Entrepreneur finds ways to stretch the meaning of fun

Entrepreneur finds ways to stretch the meaning of fun

After Jill Topolski and her daughters, Abby and Brooke, got stumped while looking for a new way to make a child's birthday party fun and exciting, they started their own business.

Happy Helium was launched on Valentine's Day.

Wearing costumes that depict various facial expressions, the Topolskis deliver helium balloon bouquets to homes, businesses, hospitals, assisted living centers and other locations in Greater Lafayette.

"We change the face on the costume for birthdays, anniversaries -- we have different faces for different occasions.

"We try to make some people happy, with the economy the way it is," Jill Topolski said.

The business also sells and delivers custom baskets.

Items in the baskets can include chocolate, champagne, candy and a plush bear; lotion, bath salts, foot lotion and a face mask; and playing cards, cigars, shot glasses, poker chips and snacks.

"We're trying to bring fun to the whole delivery thing," Topolski said.

BUSINESS NAME

Happy Helium

ABOUT THE BUSINESS

The Topolskis participated in the recent Kid's Expo at the Market Square shopping center and plan to get more exposure for their business during a Ladies Night on March 6 at the End Zone Sports Bar & Grill.

HOURS

Available by appointment.

PHONE

(765) 532-0093

WEB SITE

www.happyheliumballoons.com

Game Wave game similar to the popular Trivial Pursuit board game, and a DVD player.

The system developer hopes to create a similar interactive board game consoles, with six remote control, family members would be able to play Blackjack (or 21:00), and other traditional poker game, and can also be used as Embedded DVD, a movie playback. The system targeted retail price of 99 US dollars, so the products manufactured in China in the target cost 50 dollars. Nytric design team to meet the sales price of 99 US dollars requirements. The actual sale price of the current store about 80 US dollars.

We need a very low cost media processor for MPEG

Nytric hardware design team for Jon Clarke said. In addition, we also need a browser integrated DVD to deal with the DVD VOB files to broadcast commercial movies.

Nytric also dedicated processor on the Windows CE has assessed, but that they are too expensive. There is also the problem of authorization, as well as storage management, RAM and ROM of the heavy demand. Nytric final selection of Mediamatics 8611 to achieve its OSD graphics, audio playback, DVD deal with the commercial parser, as well as into the source Nytric custom functions. As Mediamatics National Semiconductor has been acquired, so the IC code with the two companies on the logo.

Nytric design team first considered the STMicroelectronics is a microprocessor. But the problem is that this DVD processor can only implement a specific function, that is, operation of DVD players. The designers need more functionality, at the same time, make full use of large quantities of DVD players cost advantage.

Open the door to source code

Many companies are reluctant to open up their software for custom development, in part because most of their support from areas outside of North America. And STMicroelectronics obstacles to the transaction involving the licensing issues.

We in the March 2004 National Semiconductor has made a case report, Nytric CEO Av Utukuri disclosed. We prepared for this game for a PC version, similar to the simulation, can demonstrate how the game is run. Initiative selected National Semiconductor for us to provide support, as is the reverse of this process, as it should be by them to choose us, but that the operation was successful transaction.

Designers seize this opportunity to Mediamatics part of the performance test. The processor has its limitations, but it also has the necessary functionality. Nytric also received the necessary price and support.



Graphic: ZAPiT games platform is the core of Mediamatics processor.

CPLD used to convert data formats

Mediamatics part of the need to adjust to the use of Altera s Max II CPLD to achieve DVD drive. Nytric s Clarke said that this is one of the main challenges. When a Samsung or Sanyo drive first, and the drive is the first interface chip, the need for glue logic (glue logic) to the data conversion is required Mediamatics chip standard format, he said.

Used to verify circuit boards and the concept of the first prototype in October 2004 to complete. Then software group began intervention. In the original plan to abandon the use of the Sanyo drive head, and no other companies produce similar products, the design team encountered a problem. Then needs to be redesigned.

Later, the design team used Atapi loading (Loader), similar to those used to connect PC-DVD drive interface. Atapi interface is a 16, has not been Mediamatics support. In this way, designers joint Nytric National Semiconductor and Altera co-operation has developed a programmable device can be ordered Atapi byte format for the 8611 conversion of eight AV Bus will be able to handle the format.

The remaining devices with the same original design, including the 2 Mb SRAM and NOR flash memory. These two memory Mediamatics go beyond the limits of processor can support. 16Mb SRAM is the design staff to find the most expensive single package components. National flash contains the condensed version of the browser, allows the user to a standard DVD player, and browse through the menu.

Other major devices also include stereo audio for the two-way audio D / A converters, as well as Atmel s 1 million write cycles serial E2PROM, which used to store user point of the game to stop the state data. Finally, it needs some doors and latch circuit, because CPLD did not have sufficient I / O to handle all the decoding work. And the remaining is passive devices and the regulator.

Wireless Remote Control Problems and Solutions

Remote control is another challenge. Because six remote possibility at the same time the basic platform and communications. While taking into account the RF and AM modulation, but in view of the cost factor, the design team had to quit use infrared (IR) programmes that are used at very low diode.

The real challenge is how to make IR remote control with six at the same time, Clarke said. 6 remote control must be a different beat frequency sent the data. Challenge is that if six buttons are pressed at the same time there will be a conflict, then should we do? However, as there will be failures, the receiver can tell this point . then have a remote control in a different beat frequency re-sent. result, the possibility of conflict they have been kept to the minimum. this is a guarantee agreement, because we know that it can not extend to more than six.

Generally speaking, is a line-of-sight IR interface. But Nytric designers hope will be better than the over-the-horizon a bit farther to signal a rebound from the wall and have a reflective capacity.

As many hardware changes along this way, the software must be fully prepared and platform-independent, Nytric software design team for Allen Rego mentioned. For this reason, we are unable to compile the game. This end we are looking for a similar interpretation of the Java language. We ultimately selected as a scripting language Lua, all the games use this language to prepare. Lua is a free open source software scripting language, with the Java language and other competitive compared to its memory demand to be much lower.

The software group must therefore be to the United States National Semiconductor direct hardware access applications, while the latter is usually not to third-party developers to provide such services. Development of the game need such access. In this way, the software group to rewrite some of graphics library, and drive, to achieve the optimum speed hardware access.

Then, prepared by the members of the software group then used the software to support the hardware, including the IR remote control and NOR flash memory in some skills to get the highest possible performance. This web development and almost, Rego said. First select a high-level scripting language for the definition of a framework for the game, including things like how every movement, there will be what kind of animation, and so on. Background and the preparation of all the software, into the low-level implementation. By the scripting language word Notes code section, in order to achieve cross-platform compatibility. Therefore, even if a different processor, the platform also has backward compatibility.

Another device is board TI octal D-type latch SN54LVC573A. The device specifically for the 2.7 to 3.6 V voltage VCC is designed, it has three-state output to drive high or low capacitance impedance load, such as buffer registers, I / O ports, and two-way bus drivers and register .

Design in the final stages of the design process encountered a small trouble: the need to remove a metal cover for loading may be caused by radiation. Probably in the next generation of products available around 2009. It may include the functions of a Blu-ray or HD (BluRay) DVD, as well as a more powerful graphics engine. At this point, what possibilities there.

Author: Richard Nass

Editor-in-Chief

Embedded System Design

What is DVD?

DVD full name is the English Digital Video Disk, or digital video disc or digital video disc, it uses MPEG2 compression technology to store images. Also known as the Digital Versatile Disk DVD, digital versatile disc, which combines computer technology, optical recording technology and video technology, as one, the purpose is to meet people on the large storage capacity, high-performance storage media needs.