Best Printed Circuit boards to order - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: skyler
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 01:25:37 am
content: Hi,I am planning to order50to100One inch square boards.What company does everyone out here suggest/use for bulk likeabove, and for small quantities like10or less for 1 to 3 square inch?Thanks

author: Dago
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 06:13:11 am
content: Quote from: skyler on May 14, 2014, 01:25:37 amTotally depends on all the information you didn't give us. Like price, schedule, production requirements...

author: skyler
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 12:01:16 pm
content: Probably want to optimize for lowest price, and not a huge wait time (month or less)

author: kruszi
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 12:25:02 pm
content: You need to specify your PCB parametersfor example:Layers1 - 4MaterialFR-4Board Dimension (max)500mm X1100mmBoard Dimension (min)10mm X10mmOutline Dimension Accuracy± 0.2mmBoard Thickness0.40mm--2.0mmBoard Thickness Tolerance± 10%Dielectric Separation thickness0.075mm--5.00mmConductor Width (min)0.15mm( Recommend>8mil )Conductor Space (min)0.15mm( Recommend>8mil)Outer Conductor thickness35umInner Conductor thickness17um--100umCopper to Edge>0.3mmPlated Component,Plated via Diameter(Mechanical)0.3mm--6.30mmPlated Hole Diameter Tolerance(Mechanical)0.08mmUnplated Hole Diameter Tolerance0.05mmHole Space(min)0.25mmHole to Edge0.4mmAnnular Ring(min)0.15mmAspect Ratio8:01Solder Resist TypePhotosensitive inkSolder Resist ColorBlack ,Green, White, Blue ,YellowSolder Resist Clearance0.1mmSolder Resist Coverage0.1mmPlug Hole Diameter0.3mm--0.65mmSelective FinishHASL, ENIGSilkscreen line width (mim)6mil

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 01:59:19 pm
content: Try Seeedstudio or iTead, I think one of them is offering this kind of volume of production. Do you know how to do panelization and such?If you get your PCB to look like the ones in the first video (panelizing and all) you can order boards for really cheap on GoldPhenixPCB. Its a chinese company that was used for Sparkfun's BatchPCB service.http://www.goldphoenixpcb.comGood luck

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 02:37:12 pm
content: Tryhttp://pcbshopper.comSent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

author: skyler
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2014, 02:41:13 pm
content: Quote from: kruszi on May 14, 2014, 12:25:02 pmNothing is very critical, I will use Through hole boards for DIP IC's at audio frequencies or less, I will need 1-2 square inches each, and I will need around 50-75. Single sided.

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 12:51:59 pm
content: Look, Gold Phoenix has a 155 square inch special on their website, seems like just what you need:http://www.goldphoenixpcb.com/singlepage.php?tg=specialpriceThe base price is US$110, add to that about 50 to make it worth it.

author: Flenser
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2014, 04:26:43 am
content: I might be worth your while to check out all the "10 off 5cmx5cm boards for $10" suppliers you can find. I know of Seeedstudio, iTead, Elecrow and DFRobotI remembered seeing that at least one of them is offering a service for greater than the standard 10 boards and found these at Elecrow:Small Batch of 2 Layer PCBs - 50pcs Starting at: $34.90http://www.elecrow.com/small-batch-of-2-layer-pcbs-50pcs-p-330.htmlSmall Batch of 2 Layer PCBs - 100pcs Starting at $64.90http://www.elecrow.com/small-batch-of-2-layer-pcbs-100pcs-p-425.html

author: skyler
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2014, 02:20:06 am
content: Quote from: ivan747 on May 15, 2014, 12:51:59 pmThanks, so would I have to manually cut each piece out, or do I somehow tell them to cut it out? I am new to all this stuff.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2014, 02:59:45 am
content: Quote from: zapta on May 14, 2014, 02:37:12 pmThat website is terribly inaccurate for pricing just sayin'

author: rea5245
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2014, 08:23:57 pm
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on June 15, 2014, 02:59:45 amHi Peter,I'm the guy who createdhttp://PCBShopper.com. If you know of any inaccurate prices my site is reporting, please tell me.PCBShopper calculates prices in one of two ways. For manufacturers who describe their pricing formula on their site, I code that formula in PHP and that's how I calculate the cost. It's possible that a manufacturer would change their formula after I coded it, but PCBShopper has only been live for 3 months, so I doubt that's happened much.The other way I get prices is by querying the manufacturer's site directly. If they have a quote form on their site, PCBShopper submits the filled out form, just as if it were a person using a browser, and extracts the price from the manufacturer's response. Iguarantee youthose prices are accurate.Shipping is a little tougher. If a company tells me its shipping cost up-front, I use that number. Otherwise, I calculate the weight of the PCBs and query either sendfromchina.com or easypost.com for the shipping cost. Unfortunately, this will almost always be different from the manufacturer's quoted shipping cost. I can only hope it's close.PCBShopper isn't a company. It's me - a hobbyist - trying to make something useful for other hobbyists. I state clearly on the site that if you see an error, please let me know about it so I can fix it. Peter, if you know of an incorrect price, please contact me via the web site or post here with details about the error.I'm happy to work to improve my site. Saying that PCBShopper is "terribly inaccurate" doesn't help me do that. Giving specific examples does.- Bob Alexander

author: eneuro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2014, 10:35:34 pm
content: Quote from: rea5245 on June 23, 2014, 08:23:57 pmIt looks like my favouriteSmart Prototypingis top ranked in your calculator with price 1.20$ for 2 layer 2inch x 2inch (5.1cm x 5.1cm) least expensive but quite nice green PCB and there is nothing wrong it looks okNot so bad 1$ per double 4 square inches.Never tried Elecrow, while guys from Smart Prototyping are very helpfull and has quick response time for emails.However, really do they manufacture those PCBs in China? When started digging their connections it looked like there is big facility in Germany manufacturing PCBs-I forgot its name for the moment...

author: rea5245
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2014, 10:51:08 pm
content: Quote from: eneuro on June 23, 2014, 10:35:34 pmSmart Prototyping's About Us page says they're based in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. I'd be gobsmacked if a Chinese company was making cheap PCBs in Germany.- Bob

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2014, 12:13:34 am
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on June 15, 2014, 02:59:45 amI have had excellent experience with it. Just sayin'.Since the proprietor is here my top wish list item is to have information also about stencils (with smd prototyping, PCB order and stencils orders are almost 1:1).

author: rea5245
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2014, 12:56:26 am
content: Hi zapta,What information would you like to see? Simply whether they're offered and for how much?- Bob

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 03:08:49 am
content: Yes, do they offer, how much and is it metal or mylar (mylar is less expensive but lower quality, for fine pitch I use metal).

author: nowlan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 03:24:24 am
content: This was an interesting read.http://www.meatandnetworking.com/resources/cheap-prototype-pcb-comparison/

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 08:17:08 am
content: Not knowing where the Op is located in the Uk I use spirit circuits, they offer a "nap" service that charges you £50 + vat for tooling and £1+vat/sqin of board. You can't reuse the tooling and it's 10 working days until despatch. If you want reusable tooling it's £100+vat, This is all 2 sided, this is in contrast to my most recent order with them via work where we wanted them in 3 days so it was £100 tooling and £498 for 3-5 boards about 1.5"x2.5"

author: Codemonkey
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 08:39:12 am
content: I've usedhttp://www.quick-teck.co.uk/before for a batch of 100 boards and been happy with the results. I used their "laid back" service and they still arrived quicker than expected, though they may have just been not so busy at the time or something.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 08:39:50 am
content: Some of the cheap places dont do really small PCBs.Im not sure if 1" x 1" is considered small though.

author: rea5245
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2014, 11:48:20 am
content: Quote from: zapta on June 27, 2014, 03:08:49 amI've added it to my list of things to do.- Bob