically different.

Break Boundaries

9/23/2021

It is easy to live within the boundaries we have been told exist. But are they real? Push on them to see if they are fixed or if you just believed they were. Hold loosely what you think you know for certain. Try things. Fail. Try other things.

“When you have exhausted all possibilities remember this: you haven’t.”
- Thomas Edison

Don't Look Over There!

9/23/2021

Many initial client meetings start with “We need help on A. We know that’s where the problem is. Part B works just fine, so you don’t have to worry about that. Just A is where we need help.”

The problem is usually B.

Good Design Keeps focus on People

9/15/2021

“...I know good design when I fail to trip over it.”
- Spider Robinson

Engineering is about solving problems, but problems are more than just the technical challenge.

Remember that people are usually part of the systems we design. Good design solves problems for people.

Listen to the Problem

9/1/2021

Too often we as engineers jump in and start building a solution before understanding the problem. Whether it’s hardware or software, the first step of prototyping a new design is listening to the problem. Don’t instantly reach for your hammer to hit the nail. Look at it. Is it a screw? Maybe a rivet? Heck, maybe it’s something else entirely. Understanding the problems is the first step in knowing how to solve it. Nothing revolutionary here, just a reminder to engineers that engineering starts in your mind not your toolbox.