Terms & Conditions

GENERIC TERMS & CONDITIONS

• All orders are FOB Sunnyvale, California, USA unless otherwise specified within the Quote. For deliveries outside USA, all Duties and Customs are the responsibility of the customer, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.
• Prices are quoted in US Dollars; Taxes and Shipping Charges are extra as applicable.
• Custom Quotes provided to you are only valid for 30 days unless otherwise agreed upon in writing by our representatives.
• Payment terms are typically mentioned at the top of this Quote.
• Prices shown on this document are based on information provided by customer’s Gerber files and associated instructional documents at date of quotation/order. To facilitate quick-turns, customers sometime request us to release orders with a pending PO. Any changes requested to PCB manufacture/assembly processes after placing order, or any new details that emerge in a pending PO, may result in additional charges.
• The Turn Time shown is calculated using business days. Weekends and business holidays are excluded in any turn time calculations. Additional turn days may be added to orders that are placed “On Hold,” waiting for customer response for resolution of missing information or discrepancies.
• Attention California Residents: CCPA Compliance 2020
• IMPORTANT MUST READ BEFORE SENDING US ANY FILES: Regarding Critical Program Info/ Anti Tamper Provisions etc
• The Customer understands and acknowledges that non-U.S. persons will have access to the technical data subject in any files that are part of a request for quotation, quotation, order, change order, or purchase order and represents that the Customer reviewed the technical data and it does not contain any Critical Program Information (“CPI”) within the meaning of Department of Defense (“DoD”) Instruction 5200.39 or require Anti-Tamper (“AT”) protections within the meaning of DoD Directive 5200.47E. If any of the technical data references or otherwise identifies U.S. Government systems or programs, the Customer will remove the references and/or identifiers, or will clearly mark the technical data in a conspicuous place. For the avoidance of doubt, CPI is defined as U.S. capability elements that contribute to the warfighters’ technical advantage, which if compromised, undermines U.S. military preeminence. U.S. capability elements may include, but are not limited to, software algorithms and specific hardware residing on the system, its training equipment, or maintenance support equipment, and AT is defined as systems engineering activities intended to prevent or delay exploitation of CPI in U.S. defense systems in domestic and export configurations to impede countermeasure development, unintended technology transfer, or alteration of a system due to reverse engineering.
• The Customer further understands and acknowledges that the Customer must provide the correct United States Munitions List (“USML”) category of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 C.F.R. § 120) and/or Export Control Classification Number (“ECCN”) under the Commerce Control List of the Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. § 774, Supp. No. 1), for the technical data sent and indicate whether the technical data was self-classified or classified by an agency determination.

PCB FABRICATION TERMS & CONDITIONS

• Sale subject to limited warranty of 90 days after product is shipped. Warranty extends only to bare PCBs and does not apply after components are added by you or others. Our liability shall not exceed price paid by you for the ordered PCBs. No change or addition to these terms, or any additional or different terms on your purchase order, shall be binding on us unless executed in writing by one of our officers.
• If Sierra Circuits is assembling the boards then we will also warranty the Assembly Labor workmanship for 90 days after product is shipped.
• If IPC Netlist is not provided in 356 format, Sierra Circuits will create a net-list from the incoming customer Gerber files to generate an electrical test program. In such cases, Sierra Circuits cannot guarantee, nor can it be liable for the electrical performance of the boards, since the test program itself is derived from the files submitted.
• If you send us your design files in multiple formats (say, Gerbers and ODB++) it is your responsibility to ensure that the design in both formats is the same. We reserve the right to use any of the formats sent to us and will not cross-check between formats for consistency.
• If you are ordering our “Web PCBs” or “Turnkey PRO” product, the selection you made online, and the product you chose online, takes priority over your fab drawing or readme notes. Example: Say you chose material FR4 online and your fab drawing calls for Rogers material, we will simply process your order using FR4 material. The price quoted online is based on the specifications and product you chose online.
• Manufacturing Optimizations: As with most other PCB manufacturers, we may make simple optimizations to your design to ensure boards are manufactured correctly. Such changes do not affect the electrical functionality of your design. These may include:
  • Teardrops may be added to pad/trace interfaces to ensure better connectivity.
  • Slivers less than .005″ may be filled in to prevent resist slivers on the panels.
  • Soldermask dams that are less than .004″ wide between SMD pads which have a .003″ minimum clearance may be gang relieved.
  • Silkscreen may be clipped to ensure it does not get on top of pads/copper features.
  •  Non-functional pads may be removed from inner layers.

LIMITED WARRANTY DETAILS

This limited warranty is governed by the laws of the State of California

Sierra Circuits warrants its bare boards against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of 90 days from date of shipment (“Warranty Period”). If a defect arises and a valid claim is received within the warranty period, Sierra Circuits will, at its option and to the extent permitted by law, for any bare boards that are returned and confirmed by Sierra Circuits to be non-conforming to the order specifications and/or the applicable quality and acceptability standards, either (I) replace the bare board at no charge or (II) issue a credit equal to the original purchase price of the bare board. When a product is exchanged, any replacement item becomes the customer’s property and the replaced item becomes Sierra Circuits’ property. When a refund is given, the product for which the refund is provided must be returned to Sierra Circuits and becomes Sierra Circuits’ property. Sierra Circuits will not accept liability for any cost in addition to the value of the bare boards including but not limited to components, labor, business interruptions and any other consequential damages or losses. Sierra Circuits disclaims any open-ended acceptance of liability for losses beyond its control.

If Sierra Circuits assembled the PCB then we will include the cost of any components Sierra Circuits supplied and all labor that Sierra Circuits supplied with regard to replacing the assemblies or issuing a credit. All other limitations will still apply. Also see Assembly Warranty section below.

This limited warranty does not apply to:

• To damage caused by use with non-Sierra Circuits products
• To damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, flood, fire, earthquake or other external causes
• To damage caused by use of the product outside the permitted or intended uses described in the order specifications
• To damage caused by service (including upgrades and expansions) performed by anyone who is not a representative of Sierra Circuits
• To a product or part that has been modified to alter functionality or capability without the written permission of Sierra Circuits or
• To cosmetic damage, including but not limited to scratches or dents, that does not otherwise affect the product’s functionality or materially impair it’s use.

To the extent permitted by law, this warranty and remedies set forth above are exclusive and in lieu of all other warranties, remedies, and conditions, whether oral or written, statutory, express or implied. As permitted by applicable law, Sierra Circuits specifically disclaims any and all statutory or implied warranties, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and warranties against hidden or latent defects. If any term of this warranty is held to be illegal or unenforceable, the legality or enforceability of the remaining terms shall not be affected or impaired. Except as provided in this warranty and to the extent permitted by law, Sierra Circuits is not responsible for direct, special, incidental or consequential damages resulting from any breach of warranty or condition, or under any other legal theory, including but not limited to loss of use; loss of revenue, loss of actual or anticipated profits (including loss of profits on contracts); loss of the use of money; loss of anticipated savings; loss of business; loss of opportunity; loss of goodwill; loss of reputation; loss of damage to or corruption of data; or any indirect or consequential loss or damage howsoever caused including the replacement of equipment and property, any costs of recovering, programming or reproducing any program or data stored or used with Sierra Circuits products. Sierra Circuits disclaims any representation that it will be able to make a product exchange without risk to or loss of programs or data. You must assist in diagnosing issues with your bare board and follow Sierra Circuits warranty processes.

While we cannot make any promises regarding what we might agree to in the future we are committed to do whatever is reasonable to make right any problems we may have created for our customers.

TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR PCB ASSEMBLY AND COMPONENTS

Quote

• Quote is based on RFQ Data provided at the time of this quote and is subject to change if data has changed at the time of order. We do not perform a full DFM analysis nor do we identify all the issues at the time of quoting. For turnkey quotes, the availability of components varies every day; and we do not guarantee that all the components will be readily available at the time of order without any lead-time issues.
• Components Invoicing:
  • Sierra Circuits sends progress invoices for components: invoices for components will be sent when Sierra Circuits has started the procurement of components for your order. Such component invoices will be on Net 0 Terms (immediately due upon receipt).
  • High value component orders: If components order is more than $15,000, we will need 50% of the components order amount paid in advance to us at the time of booking (e.g. if components are $18000, then we will need $9000 in advance before order starts).
  • After the component procurement is completed, the customer is bound to pay for the procured parts and materials. Any quantity, specs, or BOM changes will follow the ECO (Engineering Change Order) request and be subjected to the price change.
  • The customer is responsible for Tariff charges and Duties for international trade. Tariff and Duties charges might not be covered during the quote and might be applied after the quote is won, and the customer is entirely in agreement to pay the balance due to such a price change.
• First Article (FA) requests at time of quote:
  • For turnkey or consigned assembly quotes that require a First Article (FA), we will include a separate line item for the FA in the quote.
  • For turnkey orders, Sierra Circuits will only purchase components sufficient for the FA, unless customer agrees to pre-pay for components required for both FA and Production orders to save component costs.
• FA requests after order has been placed:
  • For consigned and turnkey orders, Sierra Circuits will re-quote and show separate quotes for FA and Production.
  • Sierra Circuits will invoice customer for all FA as per quote, and invoice will include all bare boards made (including boards that are not used for the FA)
  • Sierra Circuits will invoice customer for all components purchased prior to FA request at the time bare boards are shipped.
• For turnkey or consigned assembly orders that have a FA: At the time PCB’s are shipped to assembly, customer will be invoiced in full for all bare boards (including boards that are remaining for the production order that is pending FA approval).
• In all instances, should FA testing by the customer take longer than 20 days, Sierra Circuits will ship any components kept for remaining assemblies back to the customer and invoice accordingly. Customer may return the components at a later date to continue with the remaining assemblies under a new work order number.
• Requests to split the original order into multiple builds will be priced as per quoting guidelines.
• Traceability of components: All our components are bought from approved and reputed vendors (like Digikey, Mouser, etc). We provide traceability reports for custom orders, as long as that requirement was stated clearly at quoting (RFQ) stage. For orders placed online using Web PCB, Turnkey PRO, or KiCAD add-on services, we do not provide any traceability reports.
• Restrictions on Consigned components: Sierra Circuits prefers to buy the components for assembly from our approved vendors for better efficiency and counterfeit-prevention. If customers do have to consign components, we expect them to consign us only hard-to-find parts or their custom parts. Specifically, we do not allow consigning of SMD resistors and capacitors unless these passives are not available in the open market.
• Handling charges for consigned components: Every consigned line item will incur a $7 handling fee, generally added to our assembly labor quote. For example, if you have 3 different line items being consigned (i.e., 3 different MPNs, whatever be the quantity) we will add a $21 charge for handling these consigned items.
• If, for any reason, an assembly order (be it consigned or turnkey) is put on hold after PCBs are made, and the hold is more than 20 days, Sierra Circuits reserves the right to invoice customer for all the PCBs fabricated and any components purchased for that order.
• In case we ship your Assembly order in partial shipments, please note that all components and miscellaneous charges (for the whole lot) may be invoiced with the first partial shipment.
• If consigned items are being sent to Sierra Circuits from outside USA, please note the following:
  • Customer/shipper is responsible for all customs & duties and must claim this when they fill out freight waybill. When filling out waybill there is option to check shipper as being responsible for customs/duty. Please ensure that is checked so that shipper is responsible, not Sierra Circuits.
  • If for any reason, Sierra Circuits does end up receiving a bill for customs and duty, Sierra will add these charges to customer invoice and add a minimum $150 administrative/handling fee on top.

Payment

• Payments for all invoices will be as per terms mentioned in Quotes and Invoices. Customer shall not withhold payment against invoices already raised for any reason whatsoever, like unsatisfactory workmanship, pending rework or non-functioning boards or for any other reason. (For mitigation of these reasons, see Warranty and Limited Liability Clauses below).
• Note about your PO format: If in your quote, the components cost more than $10,000, your PO must have a separate line item for the components so Sierra Circuits can invoice you for components as soon as we purchase them for assembly.
• If the payment for the Order is being done using a credit card then, by providing us a credit card number, you are also authorizing us to charge the card as per our policies.
• Sierra Circuits accept only credit cards for online orders and charge instantly during the order creation unless if the order is above 5K and the net terms are approved. If the payment is declined, the order will be placed on on-hold until finalized.
• Cancelled Orders: In general, you are liable for the cost of parts that have been purchased and expenses that have been incurred prior to canceling an order.
• Please note that any credit card charges for shipment at the time of order may be estimates only. We reserve the right to charge your credit card again for any actual difference in shipment cost when the order actually ships.

Invoicing and Progress Billing

• Sierra Circuits, Inc. reserves the right to send customers, progress invoices for components being procured for the duration of the manufacturing process and will be due payment as per terms stated on the invoices.
• For any high value components orders as indicated during quote process, prepayment is required at time of placing orders, and before the order can be released to procurement.

OUR PAYMENT POLICY WHEN CERTAIN COMPONENTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE OR CONSIGNED ITEMS ARE DELAYED

If after 45 days from your order release, we cannot fulfil your order due to any of these reasons

• a) You have still not sent us parts that were supposed to be consigned by you.
• b) Some of the components we are trying to procure for you have a very long lead time

then we reserve the right to either:

• • Invoice you for the PCBs we have already fabricated and any components already procured.

OR

• Ask you for an Advance Payment (against existing PO) after PCBs are fabricated and any components are procured.

ORDER

• Turn Time: Assembly Turn Time will start when the kit is complete AND all assembly data related issues are resolved.
• Assembly Order Acceptance is not guaranteed until your account is found in good standing.
• Order Cancellation Charges:
  • Cancellation charges after order has been released: Cancellation charge will be determined by the percentage of material consumed and labor performed before cancellation date, with a minimum of $800.
  • Turnkey component cancellation charges after order has been released: Customer will pay 100% of components costs for all components purchased by Sierra Circuits prior to cancellation date. This will include any shipping, kit-auditing and handling costs as applicable. All such components will be sent back to the customer at their cost.
• Component shortages:
  • Consigned parts shortage: If regardless of shortage, customer has asked us to proceed to the assembly phase and if customer does not send the parts within 2 days of starting the order, then we will complete all assemblies with whatever components were consigned to us, and all assemblies (including shortage assemblies) will be shipped and invoiced as per order, and the order would be deemed to be completed. Subsequently, if the customer ships the shortage assemblies with the shortage parts to us for rework, such rework assembly would be performed by Sierra Circuits either at no charge or at a suitable rework charge to be determined by Sierra Circuits.
  • Turnkey parts shortage: where it is known that some parts cannot be quickly procured due to unavailability or long lead times or other reasons, and customer specifically asks us to start the job nevertheless, such assemblies (including shortage assemblies) will be shipped and invoiced as per order, and the order would be deemed to be completed. When Sierra Circuits receives the ordered long lead-time components, customer may EITHER elect to ship those parts shipped to them (in which case no additional rework is involved); OR customer may send the shortage assemblies BACK to Sierra Circuits for completion rework (Rework & Re-Shipping charges will apply).

• Completeness of Assembly data: It is customer’s responsibility to provide complete and correct assembly data, BOM in excel spreadsheet, Assembly Gerbers, assembly drawings, Special instructions if any, and XY Pick and Place Data for SMT parts. If customer is unable to provide correct XY Data, additional charges will apply.
• Discrepancy in data: Customer is responsible for providing data that is consistent and has no discrepancy in information. Sierra Circuits tries to identify any discrepancies in customer data but will not be responsible if some discrepancy is not caught. Any issues caused due to such discrepancy in customer data is solely customer’s responsibility.
• On-Time: Sierra Circuits may make partial shipments for your order. You order will be considered shipped on-time if at least 90% of assemblies are shipped by the due date.
• Order Completeness: Orders may be considered complete, if the quantity shipped is within +/- 5% of the original quantity. Sierra Circuits will invoice customer for the boards shipped.
• Refer to our kitting guidelines for PCB assembly for more details.

SPECIAL NOTE about substituting un-available passive components:

For non ITAR / EAR Controlled orders: In case of non-availability of specific passive components in your BOM, Sierra Circuits will use a direct replacement (Form, Fit, and Function Alternate) which either matches or is better on tolerance & other specifications. This is a common practice in the Assembly industry, and for all online orders we simply substitute the unavailable passives if needed.
For custom orders only: If you do not want such substitutions of passive components to be made without approval, you must explicitly say so in the header section of your BOM and also on your PO. Furthermore, you must inform your sales person at the time of placing your custom order that you want to approve every substitution.

For ITAR / EAR Controlled orders (whether online or custom): We will ALWAYS get customer approval before making ANY such substitutions.

DFM & DFA

Once your order is received, it may go through a quick Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) analysis, to prevent any holds during manufacturing and assembly. If we find any issues, these must be resolved promptly. We may use our Customer Portal to interact with you on such issues and/or we will contact you by phone/email as needed.

We cannot start manufacturing/assembly if such issues are unresolved. An unreasonable delay in resolving issues may push out your delivery date accordingly.

(Note: We only do a DFA on orders that include our Assembly services. An example of a DFA issue: The landing pads on your board don’t match the footprint for component C12.)

Your responsibility to help ensure delivery dates are not changed

When you place your order our engineering team will start working on it (mostly DFA/DFM checks), and identify any discrepancies or missing information and will contact you by email/phone, likely using your 24 hour contact number. For many orders, such issues will also be posted on your Customer Portal for you to respond online.

In order to ensure on time completion of your order, you must respond to such communication promptly, so that the delivery date is not affected.

• If your order is for a very fast turn (1 or 2 day turn time) and your responses are delayed by more than 1 hour, it might lead to a change in the delivery date.
• If your order is for 3 days or more and your responses are delayed by more than 3 hours, it might lead to a change in the delivery date.

ADDITIONAL TERMS FOR WEB PCB/ WEB ASSEMBLY and TURNKEY PRO ONLINE ORDERS

Any PCBs manufactured under Web PCB or Turnkey PRO service will follow their respective service guidelines/restrictions as defined on their product pages online. Any other spec mentioned in your files will be disregarded.

The customer must declare if their design is ITAR / EAR Controlled. Sierra Circuits is not accountable for any violation in case the customer missed mentioning it upfront. Additionally, customers should never send us any Critical Program Information or US Government program info on any online instant quote and orders services like like WebPCB, Turnkey PRO or No Touch. Please see additional details about CPI and Anti Tamper provisions in the relevant section in our Terms and Conditions page. Files containing such information should only be processed by your US-based Sierra Circuits Sales Person through proper off-line channels.

Furthermore, ITAR / EAR Controlled orders are not allowed in the Turnkey PRO web-based service; customers should be aware that for Turnkey PRO orders, we may use our fully-owned offshore engineering center, using non-US persons, to engineer your boards for manufacturing & assembly. All manufacturing and assembly is done in USA in our Sunnyvale, California location.

If you are ordering using these services, where applicable, the selection you make online takes priority over what you indicate in your fab drawing or readme notes.

Example: Say for your PCB quote you choose material FR4 online, and placed an order. Now, suppose your fab drawing calls for Rogers material, we are within our rights to then simply process your order using FR4 material, because that is what was indicated online and that is what your online quote and service specs were based on.

Our online assembly labor pricing applies to services that fall within our standard assembly processes. The online labor quote is for RIGID boards only.

Furthermore, our online services do not include the following:

• Assembly of Flex or Rigid-Flex boards.
• Assembly of special items like PEM nuts, Turrets Terminals, Rivets, and Press-Fit connectors.
• Special assembly processes like: Wire-Bonding, Conformal Coating, Underfills, Staking, POP assembly, wires & cables assembly.
• Assembly Rework like cutting traces, soldering wire jumpers & cables onto the boards.

When you place an online order and we notice such special items or services, we will typically put your order on hold and quickly provide you an additional quote. We will require your approval on the extra cost for such services before proceeding with your order.

FOR WEB ASSEMBLY ONLINE and TURNKEY PRO ORDERS ONLY

• If your boards have via-in-pad features on component pads, we put the PCBs through a process of via-filling to ensure good solderability. This is the best practice for board fabrication (regardless of which company assembles the boards.) We specifically ask in the online system if your design has via-in-pad features on component pads; if so, the online system quotes it appropriately. If you indicate No for via-in-pad in the online quote but during our DFM process we do find such features, please understand that this may add to your price and lead time. A customer service team member will contact you accordingly.
• Minimum charge for components: If you are ordering components through our Web Assembly service or Turnkey PRO service, there is a minimum charge of $100 for components. This is to accommodate our fixed costs of procuring and auditing any component kit. Example, if your Components kit gets quoted at total of $78, the system will still show you $100 as a minimum total charge for the components.
• Boards fabricated under these online services are made to IPC-6012 Class 2 specifications. However, for any boards ordered online, we do not provide customers with IPC reports or Microsection coupons.
• Although we only procure components from reputed vendors (Digikey, Mouser, etc), we do not provide component traceability reports for online orders like WebPCB and Turnkey PRO. If you need such a component level traceability report, please ask for a Custom Quote instead.
• If you need IPC reports or Microsection coupons for your order, please do not use online quoting/ordering, ask for a Custom Quote instead.

SPECIAL NOTE about substituting un-available passive components in our ONLINE offers: Web PCB/Assembly or Turnkey PRO

There is a current market shortage on passive components. In case of non-availability of specific Passive Components in your BOM, Sierra Circuits will use Direct Replacement (FORM, FIT & FUNCTION) Alternate which matches or is better on tolerance & other specifications. This is a common practice in the Assembly industry.

ADDITIONAL TERMS FOR “NO TOUCH” ONLINE PCB ORDERS

• For No Touch PCB orders, our turn time commitment is made on a “best effort” basis. Please note that there may be (very rare) instances when we exceed our specified time in manufacturing a No Touch PCB order. In such cases, we will refund all or part of your shipping charges on the next order. In case there are any significant delays we will refund the corresponding turn time premium. For example if a 2 day turn is delayed to 4 days, we will give you a refund of the premium we charged you for the 2 day turn over the 4 day price. Again, this is for No Touch online orders only!
• In the No Touch process, our Auto File Verification program only does a quick automatic verification on specific features like traces/spaces, annular ring sizes, minimum hole sizes, hole density etc to ensure these meets our No Touch specs. In other words, No Touch does not offer a 100% Design Rule Check and Electrical Testing; If you need that, you should use our Web PCB product online or our get a Custom Quote.
• In the No Touch process, please do not upload any Milspec, Class 3, Military/Defense related, or ITAR designs. Customers are explicitly prohibited from loading such designs in No Touch processing. Please get a Custom Quote instead.

SHIPPING CHARGES FOR CUSTOM, WEB PCB / WEB ASSEMBLY ORDERS, TURNKEY PRO ORDERS AND NO TOUCH ORDERS

Our shipping charges shown online are for up to a 2 lb. package weight and for Assembly orders are for up to a 8 lb. package weight. If your PCB/Assembly shipment exceeds that weight we will charge appropriate additional shipping charges.

• Please note that shipping options may vary depending on the carrier and the destination.

WARRANTY

• Assembly workmanship: All assembly workmanship will be as per IPC-A-610 unless otherwise directed in writing. All soldering will be using standard Tin/Lead solder in case of standard solder process assembly OR ROHS compliant solder in case of ROHS assembly and water soluble OA flux unless otherwise directed in writing.
• ASSEMBLY WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY: We warrant each assembly for workmanship up to 90 days after shipment. In case of any unsatisfactory assembly workmanship, we will repair the assembly free of charge OR credit the quoted cost of the assembly labor at our sole discretion. Any modifications done to the assemblies by customer will nullify our warranties.
• This warranty is also nullified on products which have been subject to misuse (including static discharge), neglect, accident or which have been altered by you and are not capable of being tested.
• Sierra Circuits is not responsible for any damage or lack of functionality caused by defective design, components or PCBs provided by you or as a result of deficiencies in the electronic materials provided by you.
• LIMITED LIABILITY-I: We are not liable for rework, repair or replacement for any faulty components supplied to us by customer or purchased by us from vendors in accordance with customer supplied BOMs.
•   LIMITED LIABILITY-II: We are neither responsible nor liable for assembled boards found non-functioning during testing by customer; we are only responsible for assembly workmanship performed as per customer supplied data.
• LIMITED LIABILITY-III: In no case shall our liability exceed the price charged to you for the job performed by us. We are not liable for any assemblies beyond 30 days after shipment.
• INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENT: All international shipments require customer shipping account number. Please call for any special needs.
• NO OTHER WARRANTY: We give no other warranty; either expressed or implied, and we specifically disclaim all other warranties, including warranties for merchantability and fitness.
• No change or addition to these terms above, or any additional or different terms on your purchase order, shall be binding on us unless executed in writing by one of our officers.

Design TERMS & CONDITIONS:

1. Prices are FOB Sunnyvale in US dollars; Taxes & Shipping Charges extra as applicable.

2. Quotation is valid for 30 days.

3. Quote is based on RFQ Data provided at the time of this Quote and is subject to change if Data has changed at the time of Order and/or during design execution.

4. Payment terms are: 50% Advance along with order; rest on completion as per terms.

5. Invoicing and payment Schedule shall be as follows:

Payments for all invoices will be as per terms mentioned in Quotes and Invoices. Customer shall not withhold Payment against invoices already raised for any reason whatsoever, like unsatisfactory work, or for any other reason. (for mitigation of these reasons, see Warranty  Clauses at  the end of this document below).

6. Schematics & other design data: It is customer’s responsibility that for layout design jobs, customer must provide complete and correct data – schematics, BOM with manufacturer part numbers / part specs. PCB size, thickness & other mechanical information and / or drawings, Special instructions, if any, for placement of specific and critical parts (like connectors for example).

• We prefer that customer provide the schematics in ORCAD, DSN format, or some other CAD format mutually agreed upon. If the customer is unable to provide the schematics in an agreed CAD format, and only provides an schematics in PDF or a paper hard copy, there will be an additional charge for capturing the schematics into our CAD system; and the charges for such schematics capture will be determined by us, and mutually agreed upon, before starting the design work.
• Customer should provide a BOM preferably in EXCEL spreadsheet format. The BOM should have manufacturer complete part numbers for all components (a must for all ICs, connectors, Semiconductor devices, and inductors etc.) except possibly for generic discrete resistors & capacitors where complete specs should be provided.  It is customer’s responsibility to make sure that all components used in the design are available and not obsolete. In case customer wants us to find alternate parts or do some degree of component engineering, we would do that at a suitable charge, to be determined by us, and agreed upon by customer.
• Customer must provide other relevant design information like, preferred PCB size and thickness, preferred PCB material, PCB name and markings to be put in silkscreen and/or copper etch, mounting holes data and location, if any, type of PCB finish (HAL, ENIG, GOLD, Immersion Silver etc, and ROHS compatible or not),  solder mask color, silkscreen color, etc.
• Customers must provide any special routing rules or guides at the time of RFQ itself, since these influence the design time and therefore the design cost.

7. Design Data review: On receipt of Purchase order, we will review all the customer design data files. It is expected that this data should not be different from the one that was quoted. If we find that that the changes in data at the time of PO are nontrivial and considerable, we reserve the right to REQUOTE the design as per new data. Similarly ECOs or change requests received after the QUOTE or PO will be examined by us for their impact on cost and schedule; and the changes in Price and/or schedules will be conveyed to and agreed upon by customer by way suitable amendment/s to their PO on us.

8. Delivery Time: The delivery time for design is a best estimate and is subject to change. It does not include the time waiting for customer clarifications / approvals / reviews of in process work / queries / issues etc.

9. Design Order Acceptance is not guaranteed until your account is found in good standing, and we have received the advance payment as per agreed terms.

10. Order Cancellation will be subject to costs already incurred as described below:

a. Any advance received at the start of the design is non-refundable.

b. Customer shall pay for the time already spent for the design work. This shall be determined solely by us.

c. An order cancellation fee of $400 will be charged in addition to above as applicable.

d. All the work done so far shall be given to customer after all payments are received by us.

11. Design Start time: After we have received the PO and advance payment as per terms of Quote, it may take 1 to 3 days for the design to start, this depends on the availability of design resources at the time of PO. Any delay in start time shall be conveyed to the customer.

12. Design Hold Time: Any design issue encountered during design that makes it impossible to continue the design or slows down the design process unless the issue is resolved by customer clarifications/inputs, will add extra time for the design completion than stipulated in the quote and/or PO. Its impact on cost will also be analyzed, and handled in the manner described at para 7 above.

13. Review of in process work: At regular intervals (daily or alternate days or biweekly or weekly – as per agreed with customer) or on the occurrence of certain milestones (like completion of placement, completion of routing etc.) the design work-in-progress will be sent to customer for review and feedback. It is expected that the customer should review the work and convey feedback as soon as possible, to avoid any significant increase in completion time.

14. Complete Design Data: On Design completion, the Design Gerbers, and design pdfs, including PCB fabrication drawing & and PCB assembly (Solder paste layers & component placement XY data) will be sent to customer electronically via email or any other agreed media. Customer must convey the feedback for any changes in a maximum of 2 working days, otherwise, the design work would be deemed to have been completed and delivered.

15. LIMITED LIABILITY – I: We are not liable for any unavailable or obsolete components chosen by the customer in their design data supplied to us. We are also not responsible for any errors in the schematics data supplied to us.

16. LIMITED LIABILITY – II: We are neither responsible nor liable for any issues in boards that have been manufactured as per the design work done by us.

17. INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENT: All international shipments require customer shipping account number. Please call for any special needs.

18. NO OTHER WARRANTY: We give no other warranty; either expressed or implied, and specifically disclaims all other warranties, including warranties for merchantability and fitness.

19. PCB design support: Sierra Circuits offers PCB design support but does not own or design the PCB product design itself.