[Open-graphics] Re: inexpensive project vga card batch?

[John Griessen]

Michael Meeuwisse wrote:
> On 29 Feb 2008, at 23:51, PcgScrapAddy wrote:
> 
>> I am interested in getting my hands on one, what's my cost for the 
>> little gem?
> 
> At the moment the price is €150 ex shipping, mostly because startup 
> costs are high and with the little profit that's in there I can start 
> setting up a company, etc. I'm afraid this sounds a little high for 
> people used to US dollars, but I can't afford the USD ;)

I could maybe make this as a small volume product...  I found a machine vision assembly company
that can put together a 7 x 15 cm board for $4 if you get a batch of 50.  And I'm
working with a Chinese board maker on single copper plus conductive ink 98% SMT boards with few holes that
are cheap and good.  For high speed paths, a separately made ground plane adhered to bottom of the board
and solder connected by some through holes or wrap around edge clips might be needed, but the cost of
a PCI card with gold plated edged connector could be BOM + $5 in volume of 50, higher $$'s if lower numbers,
lower  $$'s if higher numbers.

Can your board be done with < 300 SMT pads, 105 cm sq, some paths used for jumping over others
with 1 or 2 Ohms resistance, the rest heavy etched copper?  If so, maybe I can be your supplier
now that the Euro is so expensive, (USD is so cheap).

I'm not offering to fab for you, but to make and sell an open-hardware product to early adopters
on this list, including you...as a way of boot-strapping up my operations.  For a BOM of
fifteen different parts costing $22 total, + $5 for fabbed, untested boards, and a pre-order of
twenty boards, I could probably do the layout and minor design tweaks needed to fab my way
and sell tested for $87 US + ship if paid by VISA to a google checkout button.

That would depend on some unknowns like:
how easy is it to run enough free open code on some 2001-vintage-cheap-extra-computers
         with PCI slots to test the hardware assembly,
connectors,
how fast after the  prepaid order everyone wants boards...

I am thinking 6 weeks could be possible, even with the
bare boards coming from China.

John Griessen