[kicad-users] Re: Need Information about PCB-contractors
--- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, benjaminrohland benjaminrohl...@... wrote: Can you tell me which contractor is the best for producing my conductor board prototype? I found some in the internet, but the prices are similar. Are there any pros and cons I have to pay attention to? There is no single best. In general, you can pay more (sometimes much more) for faster service and prettier boards or pay less (sometimes much less) for a slower turnaround and and more basic boards (e.g., no silkscreen or solder mask). If you've not send a board out before, one thing to be sure to check is the diameter of any through-holes (including vias). Know whether you're looking for a diameter before plating (raw drill size) or after plating and know whether the hole diameters that result are really appropriate for the parts you intend to use. PCB Express http://www.pcbexpress.com/index.php isn't the cheapest but they'll do well for your first couple of runs until you're more comfortable with the process. At a *minimum* read through their pre- order checklist and FAQ, even if you decide to go with somebody else. Other places will have different free drill sizes but otherwise it's pretty good advice. If you can wait a little longer, Sparkfun runs a batch fab at http:// www.batchpcb.com/. You'll save a little but expect to wait. OTOH, you may receive more boards than you ordered (at no additional cost) if they used yours to fill in the gaps to complete a panel.
[kicad-users] Re: Need Information about PCB-contractors
--- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, Dan Andersson d...@... wrote: Try www.olimex.com for smaller volumes like prototypes. If you repeatedly need to produce protypes, do like I did, get a cnc milling machine - costs around 600 US $ or so. Thats 20 protype runs with olimex! Olimex charge around 30 $ for an double sided Euro Board 100x160mm and have a quick turnaround time. //Dan, M0DFI [snip] So, which CNC machine do you use? The Inquiring minds want to know :-) Mostafa
[kicad-users] Re: Need Information about PCB-contractors
I've used pcbcart.com and I think it's the best I've found. It's located in China, and is far, far cheaper than most other places. The board houses located in the USA are ridiculously overpriced; for the price of one or two boards here, I can get 500 from China, complete with soldermask, silkscreen on both sides, and scoring (my boards are typically very small, around 1 square inch). Olimex is pretty decent too, but last time I used them they had a ridiculously cumbersome ordering process which required the use of a fax machine to send in the order. Who uses faxes any more? How 20th century. Pcbcard.com has a nice web interface that gives you a quote based on board size, and many other factors (layers, finish (HASL, gold immersion, lead-free, etc.), and then tells you the price for many different quantities. The only problem is that it's hard to get away with much less than $100, but you can get a lot of boards for that price. Olimex isn't that cheap any more, either, like it used to be. They switched their prices to Euros, and you're probably looking at more like $50 for a minimum order. Batchpcb.com looks promising, but they don't accept Kicad files or gerbers. Their web interface isn't compatible with the NC drill files that Kicad produces, and you have to doctor them by hand. Even so, I tried getting an online quote this weekend from them, and my 1 square inch board came up on their web interface as over 5 square inches, so there's still something wrong with their Gerber file reader. Don't even bother with the American places like 4pcb.com (Advanced Circuits). Their prices are insane. I haven't tried any large boards, but maybe their prices start making more sense if your boards are 10 square inches or more, just guessing. For tiny boards, they're ridiculous. Dan --- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, benjaminrohland benjaminrohl...@... wrote: Can you tell me which contractor is the best for producing my conductor board prototype? I found some in the internet, but the prices are similar. Are there any pros and cons I have to pay attention to?
Re: [kicad-users] Re: Need Information about PCB-contractors
Not using yet - just ordered a micRO from http://lumenlab.com Wait a couple of weeks and ask me again how well it works... //Dan, M0DFI On Monday 26 January 2009 18:21:07 mostafakassem wrote: --- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, Dan Andersson d...@... wrote: Try www.olimex.com for smaller volumes like prototypes. If you repeatedly need to produce protypes, do like I did, get a cnc milling machine - costs around 600 US $ or so. Thats 20 protype runs with olimex! Olimex charge around 30 $ for an double sided Euro Board 100x160mm and have a quick turnaround time. //Dan, M0DFI [snip] So, which CNC machine do you use? The Inquiring minds want to know :-) Mostafa
