I have to compare the K2 firmware development and its time span with the
firmware development of the K3.
The K2 was introduced in 1999 and its firmware was improved to add new
functions up until about 2006 (about the time the K3 was being
developed). Yes, the update rate slowed considerably over time, and
besides the K2 firmware cost the builder extra dollars. Since 2006,
there were only 2 additional firmware updates - MCU 2.04P/IOC 1.09 to
support the addition of the K2 Keying waveshape mod and the K60XV and
then later MCU 2.04r was released with the only change being the
selection of a sidetone source between U6 pin 25 and U8 pin 4 was
restricted to U8 pin 4 because of numerous support calls and emails
because "My K2 has lost its sidetone". There will likely be no more K2
firmware updates unless it is required to support a change required by
an obsolete component that is no longer available - the K2 is a mature
product. The most active firmware development was in the first 4 years.
As for the K3, yes firmware updates slowed as development work on the
KX3 was coming on line at Elecraft which kept the K3 MCU and DSP
firmware (and hardware) developers busy with KX3 tasks, but there *have*
been K3 firmware updates during that timeframe too, they were just
slower coming.
The K3 was first available in 2008 which makes it now almost 6 years old
- like the K2, firmware upgrades were most active in the first 4 years -
plus, the firmware upgrades for the K3 are at no cost to the owner.
Development cost for firmware upgrades do exist, and there is no cost
recovery for Elecraft except that produced by new K3 sales and the
introduction on new products to amortize that cost.
Keep in mind that there are two primary firmware developers who share
their efforts between the K3 and KX3 (one for the K2). Other firmware
developers were brought on line for the P3, the KPA500, the KAT500, and
the KXPA100/KXAT100, but those developers are multitasking too, and they
have to focus their efforts on the higher priority items - one of which
*may* be the new product that is to be revealed this weekend.
That is not to say that things still "on the K3 list" will not get
attention, I am only saying that the rate will slow down given
development time taken from the necessary attention to the 'new goodies'
from Elecraft. Elecraft is not large enough to allow one employee to
dedicate all his time to a single development task, so all are
multitasking at all times. When I was with IBM, such dedication to a
single task was possible, but Elecraft is nowhere the size of IBM and
does not have those huge resources available.
73,
Don W3FPR
On 4/3/2014 8:01 PM, Ian White wrote:
I have to admit, I find most of this discussion a bit odd.
Why, is the K3 less "fun" today than it was two years ago? Why do you
expect Elecraft to deliver more radio than you purchased?
Because that is precisely what Elecraft did deliver in the early days of
the K3 - both the "fun" part and the "more radio".
The early adopters purchased the K3 with a lot of rough edges, on the
explicit understanding that there would be ongoing firmware upgrades;
and for a while, Elecraft delivered on that promise. We did get more
radio than we had originally purchased because that was part of the
bargain.
While major features were still being worked on, K3 owners were happy to
cut Elecraft some slack about numerous issues of lower priority. We were
content with Elecraft's acknowledgement that "It's on the list".
The cause for disquiet now is that the K3 upgrade process has tapered
off prematurely. As Elecraft's attention has turned to other products,
many of those "on the list" issues remain unaddressed.
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