Gondolindrim's PCB design services

Hi there guys! I'm Gondolindrim, a brazilian engineer and mech enthusiast, known for my open-source PCB designs -- such as the SharkPCB, Doddle60 and ArcticPCB -- and some GBs that I have participated in/am participating, such as the Austin and the Elongate!

I'm opening this IC to check if there is demand for offering PCB design services at a -- I believe -- just price. Any suggestions and feedback is highly appreciated. I will use the results and opinions from this thread to open a service post.

1. Who am I

I'm a brazilian mechanical keyboard enthusiast; I've been around the community since 2012 and in 2015 I started designing keyboard PCBs. Since then some of my designs caught some attention, such as the SharkPCB and the ArcticPCB.

I have reached 23 keyboard PCBs that are either in the finishing or finished state. Most of them are being released through the Acheron Project (oleaae check my GitHub page and the Acheron Project documentation at the AcheronDocs) and are actively maintained by me.

My technical background begins with being an electronics aficionado since 11 years old, when I started building overdrive and chorus pedals so I could play Black Sabbath's *Paranoid* on my guitar.

This has evolved into a double graduation in Electronic Engineering and Applied Maths, and a master's degree; I'm currently working towards my PhD. As such I have extensive experience with PCB design, ranging from digital control circuitry to high-fidelity audio equipment and switched power supplies. I am also a Senior Engineer in a technology company, so I know how to work in a group and the dynamics of a joint project.

2. The services

Usually there are two kinds of services that I do.

The first being to design a PCB from scratch, usually for a new keyboard for a personal project or Group Buy. This involves working with the case designer and I will need acces to case and plate files to check for fitting, connector placement, lighting effectiveness.

The second being to design a new PCB for an existing board. This is generally done when someone wants their keyboard to support features otherwise not originally present -- ALPS/Choc compatibility, RGB underglow, per-key RGB or different layouts. This kind of work is more difficult because I need to have an idea of the PCB edges, and the keyboard manufacturer seldomly does not provide information. These kinds of services I need to evaluate more carefully, and I might turn them down at my discretion.

I can accept any PCB-related job, so if you have an idea please let's talk about it!

For contact, please avoid sending me personal messages on GeekHack. Instead, send an e-mail over [email protected] or DM me in Discord, I'm Gondolindrim#9738.

3. My capabilities

I'd like to think I'm a very versatile designer. I can do most of the features the cool kids are using these days:
- New ARM processors;
- Per-key lighting including RGB
- RGB underglow
- Rotary encoders
- Layer and lock indicator LEDs;
- USB Type C connector
- Split keebs
- Detachable PCBs
- Multi-layout support;
- ALPS, Choc and MX/ALPS support;
- Hotswap sockets

My PCBs have, by default features,
- ESD protection on both USB data lines and power lines
- USB shield decoupling
- Overcurrent protection through a fuse
- Overvoltage protection through a Transient Voltage Suppressor
- QMK support
- For tray mounts, case grounding and decoupling

Please note that some QMK features are limited for the newer ARM MCUs, such as split support.

My designs are done using custom footprints of the Acheron Library, which are proven to work. I design my PCBs in KiCad, and strongly support that. If needed be I maybe can design in Eagle and Altium. i have extensive experience with 3D modeling and animation software like Blender, Fusion and SolidWorks.

I'd also like to think I'm a nice person.

- I can de-escalate situations easily with my rather weird sense of humor
- I can talk about food and music, preferably while eating or listening to music
- I can eat inhumane amounts of pizza and drink unthinkable amounts of beer (generally accompanied by aforementioned inhumane amounts of pizza)
- I can nanny your baby cousin and clean after your dog (additional fees might apply)
- I can pretend to be your boyfriend at that family gathering party so that the creepy uncle/aunt/grandma doesn't keep asking when are you getting a boyfriend
- I can laugh at your jokes (I mean really any joke, please hear my participations in Off the Clack and you'll see I like to laugh a lot)

4. Pricing

I have a standard flat fee of 300 US dollars which covers the design of any keyboard PCB, of any size and features, except per-key lighting and detachable PCBs. Both of these add 30 US dollars to the design fee. Per-key RGB adds 60USD to the design. This design fee covers QMK/VIA firmware building.

Additionally, I also require a fee of 10 USD per manufactured PCB; this covers basically the technical maintenance and support for you and the people that buy the PCBs (how to keep an updated firmware, troubleshooting issues with customer support, replacing PCBs...)

These prices DO NOT include Paypal fees and they DO NOT INCLUDE PROTOTYPES (for the love of God please have this in mind). If you wish to avoid Paypal fees, I do have US and EU bank accounts you can transfer to.

If you have other business/payment model in mind please contact me so we can work something out! Prices are negotiable if you are hiring more than one design.

In order to start the design, I require a deposit for the initial fesign fees to ensure I'm not working for free. Unfortunately I have had bad experiences with people that commissioned a PCB from me, made me spend 15-20 hours on a design only to drop the project and never pay me.

I'm also accepting PayPal only currently.

5.Prototypes

Prototyping the PCBs is really very important to check for a myriad of parameters, among them suitability, mechanical and electrical compliance. You can choose any method of prototyping; most times the customer will have a local shop that takes small quantities or will order from a big manufacturer and assembler.

I also can do prototypes at home; most PCB manufacturers MOQ is 5 units. I assemble the PCBs by hand using professional tools (hot-air station, solder paste, solder station and de-solder station). I buy components from LCSC and generally order PCBs from JLCPCB or Elecrow.

Generally, considering all shippings, PCBs and component prices, the 5 proto units cost 200-250 USD. This escalates quite well with quantity, but I can't assemble more than 15 PCBs by hand. The turnkey is 3-4 months (I know this is not a nice timeframe but shipping to and from Brazil takes that much time).

If you have another preferred way of doing protos I am also perfectly fine.

Due to the issues I had with the brazilian customs regarding the Doddle60 and other projects, including events like parcels coming back or being lost, I don't assemble prototypes myself anymore. Protos will have to be ordered at a fab house or another place like PCBWay or Elecrow.

6. What do I spend that money with and why am I doing this

As you guys can see, prototyping PCBs is not cheap. All the current PCBs I have open-sourced I have prototyped out of my pocket, sometimes by not eating out but most of the times moonlighting as a cleaner, bartender, car washer. I have also accepted a sponsorship from PCBWay (a big chinese PCB manu) for three of my PCBs, which helped immensely.

Turns out I'm really tired of doing that because it's getting rather unhealthy.

Generally all money I earn designing PCBs is spent with the Acheron Project. By hiring my services you directly support me and the project so I can prototype and innovate on open-source designs, bringing some of my knowledge to the community specially on the field of hardware engineering.

By going this you also allow me the opportunity to spend time helping new and aspiring PCB designers with their designs.

7. Open-sourcing

I would like to publish the design in my Acheron Project, under my Open-Source Hardware license that I have written advised by a couple of lawyer and entrepreneur friends.

If you choose not to open-source that's perfectly fine.

If yes, the files are published after the GB is over or whenever you'd feel comfortable to.