Ever wonder what an image x-ray of an AMB transponder looks like?

[butcher bergs]

I started wondering what the guts look like so I fired up the ol' x-ray and grabbed a couple images. I didn't refine the image quality so it's still fairly grainy but going by the relative simplicity of the circuit layout it becomes quite obvious that AMB is making money hand over fist with these things.








-Front-




-Back-

[Manny]

Good stuff bergsy, good stuff indeed.


Crickets.....

[butcher bergs]

Thanks, Manny.

I'm thinking about making a fixture to secure it in and get some angled views. After I posted this thread I got to wondering what an end-view looks like. The circuit board appears to be populated on both sides but I think a couple of end views are in need.

[Manny]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

Yup, more views is the way to go in situations like these.

[DuncanMoto]

Why don't you just open it up and take some color photos?

[wiggeywackyo]

It's probably encased in that epoxy stuff.

[butcher bergs]

Why don't you just open it up and take some color photos?

Haven't figured out how to get it apart.............that and I'd rather not have to spend another $300 if I somehow break this one.




I'll have to work on those other images tomorrow. I don't have enough time tonight to get it all set up.

Think I'm gonna look at an EZPass while I'm at it.

[tls25rs]

Bergs,

What kind of X-Ray machine are you using to generate these images? I work with some X-Ray CT machines, just haven't had my transponder with me, or the desire to X-Ray it. Could probably get some decent 3D images of one if I brought it to work.

Joel

[butcher bergs]

Dage XD7800NT



Let's have an x-ray duel!

We can go back and forth just x-raying random things until spring time!!





In addition to this transponder and the EZPass I was thinking of doing a fuel injector, throttle position sensor, an ECU, a CDI box and perhaps most any suggestion that others might wanna post up.

[CBR929RE]

Haven't figured out how to get it apart.............that and I'd rather not have to spend another $300 if I somehow break this one.




I'll have to work on those other images tomorrow. I don't have enough time tonight to get it all set up.

Think I'm gonna look at an EZPass while I'm at it.

where the hell did you find one for $300? cheapest I could find was $400

[butcher bergs]

where the hell did you find one for $300? cheapest I could find was $400

Used on WERA

[REXXX]

Might possibly not be safe for work





















X-Ray Pin up model pose haha, you guys should top this with your fancy x ray stuff.... still drunk and bored online

[CBR929RE]

Might possibly not be safe for work





















X-Ray Pin up model pose haha, you guys should top this with your fancy x ray stuff.... still drunk and bored online

wtf good are you, no cleavage, FAIL

[REXXX]

wtf good are you, no cleavage, FAIL

ho about x ray side boob sort of

[tls25rs]

Don't think the powers that be would appreciate me scanning all sorts of things here and then posting the pictures on the internet so I don't think I will be participating in the scans/posting fun.

I looked at the data sheet you posted up and the system you are using has way finer resolution then the systems that we build in the division I work in. We make ct based explosive detection scanners for scanning luggage at the airport, both checked baggage and carry on applications.

http://www.sds.l-3com.com/auto_explv...examinersx.htm

http://www.sds.l-3com.com/auto_explv...t/examiner.htm

http://www.sds.l-3com.com/auto_explv...xaminerxlb.htm

Joel

[blacklightning]

Lame images, geek tech talk

unsubscribing

[Hoon]

you guys should top this with your fancy x ray stuff.... still drunk and bored online

I think a few people have set the bar higher...



Anyway, back to transponders

[Rambunctous]

Try that machine on a unscratched lottery ticket. Let me know what happens. I got ideas.

[OreoGaborio]

Might possibly not be safe for work

X-Ray Pin up model pose haha, you guys should top this with your fancy x ray stuff.... still drunk and bored online

Okay... first of all, that is NOT nws

Second, if it were, it would need to be linked, not just posted further down the page. Reason being, the way you posted it, it gets downloaded to the user's PC the moment they open the thread. With a link, at least they can choose whether or not it gets downloaded onto their machine.

[REXXX]

Okay... first of all, that is NOT nws

Second, if it were, it would need to be linked, not just posted further down the page. Reason being, the way you posted it, it gets downloaded to the user's PC the moment they open the thread. With a link, at least they can choose whether or not it gets downloaded onto their machine.

Haha I was just trying to be safe Also i did not know that it got downloaded to your computer. Not Really a tech person at all. I know that the computer turns on and puts magical shows on my screen

[OreoGaborio]

Well, it doesn't get 'downloaded' per say onto your hard drive, but a company could feasilbly look at just about anything that you see on the net if they know what they're doing. Posting a link is just safer for everyone. S-all good!

[xsiliconkid]

It's probably encased in that epoxy stuff.

Yes, everything is encapsulated in epoxy.... only one person I know knows how to dissolve the epoxy for repair and they are not talking.

85% chance you will destroy unit trying to open.

Last year I took a look at replicating a transponder (reverse engineer). I know the unit transmits continuous on a freq. of 3.7 MHz and uses Magnetic Induction (VS RF) technique (much lower power consumption and only needs a meter range).
In loose terms the communication protocol is based upon active RFID but does not conform to any standards and the serial number encrypted... so gave up...

I did calculate a BOM (bill of materials) on the device and came up less than $12 at reasonable volumes.


Mylaps business model is, make all the $margin on selling the dongle(transponder).... which is basically a 20th century business model.
E.g., newer RFID technolgy (40cents per UHF transponder sticker) will hurt them.

[Speed Demon 828]

Graham, any reason why we can't use the sticker type transponders that a lot of Motocross Clubs are using?

[xsiliconkid]

Graham, any reason why we can't use the sticker type transponders that a lot of Motocross Clubs are using?

In the long term, no.
Short term ( next 3-4 years)
1. NHMS has investment in their current infrastructure that supports AMB/mylaps transponders and
2. the stickers system ( as I have used for the past two years at track days) still has some way to go with reliabilty.

[butcher bergs]

Yes, everything is encapsulated in epoxy.... only one person I know knows how to dissolve the epoxy for repair and they are not talking.

I'm gonna look into this a bit more. There's a group at work that may well have an answer.......not that I'm looking to get into repairing these things but the useless information is always good to have.

I would imagine boiling it in some kind of liquid would loosen up the end cap at the very least. So long as the battery's dead the electronics won't be harmed in any way.

85% chance you will destroy unit trying to open.

I gave it 93% for the first attempt and 75% on the second attempt.

Mylaps business model is, make all the $margin on selling the dongle(transponder).... which is basically a 20th century business model.
E.g., newer RFID technolgy (40cents per UHF transponder sticker) will hurt them.

If I were to estimate the total production cost of the transponder only, bare board to completed product, I'd put the cost-per-unit-built at a very conservative $130-ish depending on how much production is performed in-house. It would be of no surprise to see a number considerably less than that for a completed unit.

Since there aren't going to be any significant revisions to the circuitry, it's just a matter of spinning a run of break-out style palets, probably a 20-up pallet at the very least, and running a surface mount machine for a few days. The battery and antenna are hand-assemble which eliminates any wave solder machine and there doesn't appear to be anything particularly special with regards to installing parts on the board.

Time to complete a unit? Estimated 2-3hrs tops from bare board to completed unit, not including the curing time for the conformal coating.

Without having actual numbers it's hard to say what the profit is but I will say that, at $400 a pop, it is considerable profit.

They know they have a monopoly on timing.