Fast Forward From AlphaAgile Open Hardware Manufacturing

Photo Sources: Wikipedia, Seeed Studio. Adafruit Industries, SparkFun

About

DangerousPrototypes.comA new open hardware project every month Available from Seeed StudioBatches of 100-500

IanStarted as a maker posting at Instructables.comFeature writer at DIY Life and Hack a Day blogs

Hardware Hackers• Etch PCBs• Solder parts• Program chips

Community• Firmware• Software• Documentation

• Essential to thriving open hardware community

• How to get started?

Why Manufacture Open Hardware?

• Licensing • Full

outsourcing• Contract

manufacturing

• DIY assembly

Get Your Stuffs Made

• Support users• Get 10% of profits

royalty

• Little control over the quality of your 'brand‘

• Few options to expand

• Only the top designs make the cut

• Front the cash, take the risk

• Manufacturing and testing

• Inventory management• Sales (a website)• Fulfillment (pack &

ship)• Returns• Wholesale

You Them

Licensing (The Easy Way)

(Dangerous Prototypes)

• Front the cash, take the risk• Support users• Inventory management• Wholesale• Concentrate on design, but still in charge of building business

(Seeed Studio)

• Manufacturing and testing• Sales (a website)• Fulfillment (pack & ship)• Returns

Fulfillment (Get Your Feet Wet)

You Them

• Front the cash, take the risk

• Inventory management• Sales (a website)• Fulfillment (pack and

ship)• Returns• Wholesale• …Almost everything

• Assemble boards• Return complete

widgetsMaybe :• Part/PCB sourcing• Testing

Contract (Big Time)You Them

Everything!

By hand: Small volume and kits

Teho Labs’ Arm Dev-boards

Pick and place: We like cool machines

• Adafruit, SparkFun

DIY Assembly (Indie Tech)You Them

What goes in a production package?The Guts of Getting Stuff Made

Package of Materials

• PCB files / Gerbers• Partlist• Firmware / Software• Test plan• Copy

Board Files and Gerbers

• Your PCB and part placement

• Cadsoft Eagle • Gerber files

Board Files and Gerbers

• Your PCB and part placement

• Cadsoft Eagle • Gerber files

Partlist/BOM (stuff on the board)

• Bill of materials

Partlist/BOM (stuff on the board)

• Bill of materials• Common

Partlist/BOM (stuff on the board)

• Bill of materials• Specific

Partlist/BOM (stuff on the board)

• Bill of materials• Common• Specific

• Try to use a standard partlist that most distributors stock

• Bill of materials• Specific

Firmware and Software

• Anything that goes into your chip• HEX, SVF, BIN,

etc• Programming

instructions and utilities

Test Plan

• Quick and easy way to test the hardware

• As automated as possible

Copy

• Sell your widget• No crap, lots of

facts• Good (action)

pictures

How does open hardware get made?

• Licensing• Fulfillment• Contract

manufacturing• DIY assembly

What do I need to get my stuff made?

• Design files (Gerbers/Eagle/etc.)

• Prototype• Partlist/BOM• Programming files

and software• Test plan• Copy

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