# Tovan

> Describe a device in plain words. Tovan designs the circuit board, the case and the code, then has it made and shipped to your door.

Tovan is a web app for people with a hardware idea and no electronics background. You chat with it about what the device should do; it picks parts that are in stock, designs the circuit board and a case that fits, writes the code that runs on it, and has the board and case made and shipped to you. Most orders arrive 2 to 3 weeks after ordering.

## How it works

1. Describe it: Say what it should do. In your own words and your own language.
2. Tovan designs it: Every part, designed together. The circuit board, with parts that are in stock, and a case that fits around it.
3. It arrives in the mail: Unbox it. Put it together. Your board and case are made and shipped to your door.
4. Tovan programs it: Then Tovan programs it. Tovan writes the firmware and uploads it to most boards.

## Pricing

Designing is free, with $1 of build credit every week. Ordering costs $99 plus your hardware at cost, in one total you see before you pay.

## Questions

- How does build credit work? Building uses credit when you ask Tovan to design, change, or fix something. Looking at your designs and sharing them is free. Every account gets $1 of credit free each week.
- What does it cost to get it made? $99 per order, plus manufacturing and shipping. You see one all-in price before you pay, and everything you added while building comes off the $99.
- How long until it arrives? Your design is ready in minutes. Once you order, it typically arrives in 2 to 3 weeks, depending on where you are.
- What about the code that runs on it? Tovan can write it too, in beta. Tell it in chat what the board should do, then send the code from the Run tab over a USB cable, in Chrome or Edge on a computer.
- What happens if I run out? Nothing is lost. Your design stays saved and viewable. Add credit from $10 to keep going, or wait for your free $1 to refill.
- Does added credit expire? No. Credit you add stays on your account until you use it, across all your projects.
- Do I own my designs? Yes. Everything you design with Tovan belongs to you.
- What if my design has a problem? Before your board is made, an electrical engineer on our team checks the design, usually within one business day. If the check finds a problem, we fix it on a new version of your board and you approve the change in Tovan, at no extra charge. If it finds the board can't work, we cancel the order and refund it in full before anything is made.

## For AI agents

- Connect: MCP server at https://www.tovan.ai/api/mcp (streamable HTTP; OAuth sign-in, or a Tovan API key as a Bearer token). Plain JSON API documented at https://www.tovan.ai/docs/api.
- Brief: what the device does, its power source, size and mounting limits, where it lives, how many, and any chosen parts or code repository.
- Builds take minutes, sometimes more than half an hour: start_board returns at once; poll get_board_status every 30 to 60 seconds.
- When the state is waiting_for_answer, answer the question with reply_to_board; get_board returns a picture, the requirements, the parts and an editor link.
- Paying: prepare_order returns an approve link. The person taps it to pay; agents never pay. Builds use the person’s build credit.
- API keys: account menu, then Keys. Full guide for each assistant: https://www.tovan.ai/for-agents

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.tovan.ai/): what Tovan does, in four steps
- [Questions](https://www.tovan.ai/faq): common questions and answers
- [For AI agents](https://www.tovan.ai/for-agents): connect an assistant, brief a board, hand over the order
- [API reference](https://www.tovan.ai/docs/api): the JSON API under /api/v1
- [Pricing](https://www.tovan.ai/pricing): what designing and ordering cost
- [About](https://www.tovan.ai/about): why Tovan exists
- [Blog](https://www.tovan.ai/blog): guides to designing and making custom electronics

## Optional

- [All blog posts](https://www.tovan.ai/sitemap-blog.xml)
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.tovan.ai/privacy)
- [Terms of Service](https://www.tovan.ai/terms)