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Comment by seddona | Hacker News Reader

You can upload Gerbers/ODB++ if you like. We also sign custom NDA's. We count many of the worlds largest corporations as customers so this is pretty standard.

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Here's what the documentation says:

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In order to receive a quote on CircuitHub, you will need to upload the original design files from your EDA tool, or an export that carries the same data. This allows us to provide instant quotes and automate the manufacturing process to lower lead times and cost. Currently, our platform works with Altium, KiCad and Fusion 360 files, and with ODB++ and IPC-2581 exports from any design tool, including Cadence Allegro and OrCAD.

We do not accept Gerber files on their own because they do not contain all of the design and assembly data required by our automated process. We do use your Gerber files when you upload them together with an ODB++ or IPC-2581 export, or with Fusion 360's EAGLE exports, which describe the parts.

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Other vendors don't require this. They just need the gerbers, BOM, and CPL files. That's way different than source files or ODB++/IPC-2581 exports, which is basically the same thing as source.

IPC-2581 is the future.

Good riddance to the compatibly hellhole of 30 different flavors of Gerber/Gerberx/NCdrill

EDIT: haven't even mentioned everyone's different goofball CSV BOMs

Would you address other concerns voiced above? They are pretty serious points or allegations. Also, a PCB sourcing should not require a custom NDA when the selling point is convenience, legal protection, and speed vis-a-vis overseas sourcing.

Then there's either a usability issue or a bug. I uploaded gerbers but it wouldn't let me continue unless I uploaded schematics and board files.

And why should I have to sign an NDA? You aren't giving me any confidential data, I am giving it to you.

>> We also sign custom NDA's

> And why should I have to sign an NDA?

I think you misunderstood?

What did I misunderstand? Their documentation (https://docs.circuithub.com/importing-a-project/files-requir...) says:

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For additional legal protection of your intellectual property please sign our NDA.

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To make it worse, you can't even read what their NDA says without signing up with your email address on a third party site.

Yes. If you're that risk adverse that giving your email address in 2026 to a site is too much of a burden, you're going to be a problem customer and they don't want your business. They're in business to make money and it's a business transaction and if you can't cross that low threshold, you're more trouble than you're worth as a customer.

Isn't capitalism neat‽

Funny how you frame this like it's a problem for the customer. The business needs customers to survive, the customer does not need the business to survive. The customer is in the business of giving money to people who aren't going to abuse their data. If you can't cross that low threshold, you're more trouble than you're worth as a business, and you're not getting paid. Isn't capitalism neat?

I don't think you are a target customer. All the contract fab, manufacturing etc run on NDAs.

I'm confused, aren't they already shipping millions of boards to customers, and scaling up rapidly beyond that?

Sounds like their actual customers don't agree with you at all...

GP didn't say they didn't want to enter their email because it's a risk. My reading was that it was another hoop they had to jump through to do their diligence, reflecting on what the company thinks of their customers the same way the NDA requirement itself, and the IP clauses do. I'm not sure how the connection to money or capitalism comes in here.

I second the use of NDA/privacy gaurantee as default. It shouldn't be opt-in with friction. Of course if I want to use a custom/overriding NDA then i'm happy to contact you to review.

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