I used MacroFab for two designs about a year ago. I couldn't find any way to do automated BOM entry from KiCAD into Macrofab - I ended up doing it manually both times. For both designs, I used their turnkey service, having them order parts for me, but for one design I shipped them a connector myself because I wanted to physically modify it first.
They have made two or three assembly errors, but for the only error that was significant they gave me credit for the whole order of three or four boards when only one board was actually defective. The other error wouldn't have happened if it weren't for poor board design on my part.
I've been tempted to order their P1 demo board, but I haven't done so yet.
Even though I've had a few problems with them, I'd probably still recommend them because it's easy and convenient, and seems reasonably priced at low quantities. (Well, actually, I just checked, and they've gotten way more expensive since I've last ordered from them. One design I made, a 3.25"x4" board with a Prop and some peripherals cost $125 each @ qty 3 in January of last year, and now they want $225 each @ qty 3.)
I use a 42" 4K TV set at work for a monitor. TV sets are easy to find and becoming quite affordable. You do need to make sure the set you get allows the "smoothness" feature to be set to zero or turned off; this is an algorithm that blurs square pixels in sub-4K content, and it messes up static displays instead of improving them. My BestBuy ROKU TV let me turn it off.
I did have to buy a video card for my brand new Windows 10 PC because the built-in video hardware wouldn't drive the monitor, but ironically I plugged my $199 10-inch Windows tablet into it to test the HDMI cable and the tablet literally (well, almost literally) shouted "Wooo! 4K monitor!" and set itself up accordingly.
Comments
Some of these monitors will take multiple 2K inputs and stitch them together.
Apparently the finance sector are big users of these big monitors. Quantity means price reductions
They have made two or three assembly errors, but for the only error that was significant they gave me credit for the whole order of three or four boards when only one board was actually defective. The other error wouldn't have happened if it weren't for poor board design on my part.
I've been tempted to order their P1 demo board, but I haven't done so yet.
Even though I've had a few problems with them, I'd probably still recommend them because it's easy and convenient, and seems reasonably priced at low quantities. (Well, actually, I just checked, and they've gotten way more expensive since I've last ordered from them. One design I made, a 3.25"x4" board with a Prop and some peripherals cost $125 each @ qty 3 in January of last year, and now they want $225 each @ qty 3.)
I did have to buy a video card for my brand new Windows 10 PC because the built-in video hardware wouldn't drive the monitor, but ironically I plugged my $199 10-inch Windows tablet into it to test the HDMI cable and the tablet literally (well, almost literally) shouted "Wooo! 4K monitor!" and set itself up accordingly.
Also, with a TV set you get free sound.