Teams leave a development board in the product longer than they admit. Tradinor’s note is the handoff: what the factory must receive so the first production lot is a specification, not a photo of the eval kit.
The package the factory needs
Send Gerber or ODB++, the fab drawing, the pick-and-place, and a BOM with manufacturer part numbers. State layer count, copper weight, board thickness, surface finish, and solder mask. If any net is controlled impedance, say the ohms and the layer. If none are, say so, so you are not charged for a stackup study you do not need.
Replace dev-board-only parts on purpose. A USB connector that was fine for the lab may not be the one you can assemble at volume. Regulators on eval kits are often oversized or single-source. Write the input range and the current. Write the programming header or the fixture pads, because a board with no test access becomes a scrap decision.
- Fabrication: layers, thickness, finish, mask, and impedance only if required.
- Assembly: one or two sides, lead-free or not, and the finest pitch.
- BOM: manufacturer and manufacturer part number, with allowed alternates.
- Test: supply limits, firmware load, and the pass measurement.
- Quantity for the pilot and the quantity the quote should scale to.
| Hand off | Production need | Dev board habit |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Input range and current on the drawing | Whatever the kit used |
| Connectors | A part you can reorder | A sample header |
| Test | Pads or a fixture noted in the quote | A human with a USB cable |
Pilot lot
Buy the pilot against the same BOM the quote used. Check finish and thickness on the fab certificate against the drawing. Power the first board through a current limit. Program it the way production will, not the way the eval kit did. File the approved stackup and the BOM revision with the PO. A later substitute resistor that is close enough in value can still fail a divider or an RF match.
What to lock on the order
Treat the first production quote as a package review, not as a favor from the fab. The email should list the file names and the revisions. The BOM should mark any part that is still a sample. The test section should say who programs the board and with which fixture. If impedance is not required, write that in the fab note so the quote does not include a stackup you will not verify. If it is required, name the nets. Ask the assembler which footprints they consider high risk, such as fine-pitch connectors and thermal pads, and confirm the stencil note covers them. When the pilot arrives, compare the physical finish and the component values on three boards to the BOM before you approve the balance. A single golden board is how a wrong reel hides until shipment.
Questions buyers actually ask
Can I copy the development board artwork?
You can learn from it. You still specify layers, finish, controlled impedance where you need it, and a test method. The dev board was not quoted as your product.
What is the first supply risk?
Modules and connectors that are samples. Ask for a manufacturer part number you can buy from two sellers, or accept a single source in writing.
What test should the RFQ include?
Power-up limits, a programming fixture, and the measurement that means the board is good. A visual inspection alone will not catch a wrong resistor.