Anybody want to bid a circuit design?

Dec 6, 2012

I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

Tom Biasi · Dec 6, 2012

On 12/6/2012 12:12 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

Do you expect bids on the info that you provided?

Leave contact info.

Tom

Tom Biasi · Dec 6, 2012

On 12/6/2012 4:35 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:19:59 -0500, Tom Biasi <tombiasi@optonline.net
wrote:

On 12/6/2012 12:12 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

Do you expect bids on the info that you provided?
Leave contact info.

Tom
My email shows at the top.
Eric

I apologize, I'm just used to emails being invalid.

Tom

Dec 6, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:19:59 -0500, Tom Biasi <tombiasi@optonline.net>
wrote:

On 12/6/2012 12:12 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

Do you expect bids on the info that you provided?
Leave contact info.

Tom
My email shows at the top.

Eric

Daniel Pitts · Dec 6, 2012

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)

Dec 6, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
<newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive and

does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.
Eric

Daniel Pitts · Dec 6, 2012

On 12/6/12 2:36 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive and
does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.
Eric

Ah, so you have price constraints. That is important to include in your
requirements.

What is your target cost-per-unit?

Jim Thompson · Dec 6, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:42:42 -0800, Daniel Pitts
<newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 2:36 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive and
does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.
Eric

Ah, so you have price constraints. That is important to include in your
requirements.

What is your target cost-per-unit?

And pulse rate and pulse width, and their accuracies. Maybe do it
with a 555 >:-}

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice

Tim Wescott · Dec 6, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:36:48 -0800, etpm wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive and
does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a microcontroller,
voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple passive devices.
Eric

If an Arduino is too expensive then you may find that the cost to do the
design, divided by your expected production, is too expensive, too.

But yes, an Arduino has a lot of extras and lacks the pot, so you're kind
of bound to do some custom work anyway.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Dec 6, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:42:42 -0800, Daniel Pitts
<newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 2:36 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive and
does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.
Eric

Ah, so you have price constraints. That is important to include in your
requirements.

What is your target cost-per-unit?
Less than 5 US dollars per unit for 100 units if I do the assembly and

soldering.

Tim Wescott · Dec 6, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:12:03 -0800, etpm wrote:

I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The number
of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of pulses will be
from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out then I will
hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able to send the
circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them populated and
soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind when bidding on
the job.

Without meaning to be negative in any way, if I wandered into your shop
with a shaft made of mystery metal in my hand and asked you if you could
turn the end to "exactly one inch diameter with a really good finish",
would you bid a firm fixed price?

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Daniel Pitts · Dec 6, 2012

On 12/6/12 3:50 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:42:42 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 2:36 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive and
does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.
Eric

Ah, so you have price constraints. That is important to include in your
requirements.

What is your target cost-per-unit?
Less than 5 US dollars per unit for 100 units if I do the assembly and
soldering.

I haven't even been able to find a place that will fab the circuit board

for that price at that volume.

Dec 7, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:50:44 -0600, Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.com>
wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:12:03 -0800, etpm wrote:

I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The number
of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of pulses will be
from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out then I will
hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able to send the
circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them populated and
soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind when bidding on
the job.

Without meaning to be negative in any way, if I wandered into your shop
with a shaft made of mystery metal in my hand and asked you if you could
turn the end to "exactly one inch diameter with a really good finish",
would you bid a firm fixed price?
I wasn't clear enough. I was putting out the request for a bid on the

assumption that anyone who wanted to work up a bid would ask through
email for more info. I should have stated that.
Eric

Dec 7, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:55:45 -0800, Daniel Pitts
<newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 3:50 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:42:42 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 2:36 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive and
does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.
Eric

Ah, so you have price constraints. That is important to include in your
requirements.

What is your target cost-per-unit?
Less than 5 US dollars per unit for 100 units if I do the assembly and
soldering.

I haven't even been able to find a place that will fab the circuit board
for that price at that volume.

He's doing the assembly and soldering for nothing. He didn't say he
wanted a PCB. ;-)

Tim Wescott · Dec 7, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:55:45 -0800, Daniel Pitts wrote:

On 12/6/12 3:50 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:42:42 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 2:36 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will
output several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and
output 5 volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is
on. The number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The
range of pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project
works out then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I
need to be able to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe
even have them populated and soldered into a readymade part for me.
Keep that in mind when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive
and does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.
Eric

Ah, so you have price constraints. That is important to include in
your requirements.

What is your target cost-per-unit?
Less than 5 US dollars per unit for 100 units if I do the assembly and
soldering.

I haven't even been able to find a place that will fab the circuit board
for that price at that volume.

Eric:

I hope that was your price for a bare board. Even so, it's still
ambitious. If this can be brought in for less than $15.00/board (BOM
cost for finished board) in 100-board lots you'll be doing well.

It's kind of astonishing just how much you lose by not building a
bazillion things at a time. It'd be nice if there were some sort of
"price halves for every XXX times more thingies you make", but in truth
the price probably drops asymptotically, and differently, for each part.

You're not getting close to minimum for each board, though, until you're
up to 100K lots, and then you'll be making quite a bit of your savings by
putting in more engineering time: spending day of engineering time to
save a dime on each of 100 boards is dead stupid; yet do the same thing
when it's 100K ea and you're a hero, and a freaking genius if the
quantity is 1M.

(A friend of mine used to work for Intel; he has an award plaque for
spending something like a man-month to reduce the number of floppies
needed for an install from a dozen down to ten. Think about the volumes
that they need to make it so worthwhile to take out the cost of two
measly floppy disks that the guy gets an _award_ for doing it)

Daniel:

https://www.batchpcb.com/

$2.50 per square inch + $10.00 service charge for the order, order as
many boards as you want.

So if the board is kept down to two square inches and ordered in large
quantity, the price will be almost that low -- but that's still just for
the bare board. I don't know if there's any quantity discount at the
volumes that Eric is looking at -- they have a note about that on their
web site, which could be pursued, though.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Jon Kirwan · Dec 7, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:54:36 -0600, Tim Wescott
<tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:55:45 -0800, Daniel Pitts wrote:

On 12/6/12 3:50 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:42:42 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 2:36 PM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will
output several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and
output 5 volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is
on. The number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The
range of pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project
works out then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I
need to be able to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe
even have them populated and soldered into a readymade part for me.
Keep that in mind when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive
and does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.
Eric

Ah, so you have price constraints. That is important to include in
your requirements.

What is your target cost-per-unit?
Less than 5 US dollars per unit for 100 units if I do the assembly and
soldering.

I haven't even been able to find a place that will fab the circuit board
for that price at that volume.

Eric:

I hope that was your price for a bare board. Even so, it's still
ambitious. If this can be brought in for less than $15.00/board (BOM
cost for finished board) in 100-board lots you'll be doing well.

It's kind of astonishing just how much you lose by not building a
bazillion things at a time. It'd be nice if there were some sort of
"price halves for every XXX times more thingies you make", but in truth
the price probably drops asymptotically, and differently, for each part.

You're not getting close to minimum for each board, though, until you're
up to 100K lots, and then you'll be making quite a bit of your savings by
putting in more engineering time: spending day of engineering time to
save a dime on each of 100 boards is dead stupid; yet do the same thing
when it's 100K ea and you're a hero, and a freaking genius if the
quantity is 1M.

(A friend of mine used to work for Intel; he has an award plaque for
spending something like a man-month to reduce the number of floppies
needed for an install from a dozen down to ten. Think about the volumes
that they need to make it so worthwhile to take out the cost of two
measly floppy disks that the guy gets an _award_ for doing it)

Daniel:

https://www.batchpcb.com/

$2.50 per square inch + $10.00 service charge for the order, order as
many boards as you want.

So if the board is kept down to two square inches and ordered in large
quantity, the price will be almost that low -- but that's still just for
the bare board. I don't know if there's any quantity discount at the
volumes that Eric is looking at -- they have a note about that on their
web site, which could be pursued, though.

Plus he already mentioned the fact that there is a
potentiometer or else a (quadrature?) rotary switch of some
kind involved to set the number of pulses, plus a micro, a
voltage regulator, a relay (hmm? what for?), and passive
devices. And a probable knob on the potentiometer/rotary
switch, if accessibility by an operator is desired. Nuts,
screws, stand-offs, .... Might even be an on/off switch,
since he mentioned "output 5 volts on another output
constantly as long as a switch is on." What about connectors?

Mechanical interfaces to humans in small quantities are
expensive (compared to a $5 limit, anyway.)

Set up a 501(c)3 and offer charitable deductions to companies
that may have over-stock in some warehouse, maybe?

Or, and this is cheap, but not THAT cheap... repurpose the
Texas Instruments LaunchPad (at $4.30 delivered, I think.)
Still would need to add stuff and the outputs would be 3.6V
anyway, which isn't right. And I've no idea what TI would do
with an order for 100. They only allow 3 at a time, so far as
I'm aware. And I've never tried to order 100.

Jon

John Fields · Dec 7, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:12:03 -0800, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

---
Though not explicitly stated, the presumption is that once a switch is
thrown, a number of pulses will exit one of the device's ports.

Then, once the desired number of pulses is reached, that port (say
port 1) will:

1. Stay high?
2. Go low?
3. Go Hi Z?
4. ?

and another port (say port 2) will then output 5V until the switch is
returned to its inactive state, at which time both ports will,
presumably, go to 0V.

During the time port 1 is active, what will be:

1. The maximum number of pulses output?
2. The expected rise and fall times of the pulse edges?
3. The pulse repetition frequency?
3. The pulse duty cycle?

--
JF

Jim Thompson · Dec 7, 2012

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:01:17 -0600, John Fields
<jfields@austininstruments.com> wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:12:03 -0800, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

---
Though not explicitly stated, the presumption is that once a switch is
thrown, a number of pulses will exit one of the device's ports.

Then, once the desired number of pulses is reached, that port (say
port 1) will:

1. Stay high?
2. Go low?
3. Go Hi Z?
4. ?

and another port (say port 2) will then output 5V until the switch is
returned to its inactive state, at which time both ports will,
presumably, go to 0V.

During the time port 1 is active, what will be:

1. The maximum number of pulses output?
2. The expected rise and fall times of the pulse edges?
3. The pulse repetition frequency?
3. The pulse duty cycle?

By golly! Looks like a 555 to me >:-}

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice

P E Schoen · Dec 7, 2012

wrote in message news:9b72c8pjuknp5bukusjhk43tdat4abe66p@4ax.com...

I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive
and does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.

Making a small PCB for about $1/each is not a problem. I had some (1"x2")
made by www.pcbcart.com that were panelized in a 5x10 matrix with scored
lines to break apart.

I have a little demo board module from Microchip with a PIC10F322 which
costs less than $1 and has enough IO for what you want. The demo board has a
switch, a pot, and two LEDs with PWM dimming. Otherwise a PIC12F676 or
similar is an 8 pin device that's about $1.20. The only items with
significant cost will be your relay and pot, depending on what you actually
want and need. You might be able to use an optoisolator instead of the
relay.

The boards are still available for about $12:
http://www.microchipdirect.com/ProductDetails.aspx?Catalog=BuyMicrochip&Category=General%20Purpose&mid=1&treeid=6
See AC103011 - PIC10F32x Development Board (at the bottom of the page)

My email is valid, so you are welcome to contact me there.

Paul
www.pstech-inc.com

George Herold · Dec 7, 2012

On Dec 6, 6:50 pm, e...@whidbey.com wrote:

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:42:42 -0800, Daniel Pitts

newsgroup.nos...@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:
On 12/6/12 2:36 PM, e...@whidbey.com wrote:
On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:07 -0800, Daniel Pitts
newsgroup.nos...@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:

On 12/6/12 9:12 AM, e...@whidbey.com wrote:
I'm working on a project for myself. I need a circuit that will output
several 5 volt pulses on one output then stop the pulses and output 5
volts on another output constantly as long as a switch is on. The
number of pulses needs to be adjustable with a pot. The range of
pulses will be from two to perhaps twenty. If the project works out
then I will hopefully sell several hundred units. So I need to be able
to send the circuit to a circuit board house, maybe even have them
populated and soldered into a readymade part for me. Keep that in mind
when bidding on the job.
Thanks,
Eric Snow,
E T Precision Machine

The circuit is called an Arduino, the rest is software ;-)
I have an Arduino and have played with it. But it is too expensive and
does way too much. I'm thinking the circuit will need a
microcontroller, voltage regulator, relay, pot, and maybe a couple
passive devices.
Eric

Ah, so you have price constraints. That is important to include in your
requirements.

What is your target cost-per-unit?

Less than 5 US dollars per unit for 100 units if I do the assembly and
soldering.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hi Eric, If you want to put a decent pot and toggle switch in the
gizmo, then expect more than $5. We do similar sorts of low volume
(~100 units) things. We were guesstimating the cost of a little
circuit in a box the other day.

power supply ~$10
box ~$15
art work ~$10
pot or switch (with knob) ~$10 each
connectors ~$5
pcb +electronincs ~$10

It's a sad fact that you can almost disregard the cost of the chips in
this calculation. We figured ~$70 - $100 to make it so we might sell
it for $200-300. $200 for a box that at it's heart is a few dollar
IC.

For your gizmo, the difference in cost whether it's made with a PIC,
adrino or 555 may not be that large. So pick what is easier for
you.

Now if you wanted to share more of the spec. details, then you might
get the design done on SEB 'for free'*.

George H.

*minus whatever you charge yourself for your time...:^)

Anybody want to bid a circuit design?

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