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> Niche hardware like this doesn't cost next to nothing when made in small quantities. You could use some off the shelf components like an ESP8266 or ESP32 mod

> Niche hardware like this doesn't cost next to nothing when made in small quantities. You could use some off the shelf components like an ESP8266 or ESP32 module to dramatically reduce your cost. A hand full a discrete components, an electret microphone, auto gain amplifier, and a voltage regulator aren't going to set you back more than $10. A custom PCB is going to be $5 per unit max. The BOM is easily under $20 for a limited run of 10 to 20 units. The most expensive things are going to be the enclosure and assembly. If you find an off the self enclosure then your costs drop considerably. You could have a working prototype cobbled together in a day.

blackguardx 10y ago
Your one day prototype will costs thousands to bring to market. Lets look at just the electronics. Have you priced out FCC certification? The wifi module might be already certified, but the whole product isn't. That is $5k to $10k minimum for US only. It also plugs into mains, which means it might need UL certification to it won't burn down someone's house. Your $20 BOM just gets you a board and loose components, not a complete product. The cost of a complete product is called "cost of goods sold" or COGS and includes things like assembly, testing, and shipping, etc. Even if $20 was your COGS, how much would you have to charge to make a profit? It all depends on how many you sell. If you only intend to sell 1000 or so (likely the case here), you need to charge accordingly.
- cptskippy 10y ago
  > The wifi module might be already certified, but the whole product isn't. That is $5k to $10k minimum for US only. If you're using Pre-certified modules then you can qualify the remainder of your product as unintentional radiator and the FCC certification cost is $1k-2k. > It also plugs into mains, which means it might need UL certification to it won't burn down someone's house. UL certification isn't mandatory, UL isn't a government organization and there's no legal requirement to have your device certified by them. > Even if $20 was your COGS, how much would you have to charge to make a profit? It all depends on how many you sell. If you only intend to sell 1000 or so (likely the case here), you need to charge accordingly. My point is that $150 plus an annual subscription fee is steep for such a simple product. Per unit cost on a very limited run (e.g. 1000 units) doesn't justify a $150 price, especially if you're charging a subscription on top of that.
  - blackguardx 10y ago
    I've never seen unintentional radiator testing under $5k. What lab does your testing? UL isn't mandatory, but do you want your product stocked by retailers? You might need it then.

blackguardx 10y ago

Your one day prototype will costs thousands to bring to market. Lets look at just the electronics. Have you priced out FCC certification? The wifi module might be already certified, but the whole product isn't. That is $5k to $10k minimum for US only. It also plugs into mains, which means it might need UL certification to it won't burn down someone's house. Your $20 BOM just gets you a board and loose components, not a complete product. The cost of a complete product is called "cost of goods sold" or COGS and includes things like assembly, testing, and shipping, etc. Even if $20 was your COGS, how much would you have to charge to make a profit? It all depends on how many you sell. If you only intend to sell 1000 or so (likely the case here), you need to charge accordingly.

cptskippy 10y ago
> The wifi module might be already certified, but the whole product isn't. That is $5k to $10k minimum for US only. If you're using Pre-certified modules then you can qualify the remainder of your product as unintentional radiator and the FCC certification cost is $1k-2k. > It also plugs into mains, which means it might need UL certification to it won't burn down someone's house. UL certification isn't mandatory, UL isn't a government organization and there's no legal requirement to have your device certified by them. > Even if $20 was your COGS, how much would you have to charge to make a profit? It all depends on how many you sell. If you only intend to sell 1000 or so (likely the case here), you need to charge accordingly. My point is that $150 plus an annual subscription fee is steep for such a simple product. Per unit cost on a very limited run (e.g. 1000 units) doesn't justify a $150 price, especially if you're charging a subscription on top of that.
- blackguardx 10y ago
  I've never seen unintentional radiator testing under $5k. What lab does your testing? UL isn't mandatory, but do you want your product stocked by retailers? You might need it then.