Dynamic Mounts International Pushes the Limits of Filming Technology with OrCAD

“OrCAD PCB Professional provides us with the perfect platform to explore wide-ranging solutions. OrCAD is a powerful, constraint-driven suite of products that are easy and quick to use which is key, as we use it every day.”

– Dan Gillham, Owner  |  Dynamic Mounts International

Company: Dynamic Mounts International     Industry: Motion Pictures and Film     Solution: OrCAD PCB Designer Professional

About Dynamic Mounts International

Established in 1997, Dynamic Mounts International (DMI) designs and creates hi-tech camera systems used in studios all over the world. Over the years, DMI has progressed from film camera gimbals and rigging to creating control systems for automated tasks such as remotely controlling 360 cameras and 30 flashes all at once, and Batman’s car roof automation. Their work has been used behind the scenes in action flicks such as Bourne Ultimatum and utilized for the airing of the 2012 London Olympics.

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Goals

The expectation on DMI to deliver stellar film control products found them in want of a powerful and reliably accurate software solution.

“A lot is expected of us to deliver products for production companies with tight deadlines (regularly needed ‘yesterday’), [presenting] unique and challenging requirements. We must ensure highly-reliable products [due to the high cost of] actors, the surrounding film crews, and the equipment we connect up to.” said Dan Gillham, Owner of Dynamic Mounts International. “… we use OrCAD because it’s powerful and can be used to design products quickly and accurately every time.”

Challenges

DMI needed a solution to satisfy the demands of ever-shrinking technology within the film industry, one that afforded the ability to create boards that adhered to precise design specifications.

Their recently released product, DynaStick, is a linear/rotary motor control stick with 6 PCBs on three levels, 2 processors, Bluetooth and RF control. The ability to pack all these electronics into the mechanical housing was a tall order that required high precision and complex software capabilities. This project was just one of a multitude of products DMI has created that have pushed the edges of what’s possible in film technology and what spurred the need for software to help them fulfill their goals.

Results/Metrics

OrCAD afforded the ability to create boards that adhered to precise design specifications and fulfill the unique requirements of each project they work on.

“OrCAD PCB Professional provides us with the perfect platform to explore the wide-ranging solutions. OrCAD is a powerful, constraint-driven suite of products that are easy and quick to use. This is key, as we use it every day.” said Gillham. “The OrCAD tools give us real-time design feedback and the 3D engine helps us build and fit the product in the box, which film people always want to be smaller than is often practical.”

Goals

  • To ensure a highly reliable product
  • Meet tight deadlines with ease and accuracy

Challenges

  • Packing electronics into small, handheld devices
  • Meeting client demand
  • Maintaining the unique design requirements of multiple projects

Results

  • 3D capabilities allowed for easy layout of condensed boards and adhere to mechanical constraints
  • Constraint-driven capabilities allowed for the easy management of design requirements

“OrCAD PCB Professional provides us with the perfect platform to explore wide-ranging solutions. OrCAD is a powerful, constraint-driven suite of products that are easy and quick to use which is key, as we use it every day.”

– Dan Gillham, Owner  |  Dynamic Mounts International