Peter Todd <pete <at> petertodd.ca> writes:

> One thing I'd like to do is automate this. Write a little script that
> would take a serial number and automatically make a symbol representing
> it electrically. That or make a grid of solder jumpers and fill the
> jumpers by hand so each board can be different.
> 
> Of course these days with the densities seen in multilayer circuit
> boards, you could easilly store a few kilobytes I think... Maybe even
> make sections with thick traces followed by thin traces, acting as
> fuses, then it'd be programmable. We could called it a Programmable
> Read-Only Memory...
> 
> I'll give you a shout if I ever am silly enough to actually build one!

This is relatively easy to do with almost any scripting language if the parts
list is in an open format. It is also possible to get a visual representation of
the 'coded' jumpers on the board if the board format is open. The script can
edit the library parts on the board and 'enter' the code in it. If the library
parts are shorted/unshorted jumpers then the code is formed directly. Then the
board is rendered to Gerber and can be manufactured.

This is not so hard, but who needs it when you have flash and can write a code
into a device by turning it on briefly on the checkout/production
line/table/somewhere, from a computer or similar ? Use all those pins to light
some LEDs, eh ? ;-)

Peter




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