FCDEV3B update

[Mychaela Falconia]

Hello FreeCalypso community,

Another update on the upcoming FCDEV3B:

* The BGA reballing company has received the Spansion S71PL129NC0HFW4B
  chips I sent them (the flash+pSRAM chip for our board, copied from
  Pirelli DP-L10), and they confirmed that there is no problem with
  the parts or with my order for their reballing, hence they are
  starting the process, with delivery of the reballed parts expected
  around the end of March.  We should have the PCBs from China by
  then, and we already have all other parts on hand, thus the reballed
  Spansion chips are the last part we'll need to wait for before going
  into assembly.

* The same BGA reballing people told me earlier that there may be an
  additional cost beyond the $600 I already paid them, but they have
  now confirmed that this additional cost is NOT needed - thus the
  $400 USD currently remaining in the FreeCalypso account can all go
  toward the assembly step.

* The people at Technotronix (the assembly shop) also got back to me
  and gave me a quote of about $1100 to make the first batch of 8
  boards.  (As I wrote earlier, because of the high uncertainties
  involved, I plan on splitting my total production goal of 20 boards
  into an initial batch of 8 and a follow-up batch of 12 to reduce the
  risk and the cost of manual rework.)

With the assembly cost estimated at about $1100 and with about $400 in
the FreeCalypso account, we are currently short by about $700 USD.
The money will be needed around the end of March when it's time to go
into assembly.  If no further donations happen before then, I'll see
if I can cover the gap with my own personal funds.

This is where things stand now - hoping for some excitement in another
month.

Hasta la Victoria, Siempre,
Mychaela aka The Mother