Fritzing for Inventors: Take Your Electronics Project from Prototype to Product

Book excerpt: In this TAB book, bestselling electronics author Simon Monk shows maker-entrepreneurs how to use Fritzing’s open-source software and services to create electronics prototypes, design and manufacture printed circuit boards (PCBs), and bring professional-quality electronic products to market. Fritzing for Inventors: Take Your Electronics Project from Prototype to Product explains how to use this set of free, open-source electronics prototyping tools to lay out breadboards, create schematics, and design professional-quality printed circuit boards (PCBs). No engineering skills needed! Whether you’re a hobbyist, artist, inventor, or student, you’ll be able to develop a product from schematic to prototype to professional-quality printed circuit board, all from one easy-to-use software package. Fritzing works well with prototyping boards such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and BeagleBone. This DIY guide covers the whole lifecycle of product development for a hobbyist entrepreneur. It takes you from initial concept, to prototyping, to PCB production, to distribution. Along the way, it examines the sourcing of components, product testing, and even how to price products for wholesale and retail. Simon Monk is a bestselling TAB electronics author and popular presenter at MakerFaires Well-illustrated tutorial with screen captures, easy-to-follow instructions, and step-by-step projects Describes an up-to-date contemporary approach to PCB design, including surface-mount designs Explains how to become a maker entrepreneur by using crowdfunding and indie marketplaces for technical products