DM42: The internal view (hardware components)

[jebem]

(03-01-2018 05:37 PM)Gene Wrote:  Great work, Jebem!

Thank you for your encouraging words

I don't own a DM42 (well, not yet, but I will buy one later during this year).

From what I have been reading here in the MoHPC and on the SwissMicros forums, I find this calculator to be an outstanding achievement, integrating Free42 on a modern comprehensive miniaturized hardware platform.

For instance, SwissMicros was able to produce the molds for the keys and case at an almost affordable price (and this is of course my humble opinion), considering the low volumes involved in this manufacturing.
Well, my guess is that they ordered the keys and case from the Far East manufacturing plants able to produce the molds at a lower cost for small runs when compared to what our European plants could offer.

I would like to learn about this design process and what was the manufacturing plant chosen for the case/keys production.
I have no specific reason in mind, but considering that this is a niche product made for a small community of enthusiasts (when compared to the healthy world population that doesn't care about RPN calculators), all the information about the production of the calculator could be disclosed to satisfy the natural human curiosity.

On the other hand, many times the secrecy still is the key to a successful business by keeping your competitors in the dark and behind you.
In Portugal we have a proverb, for which I don't know the equivalent in English:
"O segredo é a alma do negócio"