How to make a idea products from your concept?

Do you dream of developing a hot, new hardware gadget and bringing it to market? Maybe your goal is to make the world better with your product, or perhaps you just want to get filthy rich selling your product.

Developing a project prototype using an Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or other development platform is a fantastic first step. However, there is still a lot to do if you want to make it into something that can be manufactured and sold to the masses.

In this article I’m going to break down the process into manageable steps so you can get started on making your dream come true!

Step 1: Select the Core Electronic Components

The first step is to select the primary microchips (i.e. integrated circuits), sensors, displays, connectors, and other electronic components based upon the desired functions and your target retail price.

Some of the best places to find and purchase electronic components are the big distributors like Arrow, Digikey, Mouser, and Future. Components can be purchased as singles (for prototyping and initial testing) or up to thousands (for low-volume manufacturing) from any of these suppliers.AdaFruit and SparkFun are two of the best resources for electronic modules, kits, sensors, cameras, and other electronic parts.

Step 2: Design the Circuit Schematic

Once all of the core components are selected, the next step is to connect them all together in a schematic diagram. The schematic diagram is similar to a blueprint for a house.

The schematic shows how all of the components, from microchips to simple resistors, connect together. The schematic is an abstract representation of the electronics design. For many this can be the most difficult step to learn because it requires a fundamental understanding of electronics design engineering.

I suggest starting with a prototype based on an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, then you can copy a lot of their open source schematics once you are ready to migrate to a fully custom design. If you don’t have a good understanding of electronics then you have three choices: find a co-founder who does, teach yourself the fundamentals of electronics, or hire an electronics design engineer to either fully design the circuit or at least to review your design.

Step 3: Create the Bill of Materials

Now it’s time to create a detailed parts list called a Bill of Materials (BOM). The BOM lists the part number, part description, quantity, and possibly the part pricing. You should have already selected the more important components in step #1. So now you must specify all of the secondary components like capacitors, resistors, inductors, connectors, etc.

Note that the BOM can be created after step #4 if desired, but doing it early allows you to more quickly estimate the production cost for your product.

STEP 4: Design the Printed Circuit Board

Now it’s time to take the conceptual schematic diagram and turn it into real world electronics: a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).

A PCB is the physical board that holds and connects all of the electronic components. For many projects creating the PCB layout is more complicated and time-consuming than designing the original schematic.

In most cases, the tighter the components are packed together the longer it will take to create the PCB layout. This means that for really small products, such as wearable technology devices, it will take extra time to create the PCB layout.

If your gadget uses large amounts of power, or offers wireless connectivity, then the PCB layout is even more critical and time consuming.

For wireless communication products you’ll need to pay extra attention to the PCB layout for the RF (Radio-Frequency) circuits which typically means the antenna. Antenna layout is not only critical, but it’s also complicated. Incorrect antenna layout is probably one of the most frequent mistakes on PCB designs. I highly suggest you get either the antenna manufacturer, or an independent engineer to review your antenna layout before prototyping. Just be sure to hire an engineer experienced with antenna PCB layout since most will not have the necessary experience.

Keep in mind that you’ll probably still need to have your antenna tuned to achieve peak efficiency. Many times your antenna manufacturer will provide this tuning service.

Step 5: Order the PCB Prototypes

Producing electronic PCB prototypes is a two step process. The first step is producing the bare printed circuit boards. For this step I use PCB online service, but there are many other choices as well. The second step is having all of the electronic components assembled on to the PCB. For this step I usually use a China PCB manufacturer company.

Assembly is usually the most expensive step and in my experience is about two-thirds of the total PCB cost. To save money you can of course solder components yourself if you are good at soldering. However, many modern components are leadless (the leads are below the part) making them impossible to do by hand.

In most cases it will take a couple of weeks to get completely assembled boards, unless you pay extra for expedited service. I typically start off ordering about 5 assembled boards which will usually cost around $2,000.

If super small size is absolutely critical for your product (think wearable tech and Internet-of-Things devices) then you may need to consider more advanced PCB production methods to achieve the desired size. For example, using buried and/or blind vias will allow you to pack everything incredibly tight. However, these advanced vias can easily triple your prototype cost, so it’s best to only use them if it’s essential for product success.

Step 6: Program the Microcontroller or Microprocessor

Most electronic devices contain a microchip called a Micro-Controller Unit (MCU) or Micro=Processor Unit (MPU) that serve as the core “brains” for the device. As the names imply an MCU is great at controlling things, and an MPU is great at processing data. An MCU is pretty much a slow MPU with less memory and less pins, but with more built-in peripherals for interfacing with the outside world. An MCU doesn’t require an operating system like an MPU based system, making it the much simpler solution.

For example, an Arduino is a microcontroller (MCU) based development system whereas a Raspberry Pi is a more powerful microprocessor (MPU) based platform with a full operating system.

Whether your product uses a microcontroller or a microprocessor it’s going to need to be programmed. This program (called firmware) will most likely be developed using the “C” computer language.

Step 7: Evaluate, Debug, and Repeat

The first version of any new product is never market ready, and any issues will be fixed in the next prototype iteration. There will almost always be some issues, so don’t be unrealistically optimistic when creating your development and funding plans. Plan for reality.

This can be a challenging step to forecast in terms of both cost and time. Any problems found are of course unexpected, so it will take time to figure out the source of the bug and determine how best to fix it. However, any company developing new hardware products has the same obstacle to overcome.

Step 8: Certifications

In order to sell a new electronic product in most countries there are several types of certification required. The exact certifications needed depend on the country/region where the product will be sold.

I’ll warn you that obtaining certifications isn’t cheap and most products will cost at least $10k to $30k to certify. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce this cost such as by using pre-certified wireless modules. Below is a quick overview of the certifications required in the USA, Canada, and Europe.

FCC (Federal Communications Commission) certification is required for all electrical products sold in the USA. Products that don’t purposefully radiate electromagnetic energy (i.e. no wireless functions) are classified as non-radiators. On the other hand, wireless products purposefully transmit electromagnetic energy and are classified as intentional radiators. It is much more expensive to obtain FCC certification for an intentional radiator.

UL (Underwriters Laboratories) or CSA (Canadian Standards Association) certification is required for any electrical product sold in the USA and/or Canada that plugs into an AC electrical outlet. Products running on only batteries with no recharging capabilities do not require UL/CSA certification. However, most retail chains and/or product liability insurance companies will require UL/CSA certification for any electronic product.

CE (Conformité Européene) certification is required for products sold in the European Union (EU). It is similar to the FCC and UL certifications required in the USA.

RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) certification is required for electrical products sold in the European Union (EU). It certifies the electronics are free of lead.

Conclusion

If your product requires electronics it will no doubt increase the complexity of developing the product. This means increased development cost, time, and risk.

To lower your development risk (and usually your cost and time) I highly recommend that you get a second opinion on any design before prototyping it. Second opinions, commonly called design reviews, can greatly reduce the chance of errors. On the bright side, migrating the electronics from prototype to mass production is relatively straightforward.

From: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-make-idea-products-from-your-concept-jim-w

How to place a PCB quote online?

The PCB market is so vast and ever growing. It is an industry, where all kinds of suppliers co exist. They are millions if you consider the global size of the market. That is why the online option is a great access opportunity for interacting with vendors worldwide from where you can invite quotes of different suppliers.

The requirement of PCBs may range from simple to complex. In PCBs there is the need to filter an array of suppliers before finalizing the supplier. With manufacturing hubs in China and South East Asia, sourcing of PCBs in bulk is easy through online process as that offers better costing and quality parameters.

Before placing pcb online quote do know that buying PCB online must precede good research. There are excellent sources of information for buying a printed circuit board online.

Price of PCB online varies from company to company and depends on the number of layers used in PCBs. There are many vendor websites offering instant quotes to ensure faster processing of PCB orders.

To facilitate, easy sourcing from multi layer pcb suppliers there are many PCB quote systems among the circuit board manufacturers to balance the client needs seamlessly.

The demand for PCB is soaring as electronic and technology industry is expanding. As the reliable tool for strong electric pathways in computers and electronic equipment they serve the base for mounting electric components to make the machine run properly.

A computer has multiple circuit boards with 8 or 12 layers. More expensive than wire-wrapped or point-to-point constructed circuits on front end of production for individual units, printed circuit boards offer better value in mass production as they can be copied faster than other methods.

The benefit of PCBs online is that a number of companies are available to create a circuit board that suits client needs in terms of design, manufacture.

Before ordering, do prepare a list of printed circuit board manufacturers who are authentic dealers. It is easy to access such information from places like industry meetings and trade shows. Trade shows give interested customers ideas about the services they are looking to buy.

While searching online, gain access to various details about them. Make sure to observe code-compliance such as DSCC, QPL, or QML list, build enough information so that follow up is easy.

By making a list of companies, which are code-compliant, it is understood that the circuit board manufacturers maintain good standards, latest technology, and high quality standards and doing business with them will not lead to regrets.

Instant turnkey PCB online buying tips

The PCB market is so vast and ever growing. It is an industry, where all kinds of suppliers co exist. They are millions if you consider the global size of the market. That is why the online option is a great access opportunity for interacting with vendors worldwide from where you can invite quotes of different suppliers.

The requirement of PCBs may range from simple to complex. In PCBs there is the need to filter an array of suppliers before finalizing the supplier. With manufacturing hubs in China and South East Asia, sourcing of PCBs in bulk is easy through online process as that offers better costing and quality parameters.

Before placing pcb online quote do know that buying PCB online must precede good research. There are excellent sources of information for buying a printed circuit board online.

Price of PCB online varies from company to company and depends on the number of layers used in PCBs. There are many vendor websites offering instant quotes to ensure faster processing of PCB orders.

To facilitate, easy sourcing from multi layer pcb suppliers there are many PCB quote systems among the circuit board manufacturers to balance the client needs seamlessly.

The demand for PCB is soaring as electronic and technology industry is expanding. As the reliable tool for strong electric pathways in computers and electronic equipment they serve the base for mounting electric components to make the machine run properly.

A computer has multiple circuit boards with 8 or 12 layers. More expensive than wire-wrapped or point-to-point constructed circuits on front end of production for individual units, printed circuit boards offer better value in mass production as they can be copied faster than other methods.

The benefit of instant turnkey PCBs online is that a number of companies are available to create a circuit board that suits client needs in terms of design, manufacture.

Before ordering, do prepare a list of printed circuit board manufacturers who are authentic dealers. It is easy to access such information from places like industry meetings and trade shows. Trade shows give interested customers ideas about the services they are looking to buy.

While searching online, gain access to various details about them. Make sure to observe code-compliance such as DSCC, QPL, or QML list, build enough information so that follow up is easy.

By making a list of companies, which are code-compliant, it is understood that the circuit board manufacturers maintain good standards, latest technology, and high quality standards and doing business with them will not lead to regrets.

PCB online Quote tips used by purchasers of the world top 500 companies

PCB board online is very simple process for most world top 500 companies, but if you did have good tips to do it, you may can't find idea PCB suppliers.

The PCB market is so vast and ever growing. It is an industry, where all kinds of suppliers co exist. They are millions if you consider the global size of the market. That is why the online option is a great access opportunity for interacting with vendors worldwide from where you can invite quotes of different suppliers.

The requirement of PCBs may range from simple to complex. In PCBs there is the need to filter an array of suppliers before finalizing the supplier. With manufacturing hubs in China and South East Asia, sourcing of PCBs in bulk is easy through online process as that offers better costing and quality parameters.

Before placing pcb online quote do know that buying PCB online must precede good research. There are excellent sources of information for buying a printed circuit board online.

Price of PCB online varies from company to company and depends on the number of layers used in PCBs. There are many vendor websites offering instant quotes to ensure faster processing of PCB orders.

To facilitate, easy sourcing from multi layer pcb suppliers there are many PCB quote systems among the circuit board manufacturers to balance the client needs seamlessly.

The demand for PCB is soaring as electronic and technology industry is expanding. As the reliable tool for strong electric pathways in computers and electronic equipment they serve the base for mounting electric components to make the machine run properly.

A computer has multiple circuit boards with 8 or 12 layers. More expensive than wire-wrapped or point-to-point constructed circuits on front end of production for individual units, printed circuit boards offer better value in mass production as they can be copied faster than other methods.

The benefit of PCBs online is that a number of companies are available to create a circuit board that suits client needs in terms of design, manufacture.

Before ordering, do prepare a list of printed circuit board manufacturers who are authentic dealers. It is easy to access such information from places like industry meetings and trade shows. Trade shows give interested customers ideas about the services they are looking to buy.

While searching online, gain access to various details about them. Make sure to observe code-compliance such as DSCC, QPL, or QML list, build enough information so that follow up is easy.

By making a list of companies, which are code-compliant, it is understood that the circuit board manufacturers maintain good standards, latest technology, and high quality standards and doing business with them will not lead to regrets.

HTD PCB Expets: Oriental Printed Circuits introducing

Today Jim wants to discuss OPC PCB manufacturer.
To learn this definition, first of all you should know the oriental printed circuits and Asian PCB manufacturer.

What is Oriental Printed Circuits?

Of course oriental printed circuits are from east of earth.
This means you can get your PCB board from the east, like HTD circuits.

Asian PCB manufacturer VS. Oriental Printed Circuits

In fact, above two expressions were very different.
Asian PCB manufacturer mean this PCB factory location is eastof earth, and oriental printed circuits is the board from oriental.

If you want to learn more Oriental Printed Circuits, follows us Linkedin page:https://www.linkedin.com/company/htd-group

The two most common methods for creating that conductive bridge Introducing

The Theory of Electroplating Circuit Board

Electroplating is a process where metal ions are bonded to a metal surface.
The process requires a voltage potential between a copper source (anode) and the plating target (copper circuit).
Both the anode and copper circuit are immersed in a copper sulphate solution with an applied voltage potential.

The two most common methods for creating that conductive bridge are:

Electroless copper plating
Shadow plating

Creating Conductive Bridge help electroplating between layers

This promotes ion flow from the anode to the cathode (the circuit).
Areas of a circuit panel with a voltage potential will get plated, so any part of a copper circuit that is electrically isolated will not get plated.
Since copper layers are separated by dielectric materials, and there is no electrical charge going through the through-hole, electroplating between layers is not possible. In order to allow electroplating, a conductive “bridge” must be coated over the insulating layer.

HTD Circuits Provide Faster & Higher Quality PCBs. Get Your PCB Price Now!

Quick Turn PCB Quote        OR     Production PCB Quote

You should know the secret in PCB design drawing

Identify is important for PCB design process

A way to identify the circuit board, part number and revision
Not only one person to designing PCB boards, identify is used to PCB designers and PCB fabricationworkers Communication.
And identify also is the sign of standard produce process.

PCB design drawing also must trace

Traceablity information about who created/checked/approved the drawing and what design control it belongs to
PCB fabrication is very complex process for most people.
If you just know one or two step, you may make some mistakes.
So during PCB designing process must learn most PCB making process and trace those designs.
If some of PCB drawing have some problem, we can find out the solution about PCB design.
This also the faster handle PCB issues way.

HTD Circuits PCB drawing solution

You know we are leading China PCB manufacturers since 2001.
Rich PCB experience can avoid most PCB fabrication issues.
If you want learn HTD Circuits PCB design identify or PCB design drawing trace, please mail to us.