Just wondering if anyone knows of a company that makes PCBs when I only need 2 or 3? I dont really want to spend a months mortgage on it as they will only be used as prototypes.
a laser printer deposits small particles of plastic unlike ink.
as for acid = 1 part muratic acid then ADD 2 parts hydrogen peroxide
pretty good program is express pcb.
You can use inkjet but you need to use the photo process, not the transfer method.
The photo process is more reliable and yields higher quality boards but you need to buy photo-resist or pre-sensitised board so it works out more expensive.
The photo process is more reliable and yields higher quality boards but you need to buy photo-resist or pre-sensitised board so it works out more expensive.
If you have the right setup both procedure produces good results. The consumables are more expensive with the photo process and they age. The up front costs for toner transfer are greater due to the cost of laminator and laser printer.
I am not talking about toner transfer done with mystery paper and a clothes iron. It can work but is not of the same quality.
If you want to be current you need to work with or read about the current toner transfer methods. The pulsar transfer paper is very good. 100% release, the laminator provides a good transfer.
I am not saying anything negative about photo transfer execpt that the stuff ages.
You could go one further step using photo transfer. There are small print shops making advertising stuff for small companies to distribute in households. Many of them also have Gerber photoplotter equipment.
Gerber plots have the advantage of deep black and crystal clear on the film material, which guarantees 100% transfer without losses. Also the film material is very thin and therefore almost no misexposure is possible due to refraction.
If you are going to use that service take along an Eagle copy to have the proper software to convert Eagle files to Gerber files.
Oh, btw I am in England but I guess it doesnt matter with the internet right? I obviously need to add shipping cost etc I know but I am in no hurry for them. Just pricing up a product. I want to put another thread together about actually making a product to sell and if anyone has actually done it etc.
How flexible is Futurelec with the 10mil track/spacing limit? 10mil is 0.254mm, which means I can't use any chip with 0.5mm leads, which is almost all the chips I use now-a-days. That's a huge limitation for me. I've already had issues with the 8mil limit on 2 sided boards from other manufacturers.