Hey guys:
My prototype was built using an Arduino board. I'm going to final production and will be making 500 of my product.
Instead of creating a custom PC board, I'm thinking of using an Arduino board for production.
Are there any disadvantages to using an Arduino in production vs. designing and having my own custom board created?
(cost, durability, reliability, etc.)
Thanks for your suggestions.
Are there any disadvantages to using an Arduino in production vs. designing and having my own custom board created?
(cost, durability, reliability, etc.)
Which Arduino are you considering? Do you need all the features of the Arduino, or just the ATMega328 and power supply?
How will you attach the rest of the components to the Arduino?
Using a complete Arduino will cost more than just using the parts you need. Reliability and durability will be good, for the Arduino board. The same can not necessarily be said for stuff you attach to the board. It depends on how the stuff is attached.
mikeyprescott:
Are there any disadvantages to using an Arduino in production vs. designing and having my own custom board created?
It might be simpler to ask the question the other way round. An Arduino is essentially designed for prototyping while a custom board for production is a custom board for production. Unless you get dead lucky with one of those teensies or the like, I imagine the only possible reason, other than laziness, for using an Arduino in production, is that you don't have the ability to get a custom board produced. In either case, it might be wise to plan on selling a lot less than 500.
What you might find is that one of those bare minimum Nanos or a Teensy is a suitable module for incorporating onto a custom board, rather like bluetooth modules.
PaulS:
How will you attach the rest of the components to the Arduino?
We are de-soldering the connectors from the board and re-soldering the new wires onto it.
mikeyprescott:
We are de-soldering the connectors from the board and re-soldering the new wires onto it.
That sounds like a very bad idea, especially if you're using official Arduino boards. There are plenty of much cheaper clones available and lots of those can be had without headers installed. Depending what additional components you plan to add, you may even find there are already clones which already provide some of what you need.
If you do not need USB functionality - and we still have not figured out which "board" you are using but presume it to be the Uno - then the Pro Mini has pretty much all the functionality and is available relatively cheaply with the pin headers loose; not soldered.
Using a ready-made module mounted on a production board allows you to use a simpler, often a single-sided board.
If you have any other electronic components in your design, then you are almost certainly going to need to design a PCB anyway. In that case, it makes sense to put the microcontroller and related components on the same PCB, rather than use wires or headers to connect 2 boards together.
In addition to all the discussion so far, designing a custom board only takes a handful of hours depending on how many parts you are adding, you have control over the components used, you can add test/debug/expansion pins for other/later uses.
I do this a lot - take some ones working prototype, based on an Uno or whatever, strip it down some for unused parts, add in the new parts, and voila, new board.
Here's a bunch I've done for myself, and some pictures of cards I've designed for others.
http://www.crossroadsfencing.com/BobuinoRev17/
Make the design nice & modular so any offboard parts are easily connected. Add appropriate programming headers; can also have Digikey program the parts for you before installation. Kanda.com makes a one button programmer also if you need to make changes afterwards - slip connector onto ICSP, press the button, wait for Green programming LED to stop flashing.
Building 500, you really want to use an assembly house where they use a pick and place machine to put all the parts in place and then reflow solder them. If you're in the US, a place like cbas-usa.com in CA has done cards for me.
Dropship the cards & parts & ESD bags, they send back assembled boards via your FedEX account (easy to create, FedEx just charges your CC for payment).
Hi CrossRoad,
do you made any kind of certification for your product?
I live in europe and I seems that I have to pay a laboratory for certification (CE and other) if I want to sell some product also if in very small quantity. In some forum I found that the cost is 1500 euro (2000 dollars), it's very hi for a maker, isn't it?
Bissa
I do not. I don't have capability to self certify, nor access to a lab that can do the certification for me.
bissaorboea:
Hi CrossRoad,do you made any kind of certification for your product?
I live in europe and I seems that I have to pay a laboratory for certification (CE and other) if I want to sell some product also if in very small quantity. In some forum I found that the cost is 1500 euro (2000 dollars), it's very hi for a maker, isn't it?Bissa
Do you have to get your products certified if you sell partially complete things? Say, the buyer is responsible for wiring up the power supply etc.?
I don't know.
I notice that people who sells kit offer different options:
The certificated mounted kit cost a little bit more.
For my purpose I'd like to sells some dozen of a simple electronic (an attiny, some switches and resistor and a buzzer, powered by 3 AA battery) to final customer (women) and I don't think they like the idea of soldering components. MAy be I can sells the soldering services and the components separately, but I'am not sure that this save me from legal action.