The supply crisis has created obstacle after obstacle for creation of the electronics’ PCB. Simply, there are very few ICs to be found. Whichever PCB fabricator I approach is missing some component or other. Suppliers are out of stock on some major parts of the Minder 1 circuit. What little stock might exist has shot up in price.

Whereas, pre-pandemic, I might’ve been able to put together a PCB for well under $10 CAD in BOM costs, the latter is now many times that. Just a single IC that was $2 USD is now $15 USD, if you can find it!

And no single PCB manufacturer has all the parts I need. Several times I’ve had to contemplate the option of hand-soldering parts, after separately finding and purchasing each component! And that might be the only way forward.