XK-1 / XK-1A Add-On Designs

[DanB]

Hi,

In preparation for receiving my XK-1A I have been researching them further. On the XMOS XK-1A Development Kit page there is reference to a few add-on designs:

-XK-1 Control Card
-XK-1 SD Card
-XK-1 Bluetooth Card

I would love to get one (or more) of each of these to experiment with. As they are not available from XMOS (and I doubt any are kicking around, unwanted, at XMOS towers - XMOS staff, I'd love to hear if I'm wrong!) then I imagine it is down to individuals/the community to get any constructed.

Bearing this in mind, I wondered if any users have gone about using the supplied design files to reproduce these add-ons? If so, do you have any left which may be available for purchase? If not, can anybody recommend somewhere I could send the PCB documentation to and have a very small run made? In an ideal world that number would be very small (possibly as little as one, if possible, in some cases)... Are you aware of anywhere that honours such small orders at a reasonable price?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Dan.

[leon_heller]

There are lots of companies that can do single PCBs cheaply and quickly. I've been using PCB-Pool for years:

http://www.pcb-pool.com/ppuk/index.html ... d4aa9c8b2e

[DanB]

There are lots of companies that can do single PCBs cheaply and quickly. I've been using PCB-Pool for years:

http://www.pcb-pool.com/ppuk/index.html ... d4aa9c8b2e

Thanks for the reply Leon! :)

Assuming the number of replies to this equates to the number of 'available' XK-1A add-on designs I've started to look up the custom PCB route, as per your suggestion :) I'm yet to place an order however, for the sake of others who may find this thread through the search, both Spirit Circuits and SeeedStudio have been recommended to me externally from this site.

I intend to fire off the design files listed on the XCore site to all of the above mentions PCB houses (PCB Pool included) and will see where the cheapest reply comes from (who can produce the PCB from the files supplied without any additional input from myself, I've very little PCB experience at this time!).

I'll update once I place an order. In the meantime if anybody has any other recommendations of PCB houses, or have any of the add-on designs for sale please do get in touch! :)

Cheers!

[leon_heller]

You need to check suppliers' requirements before sending a design off - stuff like minimum track size and spacing, drill sizes and annular ring.

I wouldn't necessarily choose the cheapest supplier. PCB-Pool's boards are very high quality, and will probably cost more than suppliers popular with hobbyists.

[DanB]

You need to check suppliers' requirements before sending a design off - stuff like minimum track size and spacing, drill sizes and annular ring.

I wouldn't necessarily choose the cheapest supplier. PCB-Pool's boards are very high quality, and will probably cost more than suppliers popular with hobbyists.

Leon,

Unfortunately, I do not have much experience with sending designs to be made into a PCB... I was hoping that I could simply email the archives on the XK-1A page to the PCB houses and that they'd understand what was required.

I understand that many will not be happy to deal with 'custom' requirements (for example they'd wish for me to complete my order from sort of online order form where I select options for the kind of parameters you mention) however do the archives on the XMOS site include the necessary information (such as those parameters you list) for a PCB house to produce the PCB (assuming they are happy to receive me communication/order by email include the archive as an attachment rather than their typical order page). If not, are you able to comment what sort of values I must supply for those parameters?

I acknowledge that it seems pretty backwards to be ordering a PCB when I do not fully understand all parameters relevant to place an order, however with these items unavailable for sale as 'complete' units (for example sold by XMOS) I have no other choice.

This process has already (both here and elsewhere) taught me about many of the variables related to PCB production but I've still some way to go just yet! :)

[leon_heller]

With PCB-Pool you complete an on-line form, pay for the boards, and upload the files. They charge extra for Gerbers, so it's a good idea to use one of the PCB formats they support (I use Pulsonix so I can just upload the PCB file), or convert the Gerbers and drill file to a single .gwk file with GC-Prevue (the free version is fine). If there is something wrong with the files, they will email you. Other suppliers work in a similar fashion.