[sdiy] Cool chip alert

[Cornutt, David K]

From: Colin Hinz [mailto:asfi at eol.ca]
> 
> I do wonder what's in the guts of the SpeakJet -- it's not like a
> few guys working in an industrial park in Alabama can suddenly
> build a fab to start churning out mixed-signal ASICs..........and
> as they're really clear about providing an entirely American-made
> product (and I don't have any problem with "buy domestic" campaigns,
> as we could use a bit of that up here), so that implies a fab in
> the USA.

Hmmm, right in my back yard -- and it took someone from Toronto
to point it out to me! :-)

"Capshaw" is a small town near Huntsville, which, believe it or not,
is a tech mecca in Alabama.  Although they only give a PO box, I
have an idea where their office probably is.  I'll do some research
and issue a report later in the week.

And yes, there are short-run fabs around here that can do mixed
signal and hybrids and all kinds of stuff, just not in quantity
and not using bleeding-edge line widths.  They do mostly military
work.  Sounds like one of them found a different customer.
And, no, this would not come close to qualifying as one of the
strangest things they were ever asked to do.  

If you look at Magnevation's Web site, most of their products
are things that support the OOPic controller.  I didn't realize
this, but the OOPic company is here in town too.  I might be
able to find out who some of these people are and get them to
come up on this list.  You would think that if they are in town
and are doing DIY synth stuff, I would know them, but that's the
way a lot of the DIY and art community is around here -- surprisingly
large, but scattered and poorly connected.  (I wish I had a good
answer for that, but I don't.)