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More details pls feel free to contact us Email: snipped-for-privacy@pcbway.com Skype: pcbway qiu
I checked their site out, actually looks like something worth considering
Cheers
Klaus
Same here.
Question: I haven't done a PCB layout in _many_ years, but now musing about a number of personal projects that would do nicely on a PCB. What software would be best, easiest to learn and compatible with most PCB houses' requirements? ...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: skypeanalog | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Unless you work with a few fab houses that accept files from your cad package, you generate Gerber files. All layout software will do that.
I used FreePCB which works pretty well. I am thinking of working with KiCAD on my next design.
-- Rick
I found diptrace to be easy to pickup relative to the other packages I've tried(Eagle, KICAD). It's free for 2 signal layers and
IMO Kicad is far and away the best free and open source package.
Many commercial packages are free for X number of pins, and/or when used not for profit.
I gather DIPTRACE is supposed to be fairly easy to learn and quite powerful, not too expensive. You could try that but I have not used it seriously myself.
A lot of "hobbyists" use Eagle.
Altium Designer is a big popular expensive commercial package, powerful but huge and buggy. (It's what I now use). They have recently released a lower cost version (Circuit Studio) and a free version (Circuit Maker). BTW the free one has rather "interesting" usage limitations.
There may be some useful opinions here:
Most packages will have a big learning curve!
As long as you stay away from packages supplied by the PCB houses themselves, they will all be "compatible". (Since they generate artwork in the gerber format and standard drill files).
-- John Devereux
Another vote for Kicad. I just used it for the first time and it was very quick to learn. I may give up Altium forever.
DesignSpark PCB (closely associated with RS Components)
FWIW
-- Cheers, Chris.
Good point..there is CHEAP and there is INEXPENSIVE. Not always related.
Thanks! I have a board that needs specified jumpers to be added,sometimes only one board and only 1-3 jumpers. No commercial outfit will give a quote: "too busy doing quantity work, cannot afford to disrupt production".
Gerber files are compatible. We usually use CAM350 to check the files. Following is a way of turning RS274X to Gerber format.
Files are exported to Gerber RS274X format and Excellon drill file.
*.excellon.TXT Excellon drill file (inch, 5 digits) *.GBL Bottom Copper *.GBS Bottom Soldermask *.gerber.TXT Gerber RS274X drill file (same content as in Excellon TXT file) *.GML Mill Layer (= final board dimension) *.GTL Top Copper *.GTO Top Silkscreen *.GTS Top SoldermaskHope it helps you.
FYI...
Their quality is as poor as their advertising, which is rampant. If they spent half their advertising budget (heh) on improving process or reducing cost, they'd actually be viable. As it is, I believe Seeed or Itead Studio usually win out for bottom dollar price in most proto board cases. They're pretty well established nowadays.
In any case, use
Tim
-- Seven Transistor Labs Electrical Engineering Consultation Website: http://seventransistorlabs.com wrote in message news:c62408ee-ab2d-454e-b423-1ff411eed8ff@googlegroups.com... >( www.pcbway.com/q ) is the PCB manufacturer in shenzhen china > Good quality , Low prices, NO MOQ > Register now to get $5-50 cash coupons > > More details pls feel free to contact us > Email: stacey@pcbway.com > Skype: pcbway qiu
Is this first-hand experience?
Second hand. I've seen pictures. Reference:
Tim
-- Seven Transistor Labs Electrical Engineering Consultation Website: http://seventransistorlabs.com
I would like to know if there any "low cost" outfits that can do prototypes with 100um (4mil) design rules and/or 0.2mm via holes (as these guys claim to).
Something like this is required just for 0.8mm BGAs AFAIK.
-- John Devereux
Gotcha. Thanks for the lead. We will strongly consider them for some prototypes.
oshpark.com does 5 mil trace/space and 10 mil drills. I'm not sure your numbers are required for 0.8 mm BGAs though.
-- Rick
I don't think they're the cheapest. But you don't really want the cheapest in China. Really, you don't.
Even the relatively good guys let you down from time to time. 8-(
--sp
-- 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
Many of the Chinese makers have quite up-to-date German and Japanese machinery and can easily make boards like that. Shop around. It may not be the ones popular with hobbyists.
I did have one supplier claim to be able to handle the design rules we needed and then when we were ready to order prototypes they jacked the price up and said it was 'difficult'. I think they were a middleman so that doesn't disturb me as much as the 'difficult' would be if it was a manufacturer direct- they probably had to go to another factory that happened to be busy or more expensivel
--sp
-- 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
Your point is well taken. We have used PCBCart for hundreds of boards and have had no problems at all. No affiliation, just very happy with them. No Gerbers, just the board image from Eagle (they have Eagle) and get a board back. They also take Gerbers. We could not be happier. They also have a prototype order in place and will include a stencil. You should check their site.
Again, no affiliation.
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