Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!news.Brown.EDU!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!att-in!cbnews!wrb
From: wrb@cbnews.cb.att.com (wallace.r.blackburn)
Subject: Re: Miniboard orders from Greg Ratcliffe
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 1994 14:55:04 GMT
Message-ID: <CLKxFx.6xK@cbnews.cb.att.com>
References: <french.761354476@cgl.ucsf.edu> <1994Feb19.161320.11780@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca> <1994Feb20.012441.11955@news.media.mit.edu>
Lines: 64

In article <1994Feb20.012441.11955@news.media.mit.edu> fredm@media.mit.edu (Fred G Martin) writes:
>In article <1994Feb19.161320.11780@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca>
>a6vc@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (PELLETIER) writes: 
>
>>	What's wrong with getting another party manufacturing those boards?
>>Does this Greg fellow have a special arrangement with MIT?  Personally
>>I thought that the artwork etc was rendered public... but maybe I was
>>mistaking.
>
>The artwork -is- freely licensable.  Anyone can manufacture and sell
>boards and make as much or little profit as they like.  (Note: the
>artwork is not public domain.  It must retain the MIT copyright.)
>
>Thus, G. Ratcliff has no special arrangement with MIT, whatsoever.
>
>>	What would be required for another party to be envolved in the
>>fabrication of those boards?
>
>"Just do it."
>

I am going to seriously look into offering boards/kits.  I will not offer
completed boards, however.  I am going to analyze the costs and determine
what price I would have to charge to make it a reasonable venture.

>But seriously, the only stumbling block is that the artwork files on
>cherupakha.media.mit.edu are in the proprietary format of Douglas
>Electronics' Professional Layout PCB CAD program.  (I'm pretty sure
>the Gerber files are missing the aperture information, so they're not
>useful.)  
>
>For between $50 and $100, Douglas Electronics will take the PCB files
>and produce manufacturing films that can be used by any commercial PCB
>fab house.  Anyone who wishes to may download the Mini Board PCB file,
>send it to Douglas (address and phone number is on-line), get artwork
>files, and print up as many boards as they wish.
>

Has anyone else done this?  I must say though, Gerber files would be
preferable.  Any possibility of getting complete Gerbers with aperture
files?  I'm assuming Douglas will provide film for PCB, solder-mask, and
overlay?  What about NC drill files?

>
>At this point I would encourage anyone who wishes to provide an
>alternative to Greg's service to consider doing so.  I think even
>parts kits plus PCBs would be far preferable to an erratic supply of
>stuffed boards.
>
>Yours,
>Fred Martin
>
>----
>Fred Martin | fredm@media.mit.edu | (617) 253-5108 | 20 Ames St. Rm. E15-320
>Epistemology and Learning Group, MIT Media Lab     | Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
>
>


-- 
   Wally Blackburn		   Clinton-Gore - Socialist Leadership
   wrb@ccsitn.att.com			          for the 90s!
   Amateur Radio Station AA8DX	   I'm the NRA.
      *More people have died in Ted Kennedy's car than from my gun!*
