RE: Re: [Project] Project funding

["Phil Harris" <phillip.harris1@xxxxxxx>]

Sounds like a bloody good compromise/solution...

Phil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Keith Doxey [mailto:ukha@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: 30 May 2001 13:04
> To: ukha_d
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Re: [Project] Project funding
>
>
> Having been down this route single handed.....
>
> Development costs....
>
> Equipment/Software such as Programmers, Erasers, IDE and CAD
> packages, tools
> etc. Often very expensive to purchase but a "must have" item
> for the person
> doing the development.
>
> Components. For prototypes you are dealing in small
> quantities and some may
> cost well over ?5 at one off prices. For production runs in
> 100+ quantities
> the cost can be less than 50%.
>
> As has been pointed out, there end up being all sorts of
> prototypes that lay
> in the corner as a pile of junk or something Ruff'n'Ready
> that it wouldnt
> pass the WAF test. Some savings can be made by using sockets
> for IC's so
> these can be reused. Resistors and Capacitors are so cheap
> you just scrap
> them.
>
> Microcontrollers such as PIC 16F84 are flash programmable so can be
> reprogrammed many times and are quite good for development
> but are expensive
> for production runs. PIC 12C509 is OTP (One Time
> Programmable) but at about
> 70p is ideal for production. You cant use it for development
> because the
> 70p's soon add up to a lot. You need the UV eraseable
> 12C509JW at about 12
> quid and you need several of them so you dont have to stop
> work whilst you
> wait for the eraser to do its stuff.
>
> Development time.....
>
> The most difficult to quantify. We all know how much we get paid per
> hour/day/week/year. We also know how much more our employers
> charge for our
> work. That gives an indication of what your time is worth. To
> add that cost
> into the equation would make it a totally uneconomic proposition.
>
> Speaking for myself....
>
> I do this stuff because it is what I LOVE doing. IF I make
> money at it then
> it is a bonus. I dont know exactly what KAT5 hardware
> development cost me
> because it was bits bought here and there over a long period
> of time, and I
> hate to think how many hours of my time were/are invested in
> it. I guess the
> total cost of development would be at least ?5K if all my
> time were taken
> into account but that is just written off as my hobby.
>
> Now that the first KAT5 Units are in production, I know
> EXACTLY what they
> cost in both parts and labour. I am making money on them but
> not that much.
> This will however fund further development work. One of the
> major stumbling
> blocks during development was lack of funds. Several times I needed
> something to continue work but had to wait until I could afford it.
>
> I think any sort of "Formal" funding arrangement could well
be a major
> stumbling block, however knowing that there are some people
> on the list who
> may not be able to participate in the actual development work
> but would be
> willing to "chip in" in return for some finished goods for
> their investment
> would be a possible solution to avoiding halts in development
> due to lack of
> cash. Such arrangements should be by mutual agreement between
> the parties
> involved.
>
> Keith
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mick Furlong [mailto:dorsai@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: 30 May 2001 11:45
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Re: [Project] Project funding
>
>
> Stuart Grimshaw <stuart@xxxxxxx> said:
>
> > On Wednesday 30 May 2001 11:18 am, you wrote:
> > > I was just concerned at people shelling out for
> components out of their
> own
> > > pockets when the projects are for the good of the group...
> >
> > But the components they buy for will be for their own units
> anyway,  any
> > units made for others will be payed for by that 3rd party,
> if the builder
> has
> > any sense :-)
> >
>
> This is difficult and I don't have an answer..there are a lot
> of things to
> take into account such as the cost of non-component items like pic
> programmers
> /SDKs/PCB etching...they will be used to develop things but then the
> purchaser
> will still have use of them..how do you calculate the
> marginal cost? Also
> peoples time which no doubt has very varied costs across the
> group (but most
> pretty expensive I guess ;)
>
> I think if we start to look for funding etc at this stage
> then we will run
> into problems, from my viewpoint I am happy to invest in some items I
> personally want to have a go at and if anyone else needs to
> avail of those
> facilities I will do it at cost or for free.
>
> I would hate to see this breakdown because we try to commercialise it!
>
> Mick
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>




Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/