DESIGN SERVICES

Why use SMARTSCIENCES and associates for your next design?

 

        ü Help your overloaded engineering design and technical writing staff

     ü Let us be your design department when you have none

     ü Innovative ideas / new approaches

     ü Write a product specification

     ü Write schedules with milestones

     ü Reduce product costs

   ü Speed product to market

 

 

SMARTSCIENCES and associates design electronic products. This process of product development often goes through the following steps:

DEFINITION by client with help from Smartsciences.

PROPOSALby Smartsciences.

CONTRACT by client and Smartsciences.

PROTOTYPE by Smartsciences.

ACCEPTANCE by client.

PILOT or PREPRODUCTION manufacturing run (small production run).

Submission of preproduction unit for agency approvals UL/CSA, FCC, CE. (Sometimes an agency will not accept a preproduction unit but will want a production line unit).

Then, regular production, and delivery to ultimate customer.

THE DESIGN/MANUFACTURING DOCUMENTATION AND DESIGN COSTING MAY INCLUDE:

1) PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (1 to 4 hours)

2) FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM(S) What's supposed to happen and in what sequence (1 to 8 hours)

3) ELECTRICAL DIAGRAM(S) Example: Schematic Diagram (2 to 80 hours)

4) PARTS LIST(S) Bill Of Materials or BOM or costed BOM (4 to 80 hours)

5) CIRCUIT BOARD(S) layout ($1.50 to $2.00 per hole or pad, depending on complexity, and whether surface mount)

6) CIRCUIT BOARD ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM (1 to 4 hours) and GERBER FILES (1 hour/board)

7) MECHANICAL FABRICATION DRAWING(S) (4 to 16 hours)

8) FINAL ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM(S) (4 to 10 hours)

9) SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION (10 to 20 hours)

10) OPERATIONAL SOFTWARE ($2000 to $20,000)

11) TEST SPECIFICATION (4 to 16 hours)

12) TEST PROCEDURE (4 to 12 hours)

13) TESTING SOFTWARE ($1000 to $4000)

14) USER MANUAL, DRAFT/PRELIMINARY (4 hours to 8 hours per page)

     [Sections: Description, Installation, Operation, Troubleshooting]

15) SERVICE MANUAL, DRAFT/PRELIMINARY, (4 hours to 8 hours per page)

     [Sections: Description, Installation, Operation, Theory of Operation, Preventive Maintenance,      Corrective Maintenance, Parts List, Diagrams]

16) SALES LITERATURE, DRAFT ($200 to $900)

17) PRESS RELEASE, DRAFT ($100 to $200)

Projects are normally accomplished on a negotiated fixed price. But billing can be on an hourly rate basis. Hourly rates range from $50 to $150, depending on complexity of job and available personnel.

File formats: For text: Word for Windows; For graphics: HPGL or AutoCad DWG or DXF. For schematics: OrCad or HPGL or DXF.

SOME PROTOTYPE BUILD COST ITEMS

ENCLOSURE:

Metalwork type: Fabrication, Painting and/or anodizing, and silkscreening. Optional: texturizing / wire brushing.

Plastic Type 1: Fabrication, ultrasonic or other nut inserts, and silkscreening.

Plastic Type 2: Fabricate tool for injection molding; injection molding, cleanup, ultrasonic nut inserts, silkscreening.

PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS: Fabrication with solder mask and silkscreen. For surface mount, additional masks.

PARTS: Cost of parts, shipping, buying paperwork, receiving, and kitting.

PRINTED CIRCUIT ASSEMBLY: Setup, stuffing, soldering, cleanup, inspection.

FINAL ASSEMBLY: Assemble and inspect.

UNIT TEST: Test unit using Test Specification and Test Procedure. Log data of first units to locate median test values, and update Test Specification and Test Procedure.

SYSTEM TEST (If required): Test unit in a system environment to verify functionality and performance.

AGENCY TESTING: (If required): Prepare prototype for agency testing.

DESIGN CAPABILITIES

ANALOG DESIGN: Low noise/audio/telephone/filters/control loop/power supply

DIGITAL DESIGN: TTL, CMOS, ECL, PECL

MICROCONTROLLER: Microchip PIC RISC type; Z80180 Zilog types; Motorola types; Intel types.

SOFTWARE: Assembly language for microcontrollers, Visual Basic for PCs.

TELEPHONE: Auto answer / DSP hybrids / DTMF signaling / FCC requirements / Interface to other systems.

CIRCUIT BOARD: Schematic capture by OrCad. Layout by PADS 2000.

PACKAGING: Aesthetic, marketable packages, yet designed for manufacturability.

UL/CE/FCC: All taken into consideration in design. Higher probability of passing.

MANUFACTURING: We can provide low volume or supervise higher volume.

TIMELINES (ROUGH ESTIMATES)

DESIGN/DRAW SCHEMATICS: (1 to 2 to 10 weeks)

BILL OF MATERIALS: (8 hours to 80 hours)

GATHERING OF FOOTPRINTS AND DATA SHEETS: (8 to 20 hours)

PRINTED CIRCUIT LAYOUT: (Two week queue, then 3 to 30 days)

FABRICATE PROTOTYPE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS: (1 to 14 days-price dependent)

ASSEMBLE PROTOTYPE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS: (Two week queue, then 2 to 14 days)

DESIGN METAL WORK: (Two week queue, then 2 to 10 days)

SILKSCREENS FOR METAL WORKS, INCLUDING LOGOS: (Two week queue, then 1 to 5 days)

FABRICATE PROTOTYPE METAL WORKS: (Two to three week queue, then 5 to 20 days)

ASSEMBLE AND TEST PROTOTYPES: (1 to 4 weeks)

SYSTEM TEST PROTOTYPES: (1 to 4 weeks)

AGENCY TESTING: (Estimated 1 to 4 weeks queue, then 1 week if it passes, else, fix and get back into queue)

If above work is coordinated, some queues will be deleted. Some queues will vary from 1 day to 30 days, depending on work loads. Parts shortages could significantly impact the time line.