PCB House just for the hell if it. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: snipersquad100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2013, 09:29:50 pm
content: I wont to learn about sending a pcb board off to a PCB House to be made professionally. Where do you think to best place to goto?.I also have got no idea what schematic to send off. Any ideas would be appreciated, I don't want anything to small (I can do that lol) but I don't want anything to big either. I use eagle cad free version 6.4 so space is limited.So basically I want to learn what to do if a want to send off a schematic to be made in a professional manor, and the best way for me to learn is actually doing it.Any help I would be grateful.

author: 8086
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2013, 09:34:30 pm
content: You don't send a schematic to be manufactured. You design the PCB and send gerbers usually. I guess that's what you meant?If you just want a try and want it cheap, seeed or itead is probably the way to go.

author: jmole
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2013, 09:41:37 pm
content: silvtronics.comhas been my preferred overseas vendor. They take EAGLE .brd files directly, and have better prices than OSHpark, seeed, etc, depending on the quantity you want.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 01, 2013, 10:32:41 pm
content: In the UK I use these guys.http://www.pcbtrain.co.uk/

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2013, 12:57:38 am
content: http://OSHPark.comwill send you a reasonable number of boards (3) at a reasonable price ($5/sq in for the three boards, including us postage), and they have an absolutely brilliant (IMO) order entry system that will show you what the files you submit are actually going to look like (which is very handy for checking whether you generated the files right.)Note that $5/sq in results is a tremendous bargain for small boards, but rapidly approaches the prices charged by other more traditional board houses as the boards get bigger, or if you want more copies. A Arduino-sized board (three of them) will run about $30 ($10 each), while the same board at Seeed would cost about the same but give you 10 boards.

author: Jon Chandler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2013, 03:51:19 am
content: PCB Fabrication Sourcesis a reasonably up-to-date comparison of sources that I'm familiar with.One recent change is that iTead and Seeed have begun to charge for shipping, so add about $5 to the prices for "slow boat" shipping.

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2013, 09:14:32 am
content: (I thought Itead and Seeed has always charged for shipping, though it was always a somewhat reasonable about (~$5 as you say, rather than the "$30 via DHL" default of some other overseas vendors.))

author: jmole
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2013, 09:49:16 am
content: Quote from: westfw on May 02, 2013, 09:14:32 amNot to rep them too hard, but silvtronics always shipped FedEx 2day from Malaysia for $14. No idea how they got that rate, but I wasn't complaining.

author: snipersquad100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2013, 05:22:11 pm
content: Thanks for your comments.I've looked at the site pcb train, its a bit confusing using it for the first time. How do you know if you done it right?

author: Harvs
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2013, 01:01:40 am
content: My last order from Itead I used DHL. I didn't think it was too bad, $21 to Oz. I had the boards in my hand 7 days after ordering.The standard postage from them just takes too long to be viable IMO (unless you really don't care about not having your order for a month.)

author: Jon Chandler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2013, 02:24:34 am
content: DHL really makes sense if you're ordering several different boards at once. Adding a couple more board orders doesn't change the price much.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2013, 02:42:07 am
content: DHL is pretty bad for me, they slap on a remote delivery charge and it winds up being $40-60

author: snipersquad100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 01:52:30 pm
content: All the pcb houses ive looked don't give the option of just making the boards. I want to place the parts on myself, can anyone help

author: Jon Chandler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 02:37:30 pm
content: Quote from: snipersquad100 on May 11, 2013, 01:52:30 pmMost fab housesonlymake the boards for you. Assembly of the board is a completely separate issue. All of the sources I listed back in post #5 will just make the circuit board itself.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 03:00:30 pm
content: Quote from: Harvs on May 03, 2013, 01:01:40 ami do that too but use ups . I have almost weekly runs with them now. Mostly the 10x10 dual and 4 layer boards.Takes em about 7 days from me delivering gerber to having board in hand. I'm a happy camper with them. I used to spend a lot of money with the local boys for this kind of simple stuff (6 mil track and gap) . If got at least a 5 fold price advantage now

author: snipersquad100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 04:26:08 pm
content: thanks john