Hi everyone, 

We've received all the tiny chips and components that need to be presoldered on your Spencers' circuit boards.

I'll give you a short insight into how this process works.

1) we order PCBs (printed circuit boards) for your devices.

The PCBs are produced in a factory in China and they come panelized like this: 

2) We need to order steel laser-etched stencils for the PCBs as well.

This might sound fancy, but it's basically a name for a steel plate with holes in it. 

The steel plate is placed on top of the PCB and the solder paste (which looks like a gray toothpaste) is applied through the steel stencil. 

3) Finally, you need the components (chips, resistors, buttons, etc).

The components come packed in tapes on reels like machine gun ammunition (sorry for the weapon reference, but that is what everybody calls it).

These reels are put in a machine called the "pick and place" machine. The machine then picks and places the components in its appropriate places.

 

Anyways, we've taken all of the components to the nearby PCB assembly factory we are working with and they will have the first PCB quantities in a few days.

 

After the PCBs get assembled, we are going to test them with our custom made testing tools and then placed in the boxes.

 

Lots of exciting stuff happening as we enter the endgame. I will keep you posted.

- Albert