prototype a product

Often it's prudent to get the company who designed it to build the prototypes.

If you really want a third party, it depends a bit on what you really want. Just buying parts on your BOM, ordering a PCB from your Gerbers and populating it, and you'll perform all testing?

Or perhaps your design is just a rough schematic and it's necessary to gather further requirements, specify parts, complete mechanical design, do layout, manufacturer or purchase mechanical part prototypes and assemble a complete product.

What do you need the prototype for? Sales? Regulatory agency testing? Just to prove the design out?

Cost will obviously vary over quite a range depending on the exact requirements. We sometimes do this sort of thing if there is some interesting engineering involved.

I'd also add that your anticipated production level determines the degree of care in your prototyping -- if you want to build 1000 a month, then you probably want to have a prototype build in the 100's before you step up to that level. If you're only ever going to sell 100 of the thing, then 'a few' really means 'three or four' and you're fine.

If you're just having three or four done, getting it done as locally as possible is a big plus. And by "locally" I mean just that -- all else being equal -- if it costs you an extra 10% per unit to have it done by a business within walking distance vs. one that's a 1/2 hour drive away, give the job to your neighbor.

When you say 'design' precisely what do you mean. Is it merely a circuit diagram, or have you built a breadboard or do you have a PCB layout, full BOM, caseworks and mechanical drawing etc. etc.?????

Cheers

Ian

It's a LOT faster to iron out incomplete specifications or otherwise make decisions when everyone is literally the same room.

Depends on how well it is engineered out. My designs usually go straight to a turnkey place. Since there seem to be no local ones left they are all over the map, Southern California, Colorado, and so on. Essentially you just send them the files and get fully stuffed boards back. In the case of the Colorado assembler they even include a package of trail mix when they ship. Yummy.

Many can also do the enclosure, final assy, tests and so on if you want to. But it'll cost.

Start here:

This is the American Contract Manufacturers Show & Expo. Here, you will find dozens (hundreds?) of folks who do everything from prototyping parts to complete turn-key project builds.

-mpm

Thank you for all of your reply, I really appreciate it.

Basically it is an innovation of an existing product. I want to make it simpler with one chip solution (which is going well so far), and using color OLED instead of monochrome LCD. This part is perplexing. where can I get 3cm x 2cm OLED. .

Thanks again xc

Thank you for all of your reply, I really appreciate it.

Basically it is an innovation of an existing product. I want to make it simpler with one chip solution (which is going well so far), and using color OLED instead of monochrome LCD. This part is perplexing. where can I get 3cm x 2cm OLED. .

Thanks again xc

OTOH, you don't have to get on the newsgroups to ask vague questions about where to get designs prototyped.

The more experienced you are, the less my advice applies, certainly. I would be confident sending one of my board designs out of state, but not a mechanical design.

We had to, in part because the environmental regs in CA have become so onerous that certain galvanizing operations couldn't be done in-state any longer. Sometimes things are even done overseas. Essentially you send a CD with the AutoCad files and back comes a crate with your stuff.

I think I have a 3cm x 1.5cm white OLED. I can get color one, but would take some time. How many do you need?

PS: We have two color one:

Size Pixel

Other sizes may be available, depends on qty.

your are correct about that. sorry boss

Please don't apologize -- it was a perfectly reasonable question, even if it was a bit vague.

CD? Autocad? Crate?

All three are becoming extinct. ;-)

Crates because of creepy-crawleys. If you don't want to pay $thousands per container for fumigation, plastic pallets and hard cartons are better.

AutoCad is still used a lot. Two clients even have the schematics in DXF. That goes a bit far IMHO but who am I to complain? This week I did a couple of mechanical drawings with Eagle. I do have 3D CAD software but somehow the learning curve on this stuff is a bit steep for the few times I need it. So it's mostly a file reader for me.

CD, yeah, that's a bit ancient but you'd be surprised. There are countries where the transfer of large files ends up in perpetual frustration. "Lost sever connection - redialing" ... weeee ... didelideleeeee ... phschhhhhhh ... rat-tat-tat ... *POCK* ... "Lost server connection - redialing" ...

Well, they are typically made from plywood which IIRC is still exempt.

California is "a fine-tuned job killing machine."

John

It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, remorse or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Or move to Nevada.

John