4-layer PCBs "too" cheap at Elecrow? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2013, 12:36:32 pm
content: I was looking into the cost of doing 100mm x 100mm four layer boards for my function generator project (don't want to do four-layer, but I do want to know what that would cost me if I had to make the switch).Price for ten:- ITEAD: $99- PCBCART: $273- ProjectPCB: $308- Advanced Circuits: $680-Elecrow: $49.90Advanced Circuits just doesn't seem to like such small quantities. That $68/unit goes down to $15/unit if I get 60 boards....which is still much more then Elecrow, who claim to do ten boards at $50 total. $5/board. I can't even get a quote from Advanced for a quantity that brings the price that low, they just say Call Us.Am I missing somethinghere? Or is the quality really horrible or something?I haven't been too impressed with the boards I've gotten from them (and shipping takes a decade if you don't pay for UPS; my general experience has been that Hong Kong Post is much faster than China Post), but theywereacceptable, and damn, if I could get four-layers from them for just a bit more than two-layers from ITEAD....

author: Araho
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2013, 02:08:14 pm
content: I've been planning on checking out Elecrow, actually. Have no idea whether they are any good, but the price is fantastic for prototype/small volume. Will post a review / pics if I ever get it done.

author: TheBay
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 12, 2013, 02:14:06 pm
content: Wow that's cheap!

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2013, 03:56:43 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on December 12, 2013, 12:36:32 pmIts the 4 layer part.. You can get their bare bones boards cheap. Cheap enough that I just run ideas off and in a couple days, bang, boards. Call them and ask if they have any 4 layer promos running before you go off to china.

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 12, 2013, 09:04:19 pm
content: There is no reason to not go 4 layer anymore, you can make the pcbs smaller and guaranteed a nice return path under all your circuits.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2013, 09:38:34 pm
content: Quote from: marshallh on December 12, 2013, 09:04:19 pmMany of my 2-layer boards have an almost unbroken ground plane on the bottom. Some of them are so small that they are pretty much a blanket of components.I'd say that it really depends on the type of board you are making. Many analog circuits are just fine as double-layer boards due to their nature: signal in, signal out - route it like the schematic shows.I am really happy to see the falling price, though. Hopefully it will reach a critical point soon where lots of hobbyists will start making 4-layer boards, and then we can see a "race to the bottom" between the companies as we have seen with the two-layer service. Seems close with Elecrow already.

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2013, 10:10:23 pm
content: I did a quote at Seeed for the same .$89.90 for 10or $69.90 for 5Although I dont think the solder mask gets the precision they specify.

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2013, 10:49:14 pm
content: If our market we avoid 4 layer for serviceability. PCB size however is not much of a concern.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2013, 11:48:53 pm
content: Quote from: marshallh on December 12, 2013, 09:04:19 pmThere are tons of reasons.You may need the PCB to be big anyway.You may need to get it turned round same day.4L is inherently significantly more expensive to make - 2L will always be cheaper, other factors being equalI rarely have problems getting a decent groundplane on even quite dense 2L PCBs - 4L is very much the exception rather than the rule.