Nano-Apple, or how to become a manufacturer of electronics
So, you decided to do something here! New MP3 player, remote control for TV, but at least a temperature sensor. In my case, it was a camera control panel, and the idea came at one in the morning, when I photographed a building for the sake of entertainment in the light of the moon. It all started in a relatively small Siberian city ... and now we have production in Texas and distributors around the world. Recalling this fun way, I would like to describe both the successful discoveries and the mistakes made in the process of preparing for production.
To begin with, I will say - English is required. Nowadays, for technical professionals, this is generally a good form, but in this case you will not go far, because all the subsequent topics imply work in the international market. Simply because in Russia many types of services are simply not there.
Rule one: do not take up something that will not be useful to you personally. The same principle never failed in programming. The future thing should solve the problem. I repeat once again - it should be a solution to the existing problem, preferably your personal one. This is the only way to ensure that the device will be designed according to real requirements and will be popular.
This is not a reason at all. With elementary English and logical thinking skills, almost all aspects can be explored.
')
From the prototype. Sit down and make a mock-up on your knee, which will give a result, and this mock doesn’t have to be hellishly beautiful. My future investor was most impressed by the plastic epoxy joystick. The main thing is to demonstrate performance.
Naturally, further it will be necessary to look for an investor and write a business plan - but I don’t want to go into it (not my specialty), and there is plenty of information on this topic on the Internet. If the device is really useful, then everything will work out.
Firmware and scheme, at least for the prototype. We are not talking about Apple, but about a startup on the couch, to which no one will give money for the air (especially in the modern economy). Plus, if principle # 1 is observed, then this is your idea, and no one knows better than you how it should work.
The first thing you should not forget - you do not have 8 hands. At best, 4, and then not for long. Preparing the production of an electronic device is a matter in which you have to attract professionals, which means investment is inevitable. Here are some points to give to the subcontract:
1. Development of the final scheme and PCB. This is not something that would be voodoo, but when you have to get certified by the FCC, CE and other GOSTs, it becomes clear what exactly the money was given for.
2. Industrial design. Here it is better to find a company that does the design of the case, and then it will produce the final product. If you separate these two points - you are guaranteed a situation where you do not have a signet in your body, and designers with production workers will begin to blame everything on each other. Make it so that it is one company, and all these concerns will be on it. Point 1 by the way can also be included in their services, but it is not so important. In Taiwan, there are many companies involved in both the development of electronics and its production, and they are ready to start from any level - from "here is the scheme, here is the firmware - make me beautiful", to "there is an idea on a napkin, but I don’t know what's next ". Naturally, the second option will be much more expensive - because plastic can now be poured by everyone, but people who have a half-word who understand a complex idea are much less.
3. Packaging design. It is necessary to find a company that manufactures packaging, and ask them about the designers with whom they have been working together successfully for a long time. There is nothing more fun than trying to grow printers and designers together, explaining to one and the other the difference in Pantone Coated vs Uncoated.
4. At least editing / reading, and possibly writing a user manual. After six months of working on the device, you will whisper “my precioussss” at night, and call up any functionality with one glance - and you will never think exactly where the user may misunderstand something. The need for a manual is not discussed at all. And don't forget about the disclaimer!
1. Perform radiometric tests. If the circuit / board was designed with the head, then it is not so difficult to fit into the requirements of the FCC / CE. At a recent seminar on minimizing EMI from printed circuit boards, beautiful words were said - “if you have frequencies lower than megahertz, forget about problems with EMI”. Of course, there are nuances everywhere, but in general there is no need to be afraid - although it is impossible to ignore this topic. Testing itself costs about 6-7t. dollars, and takes a couple of days. It is worth as much to make papers for radio standards of other countries based on the results of tests already done (FCC is the territory of North and South America, CE - Europe). They say the hardest thing is with GOST - there are some special tests, and it costs some 4-5 thousand dollars.
2. Be sure to give a few copies to beta testers. Here, as with software, there are things that the developer will never think about. This is likely to cost a pretty penny in production (small lots are always expensive), but it will pay off a lot in the future.
3. Agree with the manufacturer on the acceptable level of marriage, and actions in case of exceeding this level. I cannot describe how important this is, especially in the case of new designs.
4. Find replacement options for critical parts. Spend money on an extra set of molds if you see fit.
5. If possible, check the assembly process, or better yet, inspect your future plant. There are things that cannot be understood without a personal visit, and if there is an office behind the facade of the sharashkin, run away from there.
All prices are in US dollars:
- Services of electronic engineers - 70-100 per hour.
- Designers - 30-40 per hour.
- A set of molds for casting the body, say, a desktop modem - about 10 thousand, but it strongly depends on the complexity of the design.
- Build in the US - about 12 dollars per hour. In China - 3-4 times less if we talk about normal plants. Naturally it all depends on the size of the party.
Another couple of tips.
1. Do not be afraid to make multilayer boards. It is now not as expensive as it may seem, and greatly simplifies life in terms of the same EMI.
2. If you work with Asian manufacturers - try to take away from them some key element of production - the same processor. Firms like AVNet will gladly supply you with the already programmed processors, which you can then give to the manufacturer. This will not allow unclean managers to slush your design ... or at least make it more difficult for them.
3. Try not to bump into logistics. There are specially trained people who can do it cheaper and faster than we, programmers. When choosing a variant with a contract manufacturer, these guys decide for themselves which parts where to order - and you just get the finished product and time for its implementation.
4. Do not want to bother with the full cycle of production and sale? Consider selling your own design to Spark Fun:
www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/92
If this is something that is useful to engineers, they will simply buy the design and will produce it.
And most importantly - believe in yourself. You will succeed.
To begin with, I will say - English is required. Nowadays, for technical professionals, this is generally a good form, but in this case you will not go far, because all the subsequent topics imply work in the international market. Simply because in Russia many types of services are simply not there.
What to do?
Rule one: do not take up something that will not be useful to you personally. The same principle never failed in programming. The future thing should solve the problem. I repeat once again - it should be a solution to the existing problem, preferably your personal one. This is the only way to ensure that the device will be designed according to real requirements and will be popular.
I know nothing!
This is not a reason at all. With elementary English and logical thinking skills, almost all aspects can be explored.
')
Where to start?
From the prototype. Sit down and make a mock-up on your knee, which will give a result, and this mock doesn’t have to be hellishly beautiful. My future investor was most impressed by the plastic epoxy joystick. The main thing is to demonstrate performance.
Naturally, further it will be necessary to look for an investor and write a business plan - but I don’t want to go into it (not my specialty), and there is plenty of information on this topic on the Internet. If the device is really useful, then everything will work out.
What to do yourself
Firmware and scheme, at least for the prototype. We are not talking about Apple, but about a startup on the couch, to which no one will give money for the air (especially in the modern economy). Plus, if principle # 1 is observed, then this is your idea, and no one knows better than you how it should work.
What to give to contractors
The first thing you should not forget - you do not have 8 hands. At best, 4, and then not for long. Preparing the production of an electronic device is a matter in which you have to attract professionals, which means investment is inevitable. Here are some points to give to the subcontract:
1. Development of the final scheme and PCB. This is not something that would be voodoo, but when you have to get certified by the FCC, CE and other GOSTs, it becomes clear what exactly the money was given for.
2. Industrial design. Here it is better to find a company that does the design of the case, and then it will produce the final product. If you separate these two points - you are guaranteed a situation where you do not have a signet in your body, and designers with production workers will begin to blame everything on each other. Make it so that it is one company, and all these concerns will be on it. Point 1 by the way can also be included in their services, but it is not so important. In Taiwan, there are many companies involved in both the development of electronics and its production, and they are ready to start from any level - from "here is the scheme, here is the firmware - make me beautiful", to "there is an idea on a napkin, but I don’t know what's next ". Naturally, the second option will be much more expensive - because plastic can now be poured by everyone, but people who have a half-word who understand a complex idea are much less.
3. Packaging design. It is necessary to find a company that manufactures packaging, and ask them about the designers with whom they have been working together successfully for a long time. There is nothing more fun than trying to grow printers and designers together, explaining to one and the other the difference in Pantone Coated vs Uncoated.
4. At least editing / reading, and possibly writing a user manual. After six months of working on the device, you will whisper “my precioussss” at night, and call up any functionality with one glance - and you will never think exactly where the user may misunderstand something. The need for a manual is not discussed at all. And don't forget about the disclaimer!
Before the release
1. Perform radiometric tests. If the circuit / board was designed with the head, then it is not so difficult to fit into the requirements of the FCC / CE. At a recent seminar on minimizing EMI from printed circuit boards, beautiful words were said - “if you have frequencies lower than megahertz, forget about problems with EMI”. Of course, there are nuances everywhere, but in general there is no need to be afraid - although it is impossible to ignore this topic. Testing itself costs about 6-7t. dollars, and takes a couple of days. It is worth as much to make papers for radio standards of other countries based on the results of tests already done (FCC is the territory of North and South America, CE - Europe). They say the hardest thing is with GOST - there are some special tests, and it costs some 4-5 thousand dollars.
2. Be sure to give a few copies to beta testers. Here, as with software, there are things that the developer will never think about. This is likely to cost a pretty penny in production (small lots are always expensive), but it will pay off a lot in the future.
3. Agree with the manufacturer on the acceptable level of marriage, and actions in case of exceeding this level. I cannot describe how important this is, especially in the case of new designs.
4. Find replacement options for critical parts. Spend money on an extra set of molds if you see fit.
5. If possible, check the assembly process, or better yet, inspect your future plant. There are things that cannot be understood without a personal visit, and if there is an office behind the facade of the sharashkin, run away from there.
How much is it
All prices are in US dollars:
- Services of electronic engineers - 70-100 per hour.
- Designers - 30-40 per hour.
- A set of molds for casting the body, say, a desktop modem - about 10 thousand, but it strongly depends on the complexity of the design.
- Build in the US - about 12 dollars per hour. In China - 3-4 times less if we talk about normal plants. Naturally it all depends on the size of the party.
Another couple of tips.
1. Do not be afraid to make multilayer boards. It is now not as expensive as it may seem, and greatly simplifies life in terms of the same EMI.
2. If you work with Asian manufacturers - try to take away from them some key element of production - the same processor. Firms like AVNet will gladly supply you with the already programmed processors, which you can then give to the manufacturer. This will not allow unclean managers to slush your design ... or at least make it more difficult for them.
3. Try not to bump into logistics. There are specially trained people who can do it cheaper and faster than we, programmers. When choosing a variant with a contract manufacturer, these guys decide for themselves which parts where to order - and you just get the finished product and time for its implementation.
4. Do not want to bother with the full cycle of production and sale? Consider selling your own design to Spark Fun:
www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/92
If this is something that is useful to engineers, they will simply buy the design and will produce it.
And most importantly - believe in yourself. You will succeed.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/124179/
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