Circuit and Ornament

F

FuRanKu

Guest
Hi,

i am studying Mediadesign at the Bauhaus-University Weimar. I start a
little research about "Electronic circuits as an unintentional
Ornament".
I need your help, because I didnt find anything in the net. It seems an
unusual topic.

In the research I want to analyse how emerge the ornamental character
of circuits. In a way the form follows the function, but there is
freedom for the design of PCBs, as you know. Some interconnections are
angular, some tends to are round, some are thick, some thin,... As my
base I had choose a video recorder and its development over the years.

-Do you know any artists, that work with that topic?
-Was there a change in the technic of solder in the past years?
-Have you got some links about the functions of a video recorder?
-Any other help or suggestions?

Thanks
Frank Langer
 
FuRanKu wrote:

Hi,

i am studying Mediadesign at the Bauhaus-University Weimar. I start a
little research about "Electronic circuits as an unintentional
Ornament".
I need your help, because I didnt find anything in the net. It seems an
unusual topic.

In the research I want to analyse how emerge the ornamental character
of circuits. In a way the form follows the function, but there is
freedom for the design of PCBs, as you know. Some interconnections are
angular, some tends to are round, some are thick, some thin,... As my
base I had choose a video recorder and its development over the years.

-Do you know any artists, that work with that topic?
-Was there a change in the technic of solder in the past years?
-Have you got some links about the functions of a video recorder?
-Any other help or suggestions?

Thanks
Frank Langer

Did some adviser pull that out of a hat, or did you come up with it?
Click to expand...

If you look at PCB layouts and you see something ornamental then perhaps
the reason is that it isn't unintentional at all. As you said, there
_is_ a lot of freedom in laying out a circuit board. Furthermore, there
are so many factors affecting the circuit performance that the decisions
about where to place components are usually a strong mix of rational
decisions (rounded traces are often better from an electromagnetic
compatibility standpoint, for instance) and the designer just "making it
look right". Since "looking right" is usually a subset of "looking
pretty" you get right to "ornamental" pretty quickly.

You can add to that the fact that many aftermarket personal computer
boards are marketed directly to the computer-building public, and that
if the packaging doesn't show the board the reviews in the magazines
certainly will; All else being equal I suspect that a slightly
technically superior but truly ugly board won't sell as well as a
slightly inferior one that looks good.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com
 
careful of the LEAD.
(in the solder)
Lots of stuff on a PCB is toxic
I designed and laid out about 30 boards mostly RF, microwave.
The engineering reasons drive the design.

Your topic is just "take pictures up close"
I would choose pix of IC's myself. many of those online
 
-Any other help or suggestions?
Click to expand...
Jim Williams's electronic sculptures are both artistic and functional.

See, for example, the "photo gallery" link at

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4053122

I believe some pictures have appeared in IEEE journals in the past too.

Tim.
 
Compare and contrast with industrial assembly/conveyor lines.
Certainly they have been photographed as "art" over the years, starting
in the 1920's, but this was not their original intention. Their
repeated forms and patterns (much like a PC board) can give rise to
art.

Don't ignore plumbing/pneumatics that's intended to be art too - like a
pipe organ.

Tim.
 
On 1 Aug 2005 10:03:35 -0700, "FuRanKu" <datengruetze@web.de> wrote:

Hi,

i am studying Mediadesign at the Bauhaus-University Weimar. I start a
little research about "Electronic circuits as an unintentional
Ornament".
I need your help, because I didnt find anything in the net. It seems an
unusual topic.

In the research I want to analyse how emerge the ornamental character
of circuits. In a way the form follows the function, but there is
freedom for the design of PCBs, as you know. Some interconnections are
angular, some tends to are round, some are thick, some thin,... As my
base I had choose a video recorder and its development over the years.

-Do you know any artists, that work with that topic?
-Was there a change in the technic of solder in the past years?
-Have you got some links about the functions of a video recorder?
-Any other help or suggestions?

Thanks
Frank Langer
Click to expand...

Many PC designers have strong artistic opinions, and there have been
occasional "beauty contests" for PC board layouts. We sometimes add
non-functional doodles or visual messages/puns to our boards.

But there is an untapped space for intentionally artistic PC boards,
both bare boards and functional ones. The media itself has many
possibilities: laminate
thickness/color/shape/ridgid-flex/transparency, solder masks (why not
multiple colors?), plating/patina effects, optical properties of
laminates and plated thru-holes, many opportunities. Parts make it
even more interesting.

I doubt the artistic/gallery types would get into it, though; it would
be too real and too intimidating for them.

John
 
Hello John,

Many PC designers have strong artistic opinions, and there have been
occasional "beauty contests" for PC board layouts. We sometimes add
non-functional doodles or visual messages/puns to our boards.
Click to expand...
So what did the winner get? To be honest, it's the first time I hear
about that. Cool.

Doodles, aren't those usually Dilbert related? Can't remember which one,
maybe the uA709 but some chip had a smiley and the signatures of some of
the chip designers in a corner on a mask.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
 
Hello Frank,

... In a way the form follows the function, ...
Click to expand...
The only area where I'd think there is some requirement to follow form
in order to achieve proper funtion is RF design. Radar, microwave
transmitters, receivers, UHF or higher TV transmitters. VCRs and the
like will be rather boring from that perspective. much of the layout
will have been done automatic, not much human touch.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
 
Joerg wrote:
Hello John,

Many PC designers have strong artistic opinions, and there have been
occasional "beauty contests" for PC board layouts. We sometimes add
non-functional doodles or visual messages/puns to our boards.


So what did the winner get? To be honest, it's the first time I hear
about that. Cool.

Doodles, aren't those usually Dilbert related? Can't remember which one,
maybe the uA709 but some chip had a smiley and the signatures of some of
the chip designers in a corner on a mask.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
Click to expand...
I once had a new manager drag me over to an instrument that he had
designed for a previous company. By pressing the right three buttons at
power up you got a picture of the product team. After 8 years I still
can't decide if it was really cool or a monumental waste of time.

Oh, and check out http://www.clock.org/~fair/amusing.html. You'll
remember the picture, no doubt.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com
 
"Tim Wescott" <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote in message
news:11et5r638q8uaa4@corp.supernews.com...
Joerg wrote:
Hello John,

Many PC designers have strong artistic opinions, and there have been
occasional "beauty contests" for PC board layouts. We sometimes add
non-functional doodles or visual messages/puns to our boards.


So what did the winner get? To be honest, it's the first time I hear
about that. Cool.

Doodles, aren't those usually Dilbert related? Can't remember which one,
maybe the uA709 but some chip had a smiley and the signatures of some of
the chip designers in a corner on a mask.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

I once had a new manager drag me over to an instrument that he had
designed for a previous company. By pressing the right three buttons at
power up you got a picture of the product team. After 8 years I still
can't decide if it was really cool or a monumental waste of time.

Oh, and check out http://www.clock.org/~fair/amusing.html. You'll
remember the picture, no doubt.
Click to expand...
An instrument developed by a company for which I once worked has a hidden
pushbutton in the center of the array of membrane switches. When pressed,
all functions are frozen and the message "Coffee break" is displayed until
the button is pressed again.

I have included "secret local modes" in some of my designs, accessed by
pressing an unlikely combination of controls (both display brighter and
dimmer at the same time, for instance). That changes the front panel LEDs
to a maintenance readout mode, displaying internals such as temperature,
voltage, built-in-test status, etc, without requiring a test set hookup.
 
On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 10:03:35 -0700, FuRanKu wrote:

Hi,

i am studying Mediadesign at the Bauhaus-University Weimar. I start a
little research about "Electronic circuits as an unintentional
Ornament".
I need your help, because I didnt find anything in the net. It seems an
unusual topic.

In the research I want to analyse how emerge the ornamental character
of circuits. In a way the form follows the function, but there is
freedom for the design of PCBs, as you know. Some interconnections are
angular, some tends to are round, some are thick, some thin,... As my
base I had choose a video recorder and its development over the years.

-Do you know any artists, that work with that topic?
-Was there a change in the technic of solder in the past years?
-Have you got some links about the functions of a video recorder?
-Any other help or suggestions?
Click to expand...
Here ya go! Knock yourself out:
http://www.neodruid.org/images/
(to keep it electronic, look at the ones with "PWM*" in their name...)
--
Cheers!
Rich
------
"It's not pretty being easy."
 
On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 10:34:05 -0700, Tim Wescott wrote:

All else being equal I suspect that a slightly
technically superior but truly ugly board won't sell as well as a
slightly inferior one that looks good.
Click to expand...
Oh, but I'd like to think that for us technically superior people, the
one that performs the best will look the best. ;-P

Cheers!
Rich
 
Hello Tim,

I once had a new manager drag me over to an instrument that he had
designed for a previous company. By pressing the right three buttons at
power up you got a picture of the product team. After 8 years I still
can't decide if it was really cool or a monumental waste of time.
Click to expand...
We had an ultrasound machine that could play an episode of "The Three
Stooges" I believe. But that was only used to briefly check the sound
card and other things. Other than that it was more like what Richard
described, service mode. Press here three times, there twice, say
whoop-dee-dou three times and the system displays its innards.

Oh, and check out http://www.clock.org/~fair/amusing.html. You'll
remember the picture, no doubt.
Click to expand...
ROFL! I wonder how much real graffity is on chips that has never been
disclosed. I mean, even a third party would likely not want to come
forth with such a discovery since that would bluntly announce "hey, we
just tried to reverse-engineer your chip and look what we found".

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
 
On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 00:37:38 +0000, Joerg wrote:

Hello Tim,

I once had a new manager drag me over to an instrument that he had
designed for a previous company. By pressing the right three buttons at
power up you got a picture of the product team. After 8 years I still
can't decide if it was really cool or a monumental waste of time.

We had an ultrasound machine that could play an episode of "The Three
Stooges" I believe. But that was only used to briefly check the sound
card and other things. Other than that it was more like what Richard
described, service mode. Press here three times, there twice, say
whoop-dee-dou three times and the system displays its innards.

Oh, and check out http://www.clock.org/~fair/amusing.html. You'll
remember the picture, no doubt.

ROFL! I wonder how much real graffity is on chips that has never been
disclosed. I mean, even a third party would likely not want to come
forth with such a discovery since that would bluntly announce "hey, we
just tried to reverse-engineer your chip and look what we found".
Click to expand...
Some years back a couple of friends worked in the FA department of our
corporate purchasing group. They had a whole library of such "art". One
was tryng to reverse engineer a circuit once, and ran into a roadblock.
He simply couldn't figure out a shape, until he turned down the resolution
significantly. A Kilroy was staring back at him - he was just looking at
the nose and eyes.

A couple of years ago a warning went out to our PD folks to not play
around with such things (condition of employment was the operative phrase).
PHBs have no sense of humor at all.

--
Keith
 
On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 23:37:45 -0400, Spehro Pefhany wrote:

On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 22:57:42 -0400, the renowned keith
krw@att.bizzzz> wrote:

On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 00:37:38 +0000, Joerg wrote:

Hello Tim,

I once had a new manager drag me over to an instrument that he had
designed for a previous company. By pressing the right three buttons at
power up you got a picture of the product team. After 8 years I still
can't decide if it was really cool or a monumental waste of time.

We had an ultrasound machine that could play an episode of "The Three
Stooges" I believe. But that was only used to briefly check the sound
card and other things. Other than that it was more like what Richard
described, service mode. Press here three times, there twice, say
whoop-dee-dou three times and the system displays its innards.

Oh, and check out http://www.clock.org/~fair/amusing.html. You'll
remember the picture, no doubt.

ROFL! I wonder how much real graffity is on chips that has never been
disclosed. I mean, even a third party would likely not want to come
forth with such a discovery since that would bluntly announce "hey, we
just tried to reverse-engineer your chip and look what we found".

Some years back a couple of friends worked in the FA department of our
corporate purchasing group. They had a whole library of such "art". One
was tryng to reverse engineer a circuit once, and ran into a roadblock.
He simply couldn't figure out a shape, until he turned down the resolution
significantly. A Kilroy was staring back at him - he was just looking at
the nose and eyes.

A couple of years ago a warning went out to our PD folks to not play
around with such things (condition of employment was the operative phrase).
PHBs have no sense of humor at all.

I believe I've heard vague stories of electrical problems caused by
the added graffito.
Click to expand...
Certainly. One product I worked on had a VDD/VSS short caused by the
PD folks' signatures that weren't Verity checked.

--
Keith
 
On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 21:30:47 GMT, Joerg
<notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:

Hello John,

Many PC designers have strong artistic opinions, and there have been
occasional "beauty contests" for PC board layouts. We sometimes add
non-functional doodles or visual messages/puns to our boards.

So what did the winner get? To be honest, it's the first time I hear
about that. Cool.
Click to expand...
Printed Circuit Design magazine used to (still do, for all I know)
have a contest for the coolest PC boards, with awards at some
conference. I don't think there was an actual prize.

Doodles, aren't those usually Dilbert related? Can't remember which one,
maybe the uA709 but some chip had a smiley and the signatures of some of
the chip designers in a corner on a mask.
Click to expand...

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/pages/betty.html

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/pages/madeintexas.html

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/pages/panic.html


John




Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
Click to expand...
 
On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 22:57:42 -0400, the renowned keith
<krw@att.bizzzz> wrote:

On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 00:37:38 +0000, Joerg wrote:

Hello Tim,

I once had a new manager drag me over to an instrument that he had
designed for a previous company. By pressing the right three buttons at
power up you got a picture of the product team. After 8 years I still
can't decide if it was really cool or a monumental waste of time.

We had an ultrasound machine that could play an episode of "The Three
Stooges" I believe. But that was only used to briefly check the sound
card and other things. Other than that it was more like what Richard
described, service mode. Press here three times, there twice, say
whoop-dee-dou three times and the system displays its innards.

Oh, and check out http://www.clock.org/~fair/amusing.html. You'll
remember the picture, no doubt.

ROFL! I wonder how much real graffity is on chips that has never been
disclosed. I mean, even a third party would likely not want to come
forth with such a discovery since that would bluntly announce "hey, we
just tried to reverse-engineer your chip and look what we found".

Some years back a couple of friends worked in the FA department of our
corporate purchasing group. They had a whole library of such "art". One
was tryng to reverse engineer a circuit once, and ran into a roadblock.
He simply couldn't figure out a shape, until he turned down the resolution
significantly. A Kilroy was staring back at him - he was just looking at
the nose and eyes.

A couple of years ago a warning went out to our PD folks to not play
around with such things (condition of employment was the operative phrase).
PHBs have no sense of humor at all.
Click to expand...
I believe I've heard vague stories of electrical problems caused by
the added graffito.

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
 
FuRanKu wrote:
Hi,

i am studying Mediadesign at the Bauhaus-University Weimar. I start a
little research about "Electronic circuits as an unintentional
Ornament".
Click to expand...
Is Bauhaus German for dog kennel?
Isn't the German for 'ornament' Schmuck?

To me, the same board can look ugly, foul, insulting and depressing-
until I find the bug.... then it's a thing of almost divine beauty, an
inspiration, a symphony in FR4...

Paul Burke
 
Hello John,

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/pages/betty.html

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/pages/madeintexas.html

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/pages/panic.html
Click to expand...
Thanks, these are cool. Especially the first two.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
 
Thanks for your answers and links.
I will work on that topic and post the results.
May be you are interested in that.

Ciao FuRanKu
 
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