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If you have approached a company previously with regard to bespoke electronics
or audio visual solutions to your problems, then you have probably discovered
that this can be expensive. Large companies have large overheads - by operating
independently, I can keep costs to a minimum, and bring such projects within the
scope of sometimes (very) limited budgets. This means that even if you are a
small operator you will probably be able to realise some of the ideas you may
have had, but thought were out of your reach.
Once I receive an enquiry from you, I will arrange a meeting to discuss your
requirements. This meeting is intended to cover such things as the scope of the
project, initial proposed methods and ideas, and approximate timescales to
complete. DON'T WORRY if you haven't got a full or complete specification
- even a rough idea of what you are looking for is enough to start discussion.
Helping you to flesh out your ideas to arrive at what you want is a large part
of what I do.
Once this meeting has taken place, I will take the
information provided, draw up an initial design proposal and provide a quote for
completion of the project. Once a quote has been provided it will be adhered to,
as long as the specification doesn't change in the interim.
Depending on
the needs of the project, it will be built up using prototyping techniques or
full PCB design and manufacture. Following testing, the project will be
delivered along with all supporting project documentation and, if necessary,
integrated.
Most importantly, if I can't help you at all
- however unlikely this may be - I will simply say so, and if possible, suggest
an alternative source.
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Charging Scheme
I primarily operate on a daily basis; the number
of estimated days to complete, determines the cost. Fixed price options are also
possible.
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For most new embedded designs I prefer to employ the
Propeller MCU. This multi core chip, manufactured by Parallax, avoids the need to
deal with interrupts by running time-critical tasks in separate cores, speeds up
the design process, and permits designs to be realised quickly. It's very
applicable to industrial control tasks where the design process is much
simplified.
Some designs may be implemented on other cores (such as
PIC16/18 devices from Microchip or CUBLOC processors from Comfile) depending on
complexity and requirements.
Enclosures may be machined in my own
facility if necessary (see here for more
details).
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Schematics and Other Documentation
Schematics are drawn up in Eagle from Cadsoft.
All schematics are supplied at the end of the project as a part of the project
documentation. Documentation supplied at the end of the project will include,
where applicable: schematics, user manuals, source code (where applicable),
inventories, and parts lists with full sourcing information for all components.
Documentation is supplied in usual standard formats such as Microsoft Word,
Excel, and Adobe PDF.
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Sourcing
Components, modules and any other equipment required for
the project will be sourced as required from reliable industry suppliers such as RS, Farnell, Rapid, Digikey and
others. Full sourcing information is provided for all components employed in
order that the design may later be duplicated or repaired. I try to ensure that
common components are used wherever possible, to minimise the potential for
obsolescence.
Please note that projects requiring large quantities of
sourcing may require an up-front payment.
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PCB Manufacture
PCB manufacture where required is contracted out
to a suitable service company. This used to be a very expensive practice but has
become much cheaper over recent years with the introduction of automated
manufacturing techniques. PCB manufacture is not necessary in many cases but
where replication of the design is a possibility or extreme long-term
reliability is a factor, it is highly recommended.
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