Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
3D designs or CAD files, in a 3D export or interchange format. Example
formats: STEP, IGES.
2D or 3D designs in manufacturing-ready export formats. Example
formats: G-code, STEP-NC, STL, AMF.
Circuit board design files in export or interchange formats. Example
formats: EDIF, Open JSON.
Circuit board designs in manufacturing-ready formats. Example formats:
Gerber
RS-274X, Excellon.
Additional technical drawings in their original formats, if required for
fabrication of the device, in a commonly-readable format such as PDF.
Additional artwork, for example different colored skins for an instru-
ment panel.
Bill of Materials
While it might be possible to infer from the design files which parts make up a
piece of hardware, it is important to provide a separate bill of materials. This
can be a spreadsheet (e.g., CSV, XLS, Google Doc) or simply a text file with
one part per line. If your CAD package has integrated or add-on BOM manage-
ment tools, those are also a good option. (Examples include the built-in tools in
SolidWorks and bom-ex for Eagle.) Useful things to include in the bill of mater-
ials are part numbers, suppliers, costs, and a short description of each part.
Make it easy to tell which item in the bill of materials corresponds to which
component in your design files: use matching reference designators in both
places, provide a diagram indicating which part goes where, or otherwise ex-
plain the correspondence.
Software and Firmware
You should share any code or firmware required to operate your hardware. This
will allow others to use it with their hardware or modify it along with their
modifications to your hardware. Document the process required to build your
software, including links to any dependencies (e.g., third-party libraries or
tools). In addition, it's helpful to provide an overview of the state of the soft-
ware (e.g., “stable” or “beta” or “barely-working hack”).
