Drawing 06 / about + standards
A parts shop that reads the datasheet.
OpenKit exists because building open hardware should not mean maintaining a spreadsheet of thirteen distributors, two dead links and a part that changed its pinout in rev D. We index the project, check the parts, and keep the license visible.
How a part gets on the wall
Four checks, no exceptionsRead the repository
We start at the source: the BOM, the schematic and the issue tracker. If the project does not build for its own maintainer, it does not get indexed.
Verify the pinout
Every board is photographed and pinned against the vendor drawing. Regulator orientation, logic level and connector keying are written down, not assumed.
Buy against the drawing
We order from the same lots we sell, at the current revision. If a substitute is needed, it is tested in the build before it appears on the page.
Keep it open
The license is attached to the kit, not buried in a footer. Changes to the design stay open; the parts are yours to build with.
Pinout, photographed
Silkscreen, regulator and connector orientation are checked against the vendor documentation. The lot number is on the bag and on the invoice.
License checked before listing
We read the hardware license, not just the repository badge. Kits ship with the license file and a plain-language summary of what it permits.
Substitutions tested, not guessed
If the original part goes end-of-life, the replacement is built into the kit and any firmware or fit change is documented on the page.
Stock from the shelf
Counts are pulled from the pick bins twice a day. When a line is short, the product page says so and offers a dated backorder — never a silent wait.
One box, sorted
Kit parts arrive bagged and labelled by SKU. Fasteners are sorted. Nothing is loose in a padded envelope, and nothing needs a second order to start.
30-day bench return
Unopened parts and unbuilt kits can go back for thirty days. If we sent the wrong revision, we pay the return — and we check the bin that packed it.
Open hardware, kept open
CERN-OHL · CC-BY · MITWe sell parts. The design belongs to its maker.
The projects on this site are independent, and their licenses govern what you can do with the design. OpenKit's job is to make that easy to honour: the license is printed on the kit page, the source files are linked, and attribution travels with the BOM.
If you are planning a small production run, start with the license, not the cart. When in doubt, ask the maintainer — most of them answer, and all of them appreciate being asked.
CERN-OHL-S-2.0
Strongly reciprocal. Derivatives must carry the same license, including the design files. Used by TinyPlotter, Airloom and the inline power meter.
CERN-OHL-W-2.0
Weakly reciprocal. Changes to the design stay open; combining the hardware with other work is permitted. Used by BenchPilot and Tendril.
CERN-OHL-P-2.0
Permissive. Build, modify and sell, keeping notices intact. Used by FieldNote and MeshFolk.
From the shelf to the bench
Portland · RotterdamFast, tracked, and honest about delays.
Orders placed before 14:00 local time leave the same working day. US orders ship from Portland; EU and UK orders ship from Rotterdam, so you are not paying for a customs tour.
Free shipping over $75. Under that, it is $6.50 domestic and $9 to the EU. Tracking is included on every parcel, and a backordered line does not hold the rest of the order hostage — we ship what is ready unless you ask us not to.
Questions from the bench
Still stuck? Write to usHow do you choose which projects to index?
We look for three things: a real, buildable design; a maintainer who keeps the BOM current; and a license that lets people build and share. Popularity is not a criterion. A well-documented automatic plant waterer is worth more to us than a famous board with a stale BOM.
What does “pinout verified” actually mean?
A human has physically inspected the board against the vendor datasheet: power rails, logic levels, connector keying and the silkscreen revision. We photograph the lot and print the pin map that ships with the part. It does not mean we have built every possible circuit with it.
Can I buy a BOM without buying a kit?
Yes. Paste the BOM into the matcher, review the matches and add the lines to your order sheet. The kit price exists because we pick, bag and label the parts and stand behind the combination — the individual parts are always available on their own.
What happens when a part is out of stock?
The page shows the real count and a dated backorder rather than a vague “coming soon”. If the part is core to a kit and the lead time is long, we mark the kit as backordered too and tell you before you pay. No silent substitutions.
Do you ship outside the US and EU?
We ship worldwide from Rotterdam for non-US destinations. Duties and import VAT are calculated at checkout where possible; where they are not, the parcel travels DAP and the carrier will collect on delivery. If that is a surprise, it is a bad one — so it is written here.
Is OpenKit affiliated with the projects you sell?
No. Each kit names its designer and links to the source. We source and pack the parts, and we pay the maintainers a share on every kit sold. The design, the name and the credit remain theirs.
Send us a drawing.
If you maintain an open hardware project, we will index the BOM, check the parts and tell you what does not add up. If you are building someone else's project and something is missing, tell us that too.
projects@openkit.example