Please Read: An Important RoadTest Program Change

Hi Reinoud,

Take a look at my blog on testing.

Each device presented to Element 14 can be viewed in two different perspectives.

You use the Road Test Proposal to identify which type of testing you will do and what answers you hope to provide the vendors and the Element 14  community.

From my perspective, Road Testing is not about complex testing, but about assessing the device for applications within the Element 14 domain.

Focused testing is always useful to both the manufacturer and the community.

So think about what you can do with the equipment you have.  I pass on many road test opportunities as my time and test equipment is limited.  I apply for those that can provide me with a useful component for my own projects that fall within my interest and testability capabilities.

So be innovative, consider what you CAN do and apply.

Not every road test is about elaborate testing.

Sometimes, the vendor just wants someone to verify that the device is easy to use and works well in simple maker applications.  They need this feedback to review their own procedures and expectations of the device working in unexpected applications so that they can show potential customers the versatility of the device.

DAB

A road test isn't supposed to be a contest. Don't stop applying, Reinoud.

i have been selected a few times with a minimalist , focused entry.

Reinoud,

I'm glad you posted this. I think it is helpful to take a step back and ask, What is a RoadTest?

It's surely not a design challenge.

A roadtest is a product review. We give you a product, you take it, conduct startup tests, conduct some experiments so you can give the reader of your review an objective opinion of the product. A roadTest is not necessarily a new product prototype thing. Of course, if you can pull it off in 60 days, that is great. I read RoadTest apps all the time that are these long manifestos of something they are going to build. And I ask myself: can someone who is a full time student or full time professional complete some long involved project in 60 evenings? I'm always leery of someone who promises the world in his or her application. No, it does not need to be a big project. You may have gotten that impression in the past, but that's not how I make recommendations. So, please continue to apply and participate in the program. Tell me something you are going to do with it that would be useful to anyone who would use the product. That's what we're looking for.

Randall Scasny

RoadTest Program Manager

rscasny Randalll, when I was reading your original document I though just the same Rachael wrote. There are limits before we are obliged to manage situations IMHO. I agree that a military style enrollment is not the best for a community. But there are members that do senseless things and in this case it is the worth, probably at least to protect the other members that spend efforts and resources trying to be correct and helpful. Also this recent roadtest I participated by Infineon, I saw almost sadly that there was too few roadtest posted after the limit date.

I appreciate that despite these happenings also in road test there is always space for new members or first-time roadtesters, So some action against those roadtesters that did not write down absolutely nothing (without a valid reason) is more than justified as they create a damage to all.

BTW I think that one concept that probably is not well clear for many members is that the road tests are not challenges. But this maybe only my personal impressione.

Enrico

Hello Reinoud,

your assertion is partially correct. The other members that answered you are aware of what a road test is, as you (and hopefully  me ) But when a roadtest become a gigantic project it is something out of topic, IMHO. When I enroll for a road test I always see before if I can introduce the new and almost unknown component in a project I am already working on. This simplifies the things as I see the product under the testing perspective with the advantage of using it at the same time. But we always should focus the attention on creating a report of "what the product is, what can do and what are the performances". A honest test, as a matter of fact. Just making an example, I loved a past road test where a new TI board was introduced in a real project for a car race. But it was not a project though ad hoc. I am in queue for road testing the Raspberry PI compute module 3 and I am very interested to discover as much as possible its characteristics, features and limits just because I am deciding to use it in a large industrial project. I have done the same with the LTE94112 by Infineon, this was the element to complete a project I was working by one year. So why not to test it ? A good opportunity. But a test is a test. Not a challenge.

BTW I think that this is not the more interesting stuff that the supplier aims to read about.

Look forward your future road test submissions

Enrico

Enrico,

A couple of things have changed since I originally wrote this. (I think it's time for an full scale update; I'll put that on my work task list.)

I have an assistant. I believe I introduced him to the RoadTest group awhile back. His name is Dan. He has been very helpful in doing follow up. With our launching more roadtests more frequently, I needed some help doing follow up. Dan's follow up emails have been not only good reminders, but we also discovered why some roadtesters had not posted. the two that come to mind was an illness in the family and someone lost his job and was trying to deal with it. (Once he started getting job leads, he quickly came up to doing the test.)

The infineon roadtest was somewhat unique. I believe there were some board failures. for these people, I didn't feel it would be fair to them keep their deadline at the original due date. So, I extended it.

People who did not do their roadtests for no good reason, I just can't use as Roadtesters. This delinquent group is getting smaller, however.

As a group, the completion rate has increased quite a bit. So we are quite happy with that. Due to the quick turnaround, we are now feeling a lot more comfortable offering more roadtests because the roadtest group overall is unique and exceptional.

More later...

Randall

Hi Randall, Thank you for the clarification. I am very happy that Road Test group is growing better. It is a really good news!

Look forward with the next new

Enrico

it really disappoints me to read that only 13% of road tests are completed. I've applied for a few and only recently got accepted to do one so on the one hand I'm looking forward to writing a review but on the other had it annoys me that myself and probably many other people who have good ideas for a readiest miss out or don't apply because they don't feel they will be chosen. theres been a lot of interesting bits of kit on offer for review since I've signed up and it makes me wonder if people are just applying to get free stuff?

We are improving. But, unfortunately, there are people who register on the community, apply for the roadtest, and then cease to log in to the community for months. And a handful create mutliple accounts.

Well, when I get the list of applicants, I try to select 10 or so that I think are the best to recommend to the supplier, who makes the final decision.

Besides looking at the questions, I do look in to see when the applicant last logged in. If an an applicant hasn't looged in for a long time, I keep that in mind when making my recommendations to the supplier. Someone who logs in and engages in the community I feel deserves my attention over someone who is disengaged.

I look for experience, but I also am looking to recommend a new roadtester. So even if you are new to the community, you still have a chance of roadtesting and receiving a free product.

The final issue is your background. I am scheduled to roadtest a absence-of-voltage indicator for 600V applications. So, I would be more likely to recommend someone to the supplier who has experience at this level or perhaps facility engineering.

Randall Scasny

RoadTest Program Manager

I'm happy to work with the "absense of 600V", it's just the presence of 600V I'd have a problem with