[Open_electroporator] low cost bacterial non-salty electroporator proposal

[John Griessen]

On 06/02/2016 10:23 PM, Nathan McCorkle wrote:
> Some response to the document:
> I didn't see anything about adjusting voltage...

That will probably all be done by pulse width modulation
programming.  We shall see.  If it needs more than that,
the low voltage DC is where an adjust can be put.  I think
PWM of the flyback stage with just timing differences will
be plenty to get different peak HV.

>
> For the CP2104, you mentioned a USB endpoint... this sounds like
> you'll need a custom OS-side USB driver too. The bandwidth required is
> low, why not use the Virtual Com Port

Comes with PIDs from Silabs, and can be a straight com port.
The functions I was alluding to are com port command triggered functions,
not a custom app for the USB client side.

>
> I might also recommend against the pipette idea... as you might
> ultimately be the blame for some experiment going wrong because of
> pipette inaccuracy.

This pipettor is planned uncalibrated.  Just for moving material.
Not planning a cal'd pipettor even for automation later, just suck, zap, squirt
to build up production supplies of transformed cell suspension.
then dip into that to do quantitative measured amounts with a cal'd pipettor.

  Maybe other than
> business talks with Dr. Papp, and general idea formulation, you should
> not focus on getting these to work.

NOt for delivery in v1.0.  Not to worry.

>
> Speaking of biotech... there was a biohackerspace in Austin I
> thought... it would be a lot easier if you could test the pyZappa, at
> least in terms of shipping costs and delay.

The delay is non-critical and can be between other longer things dealing with China, etc.
I like the idea of several people doing tests in their steady going familiar
lab where they get results usually.  Then see what makes sense.  Probably switch to
other product development after the month and work on pyzappa 1/8 time.
It will be proved out in a month.  The rest is about increasing sales,
not essential function.  There are a million directions to go.  I'll choose one for
satisfying my gut feel for sellability.  It will be more important to
get a twitter following and slick websites than add tons of new features to the product.
The features can come every so often.

I guess since you have HV
> test equipment, you can scope things out before shipping to someone
> who can try zapping some bacteria. But I wonder if we couldn't find a
> closer/quicker solution.

Quicker is always more expensive.  Delivering working electroporators
in a month is easy.  Adding more is very easy to bog down in.