DirtyPCB $12 PCB fabbing - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: scientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2014, 09:01:46 pm
content: Has anybody actually gotten boards from dirtypcbs.com? I ordered from them a week ago half as a joke, half for cool coasters, and I'm curious if they've ever delivered. If they have, please post photos.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2014, 11:25:02 pm
content: Quote from: scientist on May 12, 2014, 09:01:46 pmGo to dangerousprototypes.com forum, you will find examples there (not surprisingly, because it's a a service run by dangerousprototypes)In short, the quality is good enough for a prototype. They are apparently doing a lot of business.Sent from my HTC Dream using Tapatalk 2

author: scientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 04:16:37 am
content: Here's the page I was looking for:http://dangerousprototypes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6193&start=75Shipping seems to be~1 week to USA ±3 days~3 weeks to Australia ±2 weeks~5 weeks to Europe ±2 weeks

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 05:24:35 am
content: Wow. That is dirt cheap... I will stick with the 1 day turn Bare bones PCB's from advanced circuits. The quality is good if you don't need mask and silk screen for prototypes, and then if you need regular low quantity boards they have everything ready to go. 25 cents a square inch and a cheap setup fee. Its a cool feeling to send off files Monday and have the boards in your hand Wednesday or Thursday and not be out too much money. Again, for prototypes. Their full turn board prices are rather high though. FR 4 2 layer mash and screen both sides in 33 bucks a board for a couple day turn. Max 60 inch area. Kinda pricey, but when you need finished product look its good to not have to go overseas. Its also nice to be able to pick up the phone, call somebody who knows PCB's and they can walk right into the shop and make sure something is being done right. Its kind of nice cause we make one or two new protos a month and they know how we do things and they can catch mistakes, or interpret what we want and shoot me an email for me to verify what to do.Oh, and they put a bag of microwave popcorn in with each order! (A company called Deep Surplus puts bags of skittles in with their orders)

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 08:13:39 am
content: Quote from: scientist on May 13, 2014, 04:16:37 amup to 7 weeks are you kidding me? They probably send it with pigeon post???

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 08:34:42 am
content: Looks pretty amazing. I'm going to send through a test board today.Perhaps this will be the next downwards leap since pooling and China.

author: scientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 02:42:40 pm
content: Quote from: calexanian on May 13, 2014, 05:24:35 amI got quoted $8 a board for 10 copies of a 2x2" board at Barebones, or $80 for just one. They may be fast but they're definitely not cheap, especially for no mask.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2014, 03:09:59 pm
content: Quote from: scientist on May 13, 2014, 02:42:40 pmBut if you ask for a 5x5" you can get 100 for $80. Make them to be breakable and you can make 400 for those $80, or am I missing something?

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 09:16:59 pm
content: I placed my order this morning. 10x PCB's (50x50) for $14 (£8.57) DELIVERED which is astonishing. If this works, then I might modify the way I build prototypes and make building blocks up for my commonly used & favorite circuits - also get round to playing with more of the exotic TI samples that seem to languish in the draw.I'll update this thread as I get more feedback and take delivery.

author: scientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 10:03:11 pm
content: Quote from: miguelvp on May 13, 2014, 03:09:59 pmThe point is that I don't need 400 boards, so it's just wasting FR4.

author: scientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 10:06:00 pm
content: Timeline:Ordered the 3rd, at board house May 5, shipped May 14. Not bad.

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 08:30:56 am
content: Ordered on 9th of April, at board house 10h later, shipped on the 17th. Haven't received them yet. I've sipped to my place in Austria this time, and I'm not too happy with the time.Usually when packages come from china, it doesn't matter where in Central Europe I have them shipped to: Belgium, Germany and Austria usually take the same 3 weeks.

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 08:32:54 am
content: Quote from: scientist on May 14, 2014, 10:03:11 pmyou can use them as coasters

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 08:41:56 am
content: So the conclusion is that for small PCB amounts (prototyping) this is not interesting?

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 09:50:32 am
content: Quote from: Kjelt on May 15, 2014, 08:41:56 am10 boards 5x5cm PCBs $1410 boards 10x10cm PCBs $25100% e-test, any color, worldwide shipping included. No Bull...Looks good to me, I got confused by his comment and missed the "Barebones" I guess he was referring to a different manufacturer. For what "Barebones" quoted him for one, he can get the equivalent of 400 2x2" athttp://dirtypcbs.com/by paneling 4 on each board.I guess we are all waiting to see some more samples.

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 10:22:19 am
content: I might have to give them a try. I respect/like their FAQ/specs page:I wish someone would allow v-scoring. I have a few projects that use parts that are under an inch, sometimes even less.

author: Emil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2014, 12:49:09 pm
content: Quote from: scientist on May 13, 2014, 04:16:37 amSeems to slow as they use HK Post.. 7-12 days would be normal to Europe.The website says: "Shipping is by Hong Kong Post (or similar), which takes 4-30 days depending on where you are. We find it quite quick to Europe, moderate to the USA, and slow to South America, Australia, and Africa."

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 22, 2014, 09:39:25 pm
content: UPDATE:Order placed: 14 May 2014 @ 10:54hrs (GMT)At board house: 15 May 2014 @ 21:31hrsOrder shipped: 21 May 2014 @ 07:24hrsI'll update again when they arrive in the UK.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 02:30:54 pm
content: Ah, I just noticed this thread. I ordered some boards from them recently too, so I'll post some pictures when I get them. They shipped two days ago, so probably another twenty to thirty years before HKP gets them to me

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 02:41:52 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 23, 2014, 02:30:54 pmI've been having luck with CNP and HKP getting my parts in 10 days and I could track them via USPS tracking services. the HK one didn't update until it got to the States. That was using regular air mail.

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 26, 2014, 06:19:55 pm
content: So unexpectedly my dirty PCBs arrived today in Austria.Ordered: April, 9thProcessed: April, 10thShipped: April, 17thArrived: May, 26thTook them a whopping 46 day to get to me. The quality is not perfect but very good for the money. They ware packaged insanely well: In a small padded cardboard box, inside an antistatic bag that was glued to the box. Pictures attached. They all work as expected.My apologies for the bad camera work.

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2014, 11:14:55 am
content: UPDATE:Order placed: 14 May 2014 @ 10:54hrs (GMT)At board house: 15 May 2014 @ 21:31hrsOrder shipped: 21 May 2014 @ 07:24hrsOrder arrived: 4 June 2014 @ 10:00hrs - pretty much two weeks (UK)The boards were well packed, and the quality seems fine. I've seen better drilling and the alignment on the solder mask on one of the boards is off enough to cause problems (only one board though) and there's a dirty great finger print on the mask on one board. Probably equate them to boards from a so-so UK fab maybe 5-10 years ago.Plating & HASL seems fine. My solder mask was yellow BTW.But for $14 it's AMAZING.I think that Ian probably gets the price down as they only put one circuit per panel, and then get 10+ panels made at once (they drill them in stacks). What I would LOVE to see is the service extended to 4 layer.Pix below.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2014, 11:50:55 am
content: I've got pics too; will add later today.Quote from: fcb on June 04, 2014, 11:14:55 amCheck the web site again

author: mark03
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2014, 03:30:03 pm
content: Can anyone decode the "Capabilities" listed on their site? Lots of apparently gratuitous and repeated information, but also lots of abbreviations I cannot decode, like "Min w/s 5/5mil(I/L)." Is that trace/space? What is I/L vs. O/L? What does "Min BGA size" mean? etc.Four layers sounds awesome, but only if the fab is good enough for 1mm BGA, or at least lots of 0.5mm high-pin-count stuff. Isn't that the main reason you'd need four layers in the first place?Waiting for someone to show a test board which pushes the fab's capabilities...Quote from: c4757p on June 04, 2014, 11:50:55 am

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2014, 04:09:42 pm
content: Quote from: mark03 on June 04, 2014, 03:30:03 pmThere are many reasons to go 4 layer - BGA's amongst them. I user multi-layer mainly for ground and power planes.As far as pushing the capabilities. Ian has said 'don't torture' us, and why would you bother for $14/$25 - if you need something tricky, then just use an ordinary domestic fab. These are Dirty PCB's after all.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2014, 04:12:55 pm
content: Quote from: mark03 on June 04, 2014, 03:30:03 pmWidth/spacing, so yes, 5 mil trace, 5 mil spacing.QuoteInner layer, outer layer..QuoteMinimum pad size for BGA..

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2014, 05:21:17 pm
content: Here they are. A high-resolution scan of a PCB I just got from them, front and back, in all their glory.They look okay. Probe marks from electrical testing are visible on the pads - I don't even remember them mentioning that, so that's good. The HASL is a bit bumpy but not bad - not sure how it'd do with reflow of fine-pitched parts, but fine for hand soldering. Drill registration is good, mask registration is pretty much perfect. The silkscreen is pretty ghastly, smudged and misaligned, but who cares?There's a nick in one of the pads on just one of the boards - see the 0805 under the "RV2" mark, detailed picture included. Looks like the mark is in the copper pattern, rather than a scratch on the board. Not a problem for hand soldering an 0805, but could have ruined the board if I had a fine QFP/QFN or something there.The image attached is just a low-res preview, it was too large. Link ishere - 4.2MB.