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  • in Updates
  • 5 min read

The Ship Has Sailed & Extra Cables Added for the Toolkit. What’s Next?

Hello, Openterface community!

We’re thrilled to announce that our Openterface products have officially shipped. They’re currently at the port in Shenzhen, ready to board a cargo ship bound for the US!

cardboard boxs to Crowdsupply product packing

Here’s what’s new:

Fulfillment Preparations: Quality Checks and Packing

Before packing and shipping, we thoroughly tested each unit to ensure the highest quality, as we mentioned in previouse update: DIY Challenge, Cool Prizes, and Production Nears the Finish Line!. Every cable was scrutinised for signal transmission stability using our Mini-KVM.

Now, let’s talk about the news—both the bad and the good.

BAD News: Some Orange Cables Didn’t Meet Expectations Under Tough Conditions

Our Mini-KVM transmits video, audio, mouse/keyboard control, and USB data via a single Type-C cable. The cable’s performance is critical for data stability, especially in challenging environments.

To simulate real-world interference, we wrapped the orange Type-C cable around an electric fan motor while running multiple computers nearby. This created a high level of electromagnetic interference (EMI), to evaluate our cables’ data transmission stability.

Testing Setup A budget-friendly yet effective testing method.

Check out our video tweet showcasing one of our performance tests for comparison.

Under these conditions, some orange cables struggled with signal loss, raising concerns about their reliability in complex environments such as data centres or during critical IT operations.

To address this, Kevin Peng, our tech director, developed a bespoke testing programme. This tool, allowing you to test the quality of your own USB cables, will soon be open-sourced with more updates later.

Testing programme interface Our programme makes cable testing a breeze.

While our orange cables, with its soft, silicone-like texture and attractive appearance, are great and are perfect for everyday use like fast charging and regular data transmits, they fall short in a heavy transmits work in tough conditions, like high EMI.

GOOD News: Our Solution is Here

We’ve immediately sourced high-quality nylon USB 3.2 cables to include as an extra in the Toolkit version—at no additional cost to you. These durable cables come in three lengths in grey color: 1M (3.2 ft), 1.5M (4.9 ft), and 2M (6.5 ft). You’ll receive one randomly selected cable from these length options in your Toolkit version, ensuring you have a robust and reliable connection for your Mini-KVM.

New Grey Nylon Type-C cables

In future Mini-KVM Toolkit versions, our orange cable for connecting to the host side of Mini-KVM will be upgraded to the nylon Type-C 3.2 cable, combining functionality, stability, and style.

Custom Nylon Type-C cables

We hope you appreciate this decision and continue to rely on Openterface during critical moments on your tech frontlines.

Shipping Schedule

When can you expect your Mini-KVM? If everything goes smoothly with our shippment, our products should arrive at Crowd Supply’s Mouser warehouse by mid-December, then they will get our Openterface shipped out according to each orders accordingly.

  • For backers in the US: there’s a small chance for delivery before Christmas, but this isn’t guaranteed, since everything tends to slow down as the holiday gets closer.

  • For backers outside the US: Delivery times will vary. Our best estimate is mid-January.

Here’s hoping for a smooth journey for our Openterface products—no seasickness, carsickness, or jet lag! 😃

Cool Openterface T-Shirts and Hoodies

We’ll be at the Shenzhen Maker Fair this weekend (16–17 Nov). To gear up, we’ve designed team apparel, including T-shirt, zip-up and pullover hoodie.

Take a look and let us know what you think: Openterface T-shirt and Hoodie

Support Our Development

If you’d like to support our open-source development further, may also check out our TechxArtisan Shop. You can purchase cables, T-shirts, and hoodies—all while helping us financially continue to innovate. Every purchase counts and supports the open-source community spirit.

What’s Next: Host App Updates

Now that shipping is underway, our focus will shift back to refining our host apps. We’re working on getting them verified across various app stores to ensure a seamless experience as you get started with Openterface.

App stores

What’s Next: Join Our USB DIY Contest

Why not join our USB KVM DIY Challenge 2024 once you’ve got your Openterface Mini-KVM in hand? It’s a great opportunity to contribute to our open-source development and even win a prize——including two special editions Openterface Mini-KVM and more! For more details, check out the Crowd Supply's contest page.

alt text alt text

Wrapping It Up

Thank you for being an integral part of our journey. Your support and feedback keep us moving forward. If you have any questions or ideas, we’d love to hear from you! Join the conversation in our community on Reddit and Discord.

With gratitude,
Billy Wang
Product Manager
Openterface Team | TechxArtisan

  • in Updates
  • 4 min read

DIY Challenge, Cool Prizes, and Production Nears the Finish Line!

Hey there, Openterface enthusiasts!

We've got some exciting news to share! From a thrilling new DIY challenge to production milestones and cool software updates—things are buzzing here at Openterface. Grab a drink, make yourself comfy, and dive into this update with us!

USB KVM DIY Challenge 2024: Time to Unleash Your Inner Tech Wizard!

Attention all tinkerers, makers, and dreamers! We're thrilled to present the USB KVM DIY Challenge 2024, a collaboration with TechxArtisan, Make: Magazine, the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA), and Crowd Supply. This is your chance to create a custom KVM solution—let’s see what magic you can whip up with your Openterface Mini-KVM!

techxartisan,make magazine,oshwa,crowdsouce logos

Here’s the rundown:

Mission: Create your very own open KVM solution using the Openterface Mini-KVM, with your personal twist to meet your specific needs.

Categories: Prizes for top performers include awards for both technical skill and creativityso everyone has a shot!

Awesome Prizes:

  • A limited-edition Openterface Mini-KVM with a transparent and silver case.
  • The futuristic Pi-Cast KVM by HackerGadgets.
  • The retro-inspired GameShell by Clockwork.

Timeline: The challenge kicks off on October 1, 2024, and submissions close on February 28, 2025.

Judges: Experts from TechxArtisan, Make: Magazine, OSHWA, and Crowd Supply will evaluate your projects.

Whether you're a seasoned tech wizard or just stepping into the world of hardware hacking, this contest is your playground. Who knows? You might create the next big thing in tech!

Join the action on Crowd Supply's official contest page and chat with us on the contest Discord channel. Let the innovation games begin!

Openterface Mini-KVM available in three cool enclosures—transparent, silver, and black

Openterface Mini-KVM available in three cool enclosures—transparent, silver, and black

Some of the awesome prizes: Pi-Cast KVM by HackerGadgets and GameShell by Clockwork

Some of the awesome prizes: Pi-Cast KVM by HackerGadgets and GameShell by Clockwork

Production Update: Almost There!

Here’s a sneak peek at the hard work going on behind the scenes—our studio has been buzzing like a beehive! So far, we’ve assembled 800 units of the Openterface Mini-KVM.

assembled units

Production progress image

Our quality control is top-notch. Every unit is checked, rechecked, and pampered by our team to ensure that when it arrives in your hands, it’s not just good—it’s great! We aim for the kind of quality that makes other devices green with envy.

We know waiting can be hard, but we’re committed to delivering the best experience possible. Thank you for your patience as we put on the final touches!

Software Update: Android App Gets a Nice Upgrade

Our Android app just received a major upgrade. Now controlling your target devices through your phone or tablet has never been easier or more fun!

Check out the demo video here: Android App Demo Video

finger tapping on the Android app

Here’s what’s new:

  • Smooth and responsive touch controls
  • Easy drag-and-drop functionality
  • Precise tapping for an intuitive experience
  • A new function key bar for added convenience
  • Upcoming feature: customizable keyboard shortcuts
  • Compatible with both Android tablets and phones

This app makes the Openterface Mini-KVM even more useful for tech pros on the go. We’ve also uploaded the latest APK and source code to our GitHub repo if you want to explore further or contribute!

Wrapping It Up

Phew! That was quite the update, right?

If you have any ideas, feedback, or wild KVM dreams, we want to hear them! Slide into our DMs, send a carrier pigeon 🕊️, or hop onto one of our community channels. We love connecting with you!

Thanks again for your patience and for being the best tech community out there. We’ve got more exciting news and updates coming soon—stay tuned!

With gratitude,
Billy Wang
Product Manager
Openterface Team | TechxArtisan

  • in Updates
  • 7 min read

Overcoming Hurdles: Progress Update & New Timeline

Hey everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well. It’s been a while since our last update. I wish I could say everything’s been smooth sailing for Openterface, but we’ve hit a couple of speed bumps that will delay our delivery timeline. While this wasn’t what we expected, we’re tackling these challenges head-on and making steady progress with plenty of good news to share. This post is about a 7-minute read, so let’s dive into the details so you know exactly where things stand and what’s coming next.

Regulation, Production, and Quality

Before we could kick off production, we had to pass necessary quality tests according to regulations, particularly CE certification. Since our toolkit version includes not just the Mini-KVM but also several accessories, each part needed to undergo CE testing. These tests took longer than expected (turns out cables can be quite picky), but the great news is that we’ve passed CE for our Mini-KVM and all its components! Below is an overview of the certifications for all our parts: Mini-KVM, HDMI cable, orange Type-C cable, black short Type-C cable, and VGA2HDMI cable. With certification in hand, our production timeline is now certain, and our manufacturers are currently producing all parts as I speak.

240823-0 UKCA and CE requirements are the same for our electronic products, with CE also covering RoHS compliance.

Two weeks ago, we visited one of our manufacturers to train their line managers on quality control for the orange cables before they shipped them to us. Now, ALL the orange cables have been produced and are sitting in a corner of our studio. 240823-1 Kevin and Shawn were explaining the testing methods to ensure the orange cable works properly with our Openterface Mini-KVM.

We will do the same task in this week to train QA at the production frontline for other parts as well. Here are samples of additional cables. 240823-2 Proudly marked with our TechxArtisan logo, these are samples of the HDMI cable, the short Type-C cable, and the VGA-to-HDMI cable.

We’re expecting the other parts and Mini-KVMs to arrive soon from our manufacturers, at which point we’ll double-check the quality of every component and pack them properly at our studio before shipment. In other words, our team will personally ensure the quality before it reaches your hands.

Shipment, Potential Delays, and New ETA

The current uncertainty lies in the shipment process. After investigating several shipping companies, we found that shipping will take extra time as we will likely transfer parcels through a warehouse before reaching Crowd Supply’s warehouse. We’re still debating whether to choose sea or air freight—please bear with us for a few more days while we sort out the arrangements.

Customs clearance is another potential hurdle that might cause unexpected delays. Once our products arrive at Crowd Supply's warehouse in the US, they’ll take one to two weeks to ship out globally based on each order. For backers outside the US, individual parcels will still need to go through global shipping and customs clearance in the destination country.

Accounting for the current situation and adding some buffer time, I remain cautiously optimistic that we’ll complete delivery before the end of this year, with a new ETA of mid-January. I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate your support and patience during this change.

Finalised Hardware V1.9

As you may know from our previous Reddit post, we decided to upgrade our hardware to V1.9, including a set of hackable expansion pins. This wasn’t part of the original plan for the crowdfunding campaign, but we believe it significantly enhances the hardware’s potential for broader use.

240823-3 The VCC, GND, Target D+, Target D-, Host D+, and Host D- pins—where ‘D’ stands for USB data.

One key motivation was to enable the USB switch to be toggled at the software level. Why is this important? On our roadmap, we aim to support a KVM-over-IP solution, such as VNC, in the future. The idea is to match local KVM control with the VNC protocol, allowing users to remotely control the target computer via the host computer. In such a remote scenario, the ability for users to switch the USB port is essential, especially when file transfers between the host and target are required.

The expansion pins also open up possibilities for more, like integrating with iPadOS, ATX control, network bridging, and audio bypass. While I won’t dive into all the details here, I encourage you to join our Openterface community to discuss with us further.

This hardware upgrade could potentially extend our Openterface solution to operate over IP and include more advanced features while still maintaining its core strength as a plug-and-play KVM-over-USB tool—perfect for IT pros navigating uncertain IT environments, like unfamiliar data centres.

I’m happy to report that V1.9 has passed our internal basic tests and will be finalised as the official version for all our backers. However, this hardware upgrade will require further testing, and any development based on these expansion pins will be experimental and likely to have bugs. This is where you can contribute. We’re counting on the open-source community to help us improve Openterface together.

More Software Updates

On the software front, we’re making exciting strides. We’re diving into the Openterface Android app now! Check out this tweet for an early demo showing smooth KVM control, mouse movement, and clicks in action. More features are on the way, and as always, once we’ve polished the code a bit more, this app will also be open-sourced on our GitHub repo Openterface_Android. 240823-4 Using just our fingertips to KVM control a Linux computer from an Android tablet. Nice!

Our QT version just got a handy update—you can now transfer text from the host to the target! So now this feature is supported on macOS, Windows, and Linux host apps.

Moreover, We’re also planning to add a fun feature — an auto mouse movement to prevent your target computer from sleeping. Should we go with the ping-pong ball bouncing around the screen or the classic DVD screensaver effect? Vote and comment the tweet 😃

Package Design, Labelling, and Manual

We’ve been experimenting with various mock-ups and packaging designs to find the perfect balance among several key factors:

  • Selecting materials sturdy enough to protect the product and its parts during shipment,
  • Creating informative labelling that helps users understand the product at a glance,
  • Ensuring compliance with regulations,
  • Making the packaging visually appealing,
  • And being eco-friendly by minimising plastic use wherever possible.

Additionally, we’ve made several improvements to the old toolkit bag, including:

  • Larger storage space,
  • A stylish orange zipper,
  • Upgraded exterior and interior materials,
  • And a super stretchy mesh pocket.

We chose this material because it strikes the ideal balance between being budget-friendly, pleasant to the touch, and durable enough to protect the items inside. We’re confident you’ll love it.

240823-5

We’re also updating the labels on the aluminium casing to make them as informative and visually appealing as possible. We hope these enhancements will improve your user experience and make it easier to get started with Openterface.

240823-6

We’re finalising the Openterface manual, which will be available in English, German, French, Japanese, and Chinese. Apologies if we missed your language—our box isn’t TARDIS-sized (Doctor Who’s police box)! But we’ll do our best to add more translations on our website.

240823-7

Community Language Review

I’ve been using ChatGPT to assist with translations, but it can sometimes miss the mark with phrasing and wording. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d greatly appreciate any help in reviewing the content in other languages, especially for the printed materials we’re about to finalise. I’ve updated all the text content for the packaging in our GitHub folder product-printed-materials, where you can review and submit any improvements. You can also DM me directly. Thanks!

Final Remarks and Ongoing Progress

We apologise again for the delays and the change in our product’s ETA. Thank you for your patience and for sticking with us—we’re working hard to get this to you as soon as possible! I’ll update you immediately once our shipment is arranged. More updates are on the way, so please join our Openterface community and stay tuned!

Cheers,

Billy Wang
Product Manager
Openterface Team | TechxArtisan

  • in Updates
  • 4 min read

From Teardown to Production: We’re Moving Forward!

Hey everyone,

It’s been a while since our crowdfunding campaign ended, and we’ve got some fantastic updates to share with you. We’re excited to dive headfirst into the production phase of our Openterface Mini-KVM and keep you informed on our progress.

Teardown 2024 Highlights

First of all, last month’s Teardown 2024 hosted by Crowd Supply in Portland was nothing short of amazing. It was fantastic to meet so many of our tech friends and backers in person at our demo table! Your kind words are a great encouragement and motivation for us. Here are some snaps from the event:

openterface-billy-at-teardown2024-2

A big shoutout to Electromaker for featuring our product during the event! Check out our chat in this video:

Production in Full Swing

Right now, we’re busy ordering parts and chips like the CH9329 and CH340 as we gear up for production. We’re also submitting our Mini-KVM and cables for CE, RoHS, and UKCA certification testing. If all goes well, we’ll start production at the factories soon. Our team is ensuring every step of the production line runs smoothly to deliver a top-notch product that’s both fun and reliable! Here are some snaps of the test reports for RoHS and CE for our orange Type-C cable:

openterface-test-report-typec

Stay tuned, as we’ll have more similar reports for our Mini-KVMs and other cables to ensure they all meet the required certification standards.

OSHWA Certification

We’re thrilled to announce that our Openterface Mini-KVM is now officially OSHWA certified as fully open-source! 🥳 You can check out our certification here: OSHWA UID CN000015. We're committed to keeping both the software and hardware open-source, enabling tech lovers to explore the potential of USB KVM, contribute to its development, and build a vibrant community together.

openterface-oshw-cn000015

Hardware Update V1.9

We’ve just launched hardware V1.9 with extra pins: VCC, GND, Target D+, Target D-, Host D+, Host D- for even more hackable fun! These data pins are connected to the Target's and Host's USB hub. Now you can DIY extensions for Openterface — think ATX, network bridging, audio bypass, and more. What creative ideas do you have for hacking our Mini-KVM with these pins? Join our Reddit or Discord, share your thoughts and have a fun coding with us!

openterface-v1-9-hackable

Run Openterface on Pi & Team Up with uConsole

We’ve successfully run our QT host app on a Pi environment! What’s even more exciting is how our Mini-KVM can team up with Clockwork’s uConsole to turn it into a portable KVM tool. It’s super handy for plug-and-play and quick troubleshooting of any headless devices nearby.

Development & Final Touches

Our dev team, led by Kevin, is working tirelessly to test and refine the code. Join our Techxartisan's Discord to hang out with our dev and beta team and stay updated on our progress. Meanwhile, Billy is handling all the paperwork and finalising the design for our product, packaging, and product manual.

Here’s a sneak peek of our updated prints and labels for the aluminium case, showcased in Kazubu’s tweet when Billy shared it with him in Tokyo, Japan:

openterface-kazubu-tweet-new-look

On Track for September

We’re currently right on schedule and working hard to get our Mini-KVMs into your hands by the end of September.

We’d love your help in spreading the word about our Mini-KVM. We hope it can benefit more tech enthusiasts and make tech life easier for anyone managing headless devices.

Thanks so much for all your support and enthusiasm. We couldn't have done it without you!

Cheers,
Billy Wang
Openterface Team

  • in Updates
  • 3 min read

Meet Me in Portland This Weekend & Win a Mini-KVM from My Game Challenge!

Hey everyone! We’ve got some fantastic news to share!

Big Thanks!

First off, I can't thank you all enough for your incredible support. Our crowdfunding campaign has absolutely smashed its goals on Jun 14, hitting $248k with the amazing support from over 1110 backers and Crowd Supply.

crowdfunding_end_240614

This success has given us the chance to make the Mini-KVM even better! We couldn’t have done it without you—seriously, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! 🧡 We'll be working full throttle in production to ensure delivery to your hands soon!

Fun Bet & My Flight to Portland!

So, here’s a fun story: As I mentioned in this post, Kevin and I made a bet. If we could get 100 new backers in the final 36 hours, I would fly to the US for Crowd Supply's Teardown 2024. Well, guess what? We didn’t just hit 100—we got 165 new backers! So, I’m super excited to announce that I’ll be attending Teardown 2024 in person on this Friday (June 21) and weekend.

My Demo Table & Livestream

Teardown is Crowd Supply’s annual flagship event centered around all things hardware - featuring talks, demos, workshops, and more.

Teardown 2024 Lloyd Center Mall Portland, Oregon June 21-23, 2024

teardown-poster

I'll have a demo table at the Teardown Event: Check it out here!

Any chance you're near the Portland area? It'd be fantastic to meet you at the event! Buy the Teardown ticket now and hope to see you there—come by and say hi!

If you can’t make it to the event, don’t worry. You can always find me on our Discord and Subreddit during the conference. You can text or talk to me in real time, as I may be live-streaming all three days while I'm at the demo table, so join our community now and you won’t miss a thing.

Game Challenge at Teardown

Now, for a bit of fun: I’m setting up a video game competition at Teardown 2024. I’ll be demoing how our Mini-KVM works with the portable computer, uConsole, which is basically a Raspberry Pi. Check out my X tweet here to see how I’ll set it up with the Mini-KVM.

play-game-uconsole

I'm thinking of using games like Pac-Man, The King of Fighters '97, and Tetris for the game challenge. And here’s the kicker—winners can snag a Mini-KVM from me right there! So, come and play a game with me to win!

More to Come

As always, we’re cooking up some exciting things, and I will have a super exciting announcement at Teardown! So stay tuned for more updates. I can’t wait to see you at Teardown 2024!

Cheers,
Billy Wang Openterface Team | TechxArtisan Studio

  • in Updates
  • 3 min read

Last Hours to Back & Mini-KVMs at Tech Frontlines

Hey everyone,

We wanted to share some exciting updates from our beta team on our Discord channel! Our Openterface Mini-KVM is performing brilliantly at the tech frontline, and we've got some fantastic images to show you. Check them out and see what all the buzz is about!

cam-share

catenane-share

kashall-share

kazubu-share

nkahoang-share

🚨 Last Chance Alert! 🚨

Time's running out! Don't miss your chance to back us on Crowd Supply and grab the Openterface Mini-KVM at the super wallet-friendly price of $79 - $99. The campaign ends on June 13, 2024, at 4:59 PM PDT, and prices are set to increase post-campaign as the product matures. So, act now and snag this deal!

Upcoming Teardown 2024 & A Fun Bet

As many of you have seen on the Crowd Supply main page, the upcoming Teardown 2024 event is generating a lot of excitement. I’m eager to attend in person and meet our amazing backers there!

Here's a fun bet we have going on in our team:

Currently, we have around 950 backers for our project. Kevin Peng, our technical director, and I have a wager. If we manage to get 100 more backers in the final hours, my travel expenses for the trip to Portland will be covered by our studio. If not, I'll have to foot the bill myself, which means a couple of thousand bucks out of my own pocket!

So, I’m calling on all our subscribers and new friends of the Openterface Mini-KVM to help us push through these final hours. Let's hit 1050+ backers and make this trip happen!

Most importantly, please help spread the word about our campaign coming to an end. We're committed to building this handy device and ensuring it’s delivered to you in top-notch quality.

We've poured our hearts into this project over the past 8 months. You can see all our efforts in the updates below and check out our history posts on our subreddit r/Openterface_miniKVM:

So, back us up in these last couple of hours! Cheers!

Billy Wang
Project Manager
Openterface Team

  • in Updates
  • 5 min read

Epic Updates & Final Week – Last Chance to Back Mini-KVM!

Hey everyone!

Time flies when you're having fun! We're now in the final week of our crowdfunding campaign for the Openterface Mini-KVM on Crowd Supply. Let's dive into some exciting updates!

Software Updates

We've got some fantastic news for you – our mini-KVM now supports macOS, Windows, and Linux! What's more, it's all open-source!

🎉 Check out the details for each system below:

Openterface_MacOS

  • GitHub Repo: Openterface_QT openterface-macos-app-store
  • Early Beta Demo Video: Mini-KVM: Basic KVM Control Tests
  • How to Install:
    • App Store: Find our host app by searching "Openterface" or "Mini-KVM".
    • Build From Source: Install CodeX and build the macOS app from source.

Openterface_QT

Other Apps

  • As mentioned in our previous update, we've completed proofs of concept for Android and WebExtension. While they're lower priorities, they're definitely in the pipeline. We're also exploring ChromeOS support and the possibility of getting the mini-KVM working on iPads with M series chips. Join the discussion in our community if you have any insights!

Hardware Open Source NOW!

openterface-hardware-repo

We've given our hardware repository a major upgrade! It's now packed with datasheets, 3D models, BOM, and schematics – everything you need to get hands-on with our gadget.

pcb-v1-6-both-sides

Check out the hardware repo: Openterface_Mini-KVM_Hardware

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, we want your feedback and wild suggestions! And for you makers out there, why not try building our mini-KVM from scratch? Tweak our code, make it your own, and show us what you've got!

Even Better Accessories

NEW 1.5m Orange Type-C Cable with Converter

type-c-cable-v2-plugged-old-mac

Remember our stylish orange Type-C cable with the lovely silicone feel? We've received the first samples, and they look amazing! These cables support 240W fast charging (Voltage DC50V, Current 5A, Power 240W) and work perfectly with our mini-KVMs. Big thanks to our manufacturer and our backers for making this happen!

type-c-cable-v2-open-2

Upgraded Toolkit Bag

With the new handy attached adapter for our 1.5m Type-C cable and 1m long VGA-to-HDMI cable update, we believe it is necessary to increase the size of our toolkit bag to 16 cm L x 10 cm W x 3.8 cm H, providing a bit more space!

beta-round2-toolkit

Packaging Experiments

We're experimenting with different designs for our outer packaging boxes – colorful, grey, black, and more. We're leaning towards the colorful design, but we want your feedback!

toolkit-boxes-showcase.jpg

Check out the details of our beta toolkit sent to our beta team here. Let us know what you think! Just a heads-up, this packaging design isn’t final. We may still need to adjust the box size and add essential details like the CE mark and other required info.

Last Chance to Back Us!

This is the last week of our campaign. Back us now to get the Openterface Mini-KVM at a wallet-friendly price. Post-campaign prices are likely to increase as the product matures. Don't miss out – act now!

Addressing Concerns

We understand scepticism due to scam crowdfunding projects. Here's why you can trust us:

Trust Crowd Supply: Since 2012, Crowd Supply has been a leading platform for electronic products, protecting your rights as a backer, closely overseeing our development, and providing us with professional advice to ensure that what we craft is just right for you.

Trust Our Team: We have over six years of experience in IoT, AI, and tech art. Learn more about us on our TechxArtisan Studio website.

Trust Our Culture: We focus on technical excellence and user experience, embracing open-source collaboration. Join our community on Reddit r/Openterface_miniKVM and Discord TechxArtisan to see our journey from early prototypes to the current pre-production version.

If you're still unsure, that's OK! We believe our Openterface Mini-KVM will win you over eventually.

More to Come

We're always cooking something exciting, so please hang tight! If you have any questions, hang out with us in our community or drop us an email: info@techxartisan.com. Stay tuned and thank you for your support! 😄

Cheers,

Openterface Team | TechxArtisian Studio

  • in Updates
  • 4 min read

Casual Chat with David Groom from MAKE: Magazine: The Story of Openterface Mini-KVM

Hi everyone!

We just wrapped up an awesome YouTube livestream with David Groom from MAKE: Magazine! During the session, we delved into the story behind our Openterface Mini-KVM, an innovative open-source hardware solution designed to effortlessly control headless devices and single-board computers like Raspberry Pis using just your laptop. You can check out the YouTube livestream for more details or simply read the story below.

youtube-with-david-2

The Birth of an Idea

The journey of the Mini-KVM began in the bustling city of Guangzhou, China, within our TechxArtisan studio. Over the past five years, we have been deeply involved in numerous tech art projects for local and international artists. Our work includes constructing interactive lighting installations with AI detection, robotic arms for theatre performances, self-driving mini cars that solve random mazes, and even a robot dog designed to explore no man's lands like deserts and forests.

techxartisan_tech_art

A Common Headache

A recurring challenge in our work was managing a plethora of headless computers like Raspberry Pis and Jetson Nanos, which lacked monitors, keyboards, or network connectivity. This often led to frantic searches for spare monitors and keyboards to troubleshoot and access these devices in harsh conditions.

Makeshift Solutions

Initially, we resorted to makeshift portable monitor solutions powered by battery packs and wireless mini-keyboards with touchpads. However, these were often forgotten or misplaced, prompting the need for a dedicated hardware solution that could leverage the laptops we always carried for coding and setup.

diy-monitor-keyboard These two gadgets must be carried for on-site projects.

The First Prototype

Our first DIY prototype was a simple yet effective combination of a capture card to retrieve video from the headless device and a USB keyboard/mouse simulator, all integrated into a single USB cable connecting to our laptops.

/early-mini-kvm-pcb One of the early versions of the mini-KVM PCB

We showcased our cool tech art projects at the Shenzhen Maker Faire in November 2023, intending to show off the mini-KVM prototype to David. However, we got so excited about the gifts from David and forgot it!

techxartisan_team_with_david_groom Stickers and postcards from MAKE: Magazine are seriously cool!

Community Feedback and Development

After sharing our prototype on Reddit, we received invaluable feedback from the community, encouraging us to refine and develop our solution into a polished product. This community support was instrumental in transforming our makeshift device into a sleek, efficient tool for homelabbers, sysadmins, tech enthusiasts, and anyone working with headless computers.

got_feedback_from_reddit Received a super amount of feedback from homelabbers

Overcoming Doubts

Despite initial doubts about competing with existing similar solutions, the positive response and constructive suggestions from online communities helped clarify potential use cases and boosted our confidence. Without this support and affirmation of our efforts, we might not have pursued the project further.

Crowdfunding and Future Plans

The crowdfunding campaign for the Openterface Mini-KVM on Crowd Supply is picking up serious steam, with about two weeks left to go. This campaign isn't just about developing the Mini-KVM; it's a testament to the power of community-driven innovation. Next up, we'll dive into production management, software improvements, and getting this handy gadget delivered to our awesome backers—all powered by our amazing open-source community.

techxartisan_openterface_discord Beta testers are sharing their use of the Openterface Mini-KVM in their daily tech tasks on TechxArtisan's Discord

Embracing the Open-Source Vision

The Openterface Mini-KVM is a testament to our creativity and perseverance, and the supportive open-source community. What began as a simple solution for our personal challenges has evolved into a versatile, open-source tool poised to benefit hackers, tinkerers, and tech enthusiasts worldwide. Stay tuned for more updates as the Mini-KVM moves closer to its official release!

  • in Updates
  • 9 min read

From Development to Your Hands: Behind the Scenes

Hi everyone!

We’re back with another update on our crowdfunding journey, and we've got some exciting news to share!

Hitting a Major Milestone

First things first, we’re absolutely over the moon to announce that we’ve hit an astonishing 1100% of our original funding goal! A massive thank you to each and every one of you. Your support has been nothing short of phenomenal!

Production Planning

We’ve been super busy on the production front already! This week, we visited the tech-forward city of Shenzhen and had the chance to tour one of the top tech manufacturers. These folks work with big names like Meta, ABB, and Blaupunkt, and it was incredible to see their advanced production lines and quality control machinery in action. I wish I could share more photos, but here’s one with a bit of digital mosaic for confidentiality.

txa-team-visit-sz-factory-1

(We were discussing QC with the production line manager.)

We’re feeling very positive about this partnership and their enthusiasm to support a tech startup like ours. We’re committed to ensuring the manufacturing phase is handled with the utmost dedication and quality so we can get our product into your hands soon! Here’s a snapshot of our core team members at the factory entrance:

txa-team-visit-sz-factory-2

(From left to right: Shawn, Billy, Kevin, Vileer.)

Upgrading Toolkit Accessories

We’re always looking for ways to improve, and our add-on VGA-to-HDMI cable has now been upgraded to 1 meter long with enhanced quality, as you can see from our previous Week 2 update.

Next up, we’re also looking into our 1.5 meter long Type-C cable for connecting to the host computer. Type-C is becoming increasingly common across new computers, laptops, and even servers. After testing many manufacturers, we found one that could produce this stylish orange Type-C cable with a lovely silicone feel that meets our quality standards.

Currently, an extra Type-C-to-USB-A adapter is required if our Mini-KVM works with a host computer that only has USB-A ports.

typec-cable-need-adapter| link

We know it’s a bit of a hassle, so we’re working closely with our manufacturer to improve it by integrating an attached Type-C-to-USB-A adapter. Here’s a mock-up of what it might look like.

upgrade-for-typ-c-cable-with-adapter

This stylish orange cable, with a good silicone feel and 1.5 metres long, features Type-C connectors on both ends and includes an adapter to convert one end from Type-C to USB-A. It doesn’t exist on the market and requires our custom OEM production. We’re aiming to include this solution in our final toolkit package for backers, but I'm still crunching the numbers and giving my calculator a workout! To make this happen, we need more support to reduce the overall cost of production for our mini-KVM toolkit. Given the current crowdfunding numbers and production costs, making this custom Type-C cable is becoming more feasible, as it is approaching the break-even point. I’ll keep everyone updated in the Openterface community on any progress!

For your part, if you find our project promising and believe the Mini-KVM can make your tech life easier, please consider backing us and spreading the word to your friends. Let's ensure we can enhance the product even further while keeping it wallet-friendly for everyone in this crowdfunding campaign! Thanks a bunch!

Open Source Updates and Global Teamwork!

Please bear with us during this early stage of development, as there are still bugs and changes happening in our host applications. That’s where our beta team comes in! We’ve already organized two rounds of beta testing. Check out our posts here to learn more:

As you can see from the above posts, we received an overwhelming number of fantastic applications in Rounds 1 and 2, and it was a real challenge to narrow down the candidates from such a brilliant pool. We had to make some tough decisions due to the limited spots available at this exclusive phase!

Our beta team is an exceptional, truly global collaboration, with members from the US 🇺🇸, UK 🇬🇧, Japan 🇯🇵, Germany 🇩🇪, Czech Republic 🇨🇿, Norway 🇳🇴, Belgium 🇧🇪, France 🇫🇷, Austria 🇦🇹, Australia 🇦🇺, Poland 🇵🇱, Netherlands 🇳🇱, China 🇨🇳, and more joining soon. These testers bring development experience, real-world use cases for the Openterface Mini-KVM, and a passion for supporting open-source projects like ours. Our beta team is already using this handy gadget in their daily tasks, raising issues, and suggesting features for us to improve further.

Although most of you don’t have this early version of mini-KVM, you can still review our code on GitHub and join the conversation with our beta and dev teams in our community! Let us know what you find so we can make this device awesome together!

Here are updates on our open-source Github repo:

Openterface_MacOS

Our Openterface MacOS host app is already officially live on the Apple App Store. Just search for 'Openterface' or 'mini-KVM' to find our app page. Even better, we’ve uploaded the full code to our GitHub repo: Openterface_MacOS for the Mini-KVM. You can check out this basic operation demo on MacOS.

openterface-macos-app-store

Openterface_QT

QT is a versatile framework that we love, so we built our mini-KVM based on it. For the Windows version, check out our early demo video here. You can see from the demo that it works great with low latency and a stable connection! You can find and download the early beta app from the github repo there.

openterface-win-app-demo-1

openterface-win-app-demo-2

As for Linux-based systems, packaging for different architectures like ARM32, ARM64, ARMv7, and ARMv8, especially for the Raspberry Pi, is quite a challenge (with hours and hours of waiting for packaging), but we’re working on it. Expect a Linux demo soon, hopefully within a week.

Now, we have just uploaded all our fresh code for Openterface_QT on GitHub! Dive in and have a look, but brace yourselves – it’s still in the early development stages, so there are still quite a few inevitable quirks and some work for us to improve it. We wouldn’t mind a hand. If you are a developer, please join us. Happy coding!

Openterface_Android and Openterface_WebExtension

We’ve completed the proof of concept for both Android and WebExtension. While these are lower priorities compared to macOS, Windows, and Linux, rest assured they’re in the pipeline. Based on our preliminary research, the Openterface_Android project might also support ChromeOS. If you have any insights, please join the discussion!

Even for iPadOS?

We’re also exploring compatibility with Apple’s mobile systems, like iPadOS. Due to Apple’s stringent controls, these platforms might not support wired connections with third-party devices. However, we’re investigating potential workarounds, especially for iPads with M series chips. Our beta mate Seb has already made some interesting findings and this is worth exploring further, though nothing is confirmed yet. If you have any insights or suggestions, join our community and let’s discuss!

seb-explore-minikvm-for-ipados

Openterface_Mini-KVM_Hardware

We will start releasing the hardware details incrementally over the next two to three weeks. Additionally, to maintain a high standard of open source, we plan to adhere to the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) certification requirements.

In the meantime, you can learn more about our hardware here: datasheet and How It Works for now. This page explains our USB-HDMI capture integration, featuring the CH9329 chip for keyboard and mouse control. Technical enthusiasts may find the details on this chip particularly interesting. Additionally, our mini-KVM utilises the CH340 chip, supporting two built-in USB hubs for both the host and target sides. Our mini-KVM is comparable to many video capture cards currently on the market.

Please hang tight!

We're hard working here and in the process of open-sourcing both our software and hardware. Good things take time to cook! We will keep you updated on this progress within our community. Thanks for your patience and understanding! Stay tuned and cheers!

Addressing Concerns

We understand that some people may be sceptical, given the number of scam crowdfunding projects out there. Here are a few points that might reassure you about our crowdfunding project:

  1. Trust the Crowd Supply Platform: This is one of the top crowdfunding platforms for electronic products in the US since 2012. The Crowd Supply team has been closely overseeing our development progress of the Openterface Mini-KVM and offering us professional advice to ensure that what we have been creating is just right for you. A shout of thanks to the Crowd Supply team here too! Moreover, You can read more about how your rights as a backer are protected on the Crowd Supply platform, including for our project: Crowd Supply Guide: How are Backers Protected? > "Every project that has ever received funds through Crowd Supply has delivered to their backers (or is on track to do so). You are not funding someone’s pipe-dream; at Crowd Supply, you are purchasing an actual product."

  2. Trust the Experience of Our Team: We are a group of versatile developers, skilful makers, and experienced project and production managers, especially in work that involves a blend of both hardware and software development. We are an innovative tech creative studio with over six years of experience in advanced tech projects in fields such as IoT, AI, edge computing, and tech art. To learn more about us, check out our TechxArtisan Studio website.

  3. Trust the Culture of Our Team: Our team is dedicated not only to technical excellence but also to the overall user experience. This includes everything from user and developer documentation to design aesthetics. We are passionate about cutting-edge technology and frequently engage in spirited discussions about new advancements from various perspectives. These debates help us define what makes an outstanding electronic product and how to bring it to life through our teamwork. This collaborative approach ensures our products enhance user experience and demonstrate our dedication to quality and detail. Furthermore, we embrace a culture of open source and community collaboration.

  4. Observe What We Have Achieved and Are Doing: We’ve been working very hard on this project. You can join our community on Reddit and Discord, see what we have been crafting from the very early prototype to the current pre-production version, and stay informed about our up-to-date progress. We would love to see you in our community and engage with us!

  5. Chat with Us Directly: If you have any questions or concerns about our Mini-KVM, please don't hesitate to email me at info@techxartisan.com. Additionally, we are planning a livestream, hosted by David Groom from MAKE: Magazine on Wednesday, the 29th. We'll be discussing our Openterface Mini-KVM and the story behind it. I will post the video later on our community page.

Finally, we totally understand if you’re still unsure. That’s OK! If your work involves managing headless devices, we’re confident our efforts in crafting the Openterface Mini-KVM will eventually win you over. Wait and see! 😄

What’s Next?

Stay tuned for next week’s update, where we’ll dive into more details about our host application functions, its roadmap, production progress, real use cases shared by our beta team, and more! In the meantime, check out our website Openterface and FAQs, consider backing us on Crowd Supply, and help spread the word!

Thank you for reading and being part of this journey with us! Peace!

Best,

Billy Wang, Project Manager

Openterface Team | TechxArtisan Studio