This warranty statement applies to Open Source Instruments Inc. hardware, software, firmware, design documents, and on-line documentation. What we call an "instrument" is a distinct physical device that consists of any or all of the following: an enclosure, electronic circuits, internal firmware, internal software, interface connectors, electrode leads, internal connecting wires, external cables, and optics. We make a distinction in our warranty between instruments that operate in on a work bench, instruments that operate in high-radiation environments, instruments that operate while implanted in an animal, and instruments that are attached to an animal's body. Work-bench deployment enjoys the longest warranty. Deployment in a high-radiation environment is subject to each instrument's radiation tolerance. Deployment within an animal's body subjects the instrument to corrosion. Deployment by attachment to an animal's body subjects the instrument to premature removal, chewing, and scratching.
Hardware Warranty Ownership: The first day of a instrument's warranty is the day it is shipped to its original purchasor. The warranty is carried by the instrument itself, not by the purchasor. The serial number of the instrument, and proof of possession of the instrument, is sufficient for an owner to claim the warranty.
Hardware Warranty (Bench-Top Instruments): By "bench-top" we mean operating in dry air in a location suitable for human occupation. We warranty bench-top instruments against manufacturing defect and malfunction during normal use for five years. To make a claim on our bench-top instrument warranty, the owner of the instrument must write to us by e-mail and describe the alleged failure. We will attempt to diagnose the problem and effect a repair without the owner having to return the instrument to us. If no such repair is possible, the owner must return the instrument to us at their own expense. Once we have the instrument in hand, we will diagnose the source of failure. If the failure was due to manufacturing defect or malfunction during normal use, we will repair the instrument and return it to the owner at our own expense.
Hardware Warranty (Irradiated Instruments): By "irradiated" we mean operating in dry air in a location suitable for human occupation except for the presence of harmful ionizing or neutron radiation. We warranty irradiated instruments against manufacturing defect, premature failure due to irradiation, and malfunction during normal use for five years or until its specified radiation tolerance is exceeded, whichever occurs earlier. To make a claim on our irradiated instrument warranty, the owner must write to us by e-mail and describe the alleged failure. We will attempt to diagnose the problem and effect a repair without the owner having to return the instrument to us. If no such repair is possible, the owner must return the instrument to us at their own expense. Once we have the instrument in hand, we will diagnose the source of failure. If the failure was due to manufacturing defect, premature failure due to irradiation, or malfunction during normal use, we will repair the instrument and return it to the owner at our own expense.
Harware Warranty (Implanted Instruments): By "implanted" we mean operating beneath the skin of an animal, where the instrument is surrounded by body fluid at animal body temperature. We warranty our implanted instruments against manufacturing defect, failure due to corrosion, or failure during normal use for one year . To make a claim on our implanted instrument warranty, the owner of the implantable instrument must write to us by e-mail and describe the alleged defect or malfunction. We will provide instructions for returning the instrument to us at the owner's expense. Once we have the instrument in hand, we will dissect and examine it so as to diagnose its cause of failure. If we determine that the instrument failed due to manufacturing defect or corrosion, we will ship a replacement to the owner at our own expense within six weeks. We note that the guaranteed operating life and shelf life of our implantable instruments is 90% of the operating life and shelf life we specify in their manual pages, and that the owner of an implantable instrument is responsible for making sure that the instrument is switched off when not in use.
Harware Warranty (Attached Instruments): By "attached" we mean operating while attached to the body of an animal, where the instrument is subject to constant movement, forces from all directions, occasional detachment, and catastrophic chewing. All attached instruments have an attachment point on the animal's body, and this attachment point is itself an implanted instrument. Our attached instrument warranty assumes that the attachment point is an instrument supplied by Open Source Instruments. If the attachement point is not supplied by Open Source Instruments, our attached instrument warranty is null and void. We warranty our attached instruments against manufacturing defect for two years. We do not warranty them against physical damage caused by animal activity. To make a claim on our attached instrument warranty, the owner must write to us by e-mail and describe the alleged defect or malfunction. We will provide instructions for returning the instrument to us at the owner's expense. Once we have the instrument in hand, we will examine it so as to diagnose its cause of failure. If we determine that the instrument failed due to manufacturing defect, we will ship a replacement to the owner at our own expense within six weeks.
Software Warranty: Our data acquisition and analysis source code is free and carries absolutely no warranty.
Firmware Warranty: Our programmable logic source code is free and carries absolutely no warranty.
Design Warranty: Our circuit designs and mechanical drawings are free and carry absolutely no warranty.