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Anyone used this PCB fab?

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I only ask - as they are very inexpensive and have a small minimum order (5 boards). Turnaround time is irrelevant - this is only for hobby purposes and most of must designs would fit on a single layer board - 2 layer at worst - and I only use through-hole because I'm old like that (and old enough that trying to steady an iron under a magnifier for hand SMD work is a non starter).

There seem to be positive reviews floating around, but I'm interested to know if anyone here has any experience of them - or even another supplier (must be cheap, very cheap, with small min orders, good for shipping to the UK).

Cheers,

Tim

PS - Yes I have made my own PCBs before - both with UV exposure and direct thermal transfer from a laser printout (and etch resist pen if we go back far enough). It's just the faff and the mess as I don't do enough to warrant keeping a "lab" setup. I'd also like "nice" boards with a silkscreen too.

Reply to
Tim Watts
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Den onsdag den 8. juli 2015 kl. 14.09.41 UTC+2 skrev Tim Watts:

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give you prices and reviews for number of low cost fabs

shenzhen2u doesn't seem to get the best reviews

-Lasse

Reply to
Lasse Langwadt Christensen

No experience with this outfit, but a couple general comments:-

They're almost certainly not a fab, but a front end for a real factory (quite possibly more than one, which may or may not share ownership) the identify of which may vary from order to order. It's not uncommon for one factory to be used for 2 layer boards and another for multilayer. IOW, you're dealing with a middleman or distributor. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that communication (if required) can be even more of an issue than usual, so make sure all the files are present etc. before sending.

This particular outfit will take the trouble to ship via mail, which is great for hobbyists. Couriers are much more expensive. It's a no-brainer for a business purpose, but a hobbist might not mind waiting a few more weeks to save $50 in courier and import fees.

Looks like they only take Paypal.

I don't imagine you'll have any troubles with the quality- assuming the stuff eventually arrives- given that they can do 6 mil and you're probably looking for 10 mil or coarser on 2-layer.

--
Best regards,  
Spehro Pefhany 
Amazon link for AoE 3rd Edition:            http://tinyurl.com/ntrpwu8 
Microchip link for 2015 Masters in Phoenix: http://tinyurl.com/l7g2k48
Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

No - you are right, it doesn't.

Thanks for the link - I will probe some of the others...

Reply to
Tim Watts

Interesting - thank you :)

Reply to
Tim Watts

I do not know this company. But in Shenzhen are many of this kind. I have used several times now. Quality and service was ok, handling without problems. Upload your Gerber files with the specified file names, see "Order Submission Guidelines" and you can even control them online. Delivery was fast, but I am nearby in Taiwan.

I have given the link to seeed several times now here, but I am not affiliated with them. BTW: This nice toy is fully produced there.

--
Reinhardt
Reply to
Reinhardt Behm

Tim Watts schreef op 07/08/2015 om 02:09 PM:

I have used seeedstudio.com for several projects and so far I have been very satisfied by their service.

Reply to
N. Coesel

Wow - just uploaded a trial set I just hacked on Eagle from an example file (small, simple, single layer).

$24 for 5 little boards by post to UK. At that price it is a no brainer (time not withstanding). I like the way they provide an eagle CAM and DRU (rules) file too - hopefully less to go wrong...

Can I ask a dumb question now:

If you do not want a top solder mask, layer etc - presumable you just omit those gerber files? Or do you need to submit null files?

Thanks :)

Tim

Reply to
Tim Watts

+2 then - thank you :)
Reply to
Tim Watts

If you were in the US I'd suggest Oshpark. I've had one minor problem with them, in dozens of boards. They're an aggregator, not a manufacturer or distributor, but they ride herd on the fabs they use (and they use US fabs).

If you're not in North America, though, going to a Chinese manufacturer may be best.

"Best" might be if someone in the European Union would do the same thing as Oshpark -- I understand that there are some pretty good fabs in the former USSR satellites, so there may be some good "local" fabs within the Eurozone just waiting for an aggregator to pick up the ball and run with it.

--

Tim Wescott 
Wescott Design Services 
http://www.wescottdesign.com
Reply to
Tim Wescott

In the EU there is Eurocircuits which is basically the defacto company to go to for fast prototypes & low volume. But the Chinese are generally much cheaper if you can wait for 3 to 4 weeks for the boards to arrive.

Reply to
N. Coesel

They are not bad - especially the "Naked" board.

Still a lot more expensive than China - but not silly money...

Reply to
Tim Watts

If your design will fit in either a 5x5cm or 10x10cm square, consider using

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Their standard deal is a "proto-pack" - typically 10 boards, sometimes only 9, sometimes 11 or 12 (I gather the fab makes more than 10 per design, tests them, and you get whichever ones pass the test). $14 per pack for 5x5 (delivered), $25 per pack for 10x10.

They'll do larger boards as well.

I had them do a couple of "sea of pads, for Manhattan-style analog prototyping" boards and they turned out fine.

Reply to
Dave Platt

OshPark charges $5/square inch of board, and gives you three boards for that price (so if your board is 2.5x4, you get three for $50). They usually take a week, sometimes two. They're way cheaper than the quick- turn places.

--

Tim Wescott 
Wescott Design Services 
http://www.wescottdesign.com
Reply to
Tim Wescott

Thanks :)

Reply to
Tim Watts

Heh, I had a rubber stamp set for ICs, and a resistive ink pad. A Sharpie to connect the traces. It worked fine for simple single-sided boards.

SMD is hand-solderable if you don't get crazy with 0402 or 0201. Plenty of 0806 devices.

Reply to
sms

you get used to it, I used to think 0805 was small, then 0603 wasn't really a problem, now 0402 is just the usual, 0201 takes a bit of efford

never used a magnifier, though as I get older I start to look under my glasses when soldering

-Lasse

Reply to
Lasse Langwadt Christensen

Hi Tim,

I often have no parts on the bottom. I just omit this files for the bottom silk screen, no problem. I have not looked it up, but if there us no top copper it might even be cheaper. Select single side instead of double sided.

IRC, you do only thru hole parts, put a silk screen on the top. Costs nothing and looks much more professional and makes testing and debugging easier. For bigger chips, put some markers at pin 5, 10, ..., much less counting when probing.

--
Reinhardt
Reply to
Reinhardt Behm

Being nearsighted is a real asset in this business. I had cataract surgery, lens replacement, and I could have been 20/20, but I had them make me nearsighted, different in each eye so I can focus from about

8" to 24". I can always wear glasses to ski and drive.

I love my Mantis magnifier. Yeah, 0805s look huge now. 1206s look crazy big.

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com 
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Reply to
John Larkin

0402 is our standard size for resistors. I have no problem with them, though the right tools help.

I have a Mantis in my cube (good news) and everyone uses it (bad news). I also have a Weller MX-2(?) soldering station, which helps a lot.

Reply to
krw

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