I have two people (possibly 3) that do contract assembly for me. I can handle any assembly on this end. Sincerely, Clyde Sprowl C&B PWB Design Services, Inc. Phone 260.355.0590 Fax 603.258.5520 http://home.comcast.net/~pwb_engineer/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "T.L. Dlouhy" <tdcad@xxxxxxxx> To: <hybrid.circuits@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 16:20 Subject: [hybrid.circuits] Re: 5 users > Hi Rod, > > 1. I'm not sure what "flavor" of diode you are using, but a quick glance > in the Digi-Key catalog shows one SOT-143 diode at $0.53 a piece or > $37.50 per 100. The 0603 capacitor ranges in price from $9.91 to $62.70 > per 500. > > 2. Since no clean room will be involved that eliminates a lot of cost. > There will still have to be an assembly area, unless this can be done in > a home environment by some piece work "employees". The only thing with > the home environment assembly is OSHA and their concerns with solder > vapors and hot solder in general as a safety concern, especially if > minors reside at the home environment. > > 3. Since this will be a surface mounted package, are the SMT contacts to > be edge clips attached with high temperature solder? How many contacts > are required per package? Are all of the contacts the same > configuration/size or are one or more to be different? > > 4. The enclosure and epoxy may be inexpensive, but the oven will be a > high cost. I looked at Unibox Enclosures for an example and found theirs > to be larger than you needed, but the cost is about $0.25 each. > > 5. Again, the cost will be the test equipment. Fixtures may be a little > costly up front, but they can be used over and over. The more they are > used, the less the per part cost. > > Tom Dlouhy, C.I.D. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rod Kirkhart > Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 9:55 AM > To: hybrid.circuits@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [hybrid.circuits] Re: 5 users > > Hi Tom and Clyde, I appeciate your help. I answered your questions > below. It's nice to know what my options are in case I do not get a > license agreement. > > Rod > "T.L. Dlouhy" <tdcad@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Hi Rod, > > The FR4 board cost would be minimal. I know of several fabrication shops > that are very reasonable on price. Other things to consider would be: > > 1. What components are to be placed on the circuit? SMT resistors and > capacitors are fairly inexpensive in quantities, but vary depending on > values. SOT 143 Diode package and a 0603 capacitor > > 2. Will the product need to be assembled and tested in a clean room > environment to meet certain specifications? No clean room is needed. > > 3. How will the final component/assembly be mounted for customer use? Is > it to be surface mount contacts or leaded for thru holes? How will the > contacts/leads be attached to the PCB/substrate? It will be surface > mount. > > 4. An enclosure is most likely going to be needed. How will this attach > to the PCB/substrate (Hi-Temp solder, crimping, etc.) A plastic or > ceramic lid will be needed to be applied by epoxy , then cured in an > oven. > > 5. The test equipment could be rather expensive, but it can be leased > for the time it is needed. How automated is the testing process to be? > Can fixtures be made for automation or can existing fixtures be > used/modified? There is only 1 test needed for production( insertion > loss). Test fixtures would be quite easy to produce. > > I agree with Clyde with getting an attorney and having the Minicircuits > proposal reviewed. Another company you may want to approach is Remec. > > Tom Dlouhy, C.I.D. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rod Kirkhart > Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2003 12:12 PM > To: hybrid.circuits@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [hybrid.circuits] Re: 5 users > > Hello All (Tom & Clyde), > > I am a liitle embarassed to say it, but I have no plan or idea where to > go with it. I was recently given an offer to me from Minicircuits. > They were to give me royalties, but the offer seemed risky to me. I > would like to develop them myself, but the test equiment is expensive, > developing prototypes is too. > > For example: > > 1 mixer is .5"x1" , built on a 2 layer FR4 board. > > How much would that run me for say 500 mixers? > > > Thanks, > > Rod > > Yahoo Email > wrote: > What is involved? I have some business associates who are in this > business. > They might be interested in working with you. > Sincerely, > Clyde Sprowl > C&B PWB Design Services, Inc. > Phone 260.355.0590 > Fax 603.258.5520 > http://home.comcast.net/~pwb_engineer/ > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rod Kirkhart" > To: > Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 17:27 > Subject: [hybrid.circuits] Re: 5 users > > > > I am an RF Designer. I have currently developed some PCB based designs > that are quite unique. They could be developed on anything from FR4 to > alumina. These designs are RF components such as mixers and multipliers. > I > would like to pursue development and manufacturing on my own, but would > like > help. Anybody interested? > > > > Rod > > > > > > Yahoo Email > wrote: > > I consider myself a craftsman. Sometimes, I quit tracking hours, and > > concentrate on the placement and routing in order to give all my > attention > > to the final product, and not have to worry about if I'm overcharging. > It > > seems to make a difference with my customers. They see the quality in > the > > designs they receive. I bet they don't get that kind of service from > the > > offshore shops. > > Sincerely, > > Clyde Sprowl > > C&B PWB Design Services, Inc. > > Phone 260.355.0590 > > Fax 603.258.5520 > > http://home.comcast.net/~pwb_engineer/ > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "T.L. Dlouhy" > > To: > > Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 15:23 > > Subject: [hybrid.circuits] Re: 5 users > > > > > > > From talking with companies that do hybrid design and are looking > for > > > EDA software, they are becoming quite busy, but are not yet ready to > > > step up to the plate and hire more designers. > > > > > > I have about ten years experience with thick film and thin film > hybrid > > > designs and have been exposed heavily to LTCC with cavities. In > > > addition, I have over 23 years of PCB design experience, mainly in > RF > > > and analog, but have done multi-layer digital boards. > > > > > > Working for my present employer, an EDA software company, one of my > many > > > duties is to cover technical support. It amazes me sometimes the > circuit > > > designs that are sent in for last minute trouble shooting have been > > > deemed acceptable for manufacture. I don't mean to sound cynical, > but I > > > cringe when I see some of the design practices that are used. Does > this > > > mean I still haven't lost my touch? > > > > > > Tom Dlouhy, C.I.D. > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > [mailto:hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Yahoo > Email > > > Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 12:56 PM > > > To: hybrid.circuits@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > Subject: [hybrid.circuits] Re: 5 users > > > > > > How's the captive job market for hybrid designers? Do you have any > pwb > > > design experience or ASIC experience? > > > Sincerely, > > > Clyde Sprowl > > > C&B PWB Design Services, Inc. > > > Phone 260.355.0590 > > > Fax 603.258.5520 > > > http://home.comcast.net/~pwb_engineer/ > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "T.L. Dlouhy" > > > To: > > > Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 14:51 > > > Subject: [hybrid.circuits] Re: 5 users > > > > > > > > > > They have insurance, but the employee has to pay the full premiums > and > > > > they were California prices, around $700 a month and that was > three > > > > years ago. Who knows how much it is now. Same with the 401K; they > have > > > a > > > > program, but the employee is responsible for all donations to the > > > fund. > > > > The company puts in nothing. > > > > > > > > Tom > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > [mailto:hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Yahoo > Email > > > > Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 12:39 PM > > > > To: hybrid.circuits@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > Subject: [hybrid.circuits] Re: 5 users > > > > > > > > I hear you about the limited benefits. Don't you have health > benefits? > > > I > > > > don't either. > > > > Sincerely, > > > > Clyde Sprowl > > > > C&B PWB Design Services, Inc. > > > > Phone 260.355.0590 > > > > Fax 603.258.5520 > > > > http://home.comcast.net/~pwb_engineer/ > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "T.L. Dlouhy" > > > > To: > > > > Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 14:19 > > > > Subject: [hybrid.circuits] Re: 5 users > > > > > > > > > > > > > Clyde, > > > > > > > > > > Since I am working for an EDA software company, I am not sure if > my > > > > > answers apply, but here they are. > > > > > > > > > > 1) I am captive, although I may as well be contract since the > only > > > > > benefit I get is vacation. > > > > > > > > > > 2) Business is slow, but steady. There is a lot of interest, but > > > real > > > > > results thin out quickly. > > > > > > > > > > 3) In the EDA software business, my greatest need would be more > > > > > customers. As a designer, my greatest need would be to acquire a > > > > decent > > > > > paying design position with benefits. > > > > > > > > > > Tom Dlouhy, C.I.D. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > From: hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > > [mailto:hybrid.circuits-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Yahoo > > > Email > > > > > Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 11:46 AM > > > > > To: Hybrids > > > > > Subject: [hybrid.circuits] 5 users > > > > > > > > > > Congratulations everyone for joining the list. We're at 5 users > now! > > > > > Thanks to Tom for passing the word along. Thought I would ask a > few > > > > > questions of everyone: > > > > > 1) are you captive or contract? > > > > > 2) How is business? > > > > > 3) what are your greatest needs? > > > > > > > > > > If you have any other issues that you feel the members can help > > > > resolve, > > > > > feel free to post. > > > > > > > > > > Sincerely, > > > > > Clyde Sprowl > > > > > C&B PWB Design Services, Inc. > > > > > Phone 260.355.0590 > > > > > Fax 603.258.5520 > > > > > http://home.comcast.net/~pwb_engineer/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Do you Yahoo!? > > The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search > > > >