Camouflage soldermask - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: PointyOintment
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 11:36:20 am
content: …is now apparently a thing:http://www.dx.com/p/smt-rgb-led-module-for-arduino-camouflage-5v-395091

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 11:50:11 am
content: It almost looks stuck on and printed with an inkjet.Hit and a miss I think.

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 11:50:41 am
content: But why?

author: Tomorokoshi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 12:44:01 pm
content: Quote from: crispy_tofu on November 23, 2015, 11:50:41 amOne more escalation in the Software vs. Hardware war.

author: daqq
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 12:52:23 pm
content: Why not? I'd love a PCB with a fully colored mask.

author: McBryce
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 12:55:43 pm
content: It's hard enough finding where I put that prototype PCB in my room, with camouflage it's gone forever.McBryce.

author: Wilksey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 01:29:08 pm
content: That looks bloody horrible!As Halcyon pointed out, it looks inkjetted.It would probably look alright if it was done properly, but look at the pictures, you can see the dots.

author: Falcon69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2015, 08:00:10 am
content: no, it looks like a low resolution picture. you can see the same pixelating in the tinned holes, as well as on the LED chip and on the gold pins.I'd like to see a better resolution picture to determine.But, it would be cool to get a full color soldermask, imagine, no more crappy silkscreening. It could be done with soldermask.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 24, 2015, 08:09:50 am
content: Quote from: Falcon69 on November 24, 2015, 08:00:10 amYes it's relatively low resolution, but that pixilation isn't just coming from anywhere. There is quite a bit of detail in the image. If it were due to JPEG compression, you'd see large blocks of the same colour.

author: Wilksey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2015, 12:52:55 pm
content: Yeah that is not image compression that's causing the dithering, its low / medium res printing, it might be that whatever is used to print on the board hasn't taken properly to the surface, or it might just be poor printing, a bit like when you go into your large chain supermarket and get your dog's face printed on your wife's birthday cake (or is that just us UK folk?).

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 03:54:46 am
content: Notice that the red, green, blue and B&W "minus" circles (and connector component outline) are also printed by the same process as the camo-areas. Which demonstrates it's a full color process. Never mind the not-so-great resolution.So wheee! Some board manufacturer now offers the ability to print full colour images as solder mask. That's cool!Edit: Hmm... but it looks like maybe the printing went over the soldered legs of the LED, meaning it was done after board assembly. Long droplet-path ink jet printing? Not so cool.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 04:31:49 am
content: I'd like a picture of the fully assembled board as the solder mask for the unassembled board.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 07:25:22 am
content: Rainbow mask will go next.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 10:42:41 am
content: There are industrial inkjets that print UV- curable lacquer, in full color. They're now commonly used for custom iPhone cases, for example. I'm actually surprised we haven't caught onto them for PCB making, both for making etching masks, but also for solder mask and silkscreen in. (Yes, there are some people doing it, it just seems rather unpopular at the moment.)

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 10:43:02 am
content: Quote from: tooki on November 25, 2015, 10:42:41 am

author: Fred27
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 11:45:19 am
content: Quote from: tooki on November 25, 2015, 10:42:41 amI'm not surprised. We might care how a PCB looks, but we're definitely a minority. For most people it's just something hidden inside the gadget they purchased and will never open.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 12:05:56 pm
content: Quote from: Stonent on November 25, 2015, 04:31:49 amOr for the opposite of helpful, how about the appearance of track lines that have no correspondence to the actual tracks?I wonder who will do the first pornographic PCB? (You *know* it's going to happen. Inevitable.)Now my fervent hope is to never have to service a goatse board.Quote from: Fred27 on November 25, 2015, 11:45:19 amThat might change if the PCBs can become part of a creative design appearance. Clear cases, or clear coatings...

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 02:56:39 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on November 25, 2015, 12:05:56 pmQuite a lot of PC gamers and/or modders would love this already, especially if it can be applied to already assembled MoBos.

author: kfitch42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 03:04:23 pm
content: Quote from: Bud on November 25, 2015, 07:25:22 amNext? Try 2009:http://www.seeedstudio.com/blog/2009/11/28/life-is-so-colorful-as-rainbow-how-about-pcbs/Would that count as prior art for this:https://www.google.com/patents/CN204090286U?cl=enEDIT: Also these:http://www.theamphour.com/the-amp-hour-149-purple-pcb-philosophy/http://www.applelogic.org/files/CARTEBLANCHEIIE.JPG

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 03:08:29 pm
content: Quote from: Wilksey on November 23, 2015, 01:29:08 pmIt could be they use some kind of inkjet printer. I vaguely recall they are using inkjet printers nowadays to apply the silkscreen on low volume batches. From there it wouldn't be a big step to go full-color.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2015, 05:21:42 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on November 25, 2015, 12:05:56 pmA lot of online service manuals have that as a background.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2015, 09:43:11 pm
content: Quote from: crispy_tofu on November 23, 2015, 11:50:41 amSome segment of people likeswearable electronicslike a blinking LED vest. So hiding the electronics is off interest to that segment of the market.I was at a high school robotics competition. About 10% of the kids have some (simple) blinking lights on somewhere on their person - blinking LED pin on shirts or hats. My daughter was thinking about outdoing those simple blinkers. She was interested in the Arduino Lilypad for that application - that interested didn't last too long due to time constrains.