We have received a very friendly quotation for executing the project:
LED PWM Supply Project
This quote covers the design of circuitry to enable a 2 channel PWM dimming controller. The input supply will be either 12V or 24V. The device will contain an ESP8266 and a ds3231 to use for control and connectivity. Using the ESP8266 as the PWM controller, we will design 2 channels of up to 4A of LED control. Each channel will be independently controlled and has independent monitoring and enabling abilities. The part used to generate the output, will allow for the outputs to be disconnected to give safety in a shorting event. Additionally the proper hookup of the ESP8266 and DS3231 will be performed, including creating a proper power supply for the devices which can operate off of an input from 12V to 24V.
This design will cover the creation of the schematics and board files in Eagle. We will work with you to come up with the final board size, and any mounting and sizing requirements. At the completion of the design, we will provide the Eagle files, Gerbers for fabrication of the boards, and a BOM for assembly. Additionally, we will provide support in helping to understand how to use the circuitry associated with driving the PWM signals and reading the status.
960 USD for this service seems like a very reasonable price.
Much more problematic is the situation with the client software. While JT is making great progress with the firmware on the ESP8266, there is no one on the project for the client application.
We understand that the application should be simple, build on PhoneGap, which should make it easier to find someone who will build the app, but so far, I have no luck persuading my friends and colleagues to team up with us on this project.