PCB options?

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Mike - K8LH

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Hi guys,

Is there any way to get printed circuit boards manufactured at a better price then what I'm getting from ExpressPCB or Pad2Pad?

I've used ExpressPCB's "economy" service before to get three 2.5"x3.8" boards for about $60 but they don't include a soldermask or silkscreen. And if I put more than 1 circuit onto that 2.5"x3.8" board it was difficult cutting them apart.

I've also designed several boards using Pad2Pad software but their tooling costs determine the minimum board cost which is pretty high, around $136, so I've never submitted any of those designs for production.

For example, I'd like to get 10 to 20 of the little 0.9"x1.7" LCD boards below which I can use for "straight thru", "Predko", or "Serial" style interface. The Pad2Pad price is $135.80 for quantity 1 through quantity 26.

I really like the OEM design software from Pad2Pad but their prices are beyond my budget.

If I switched to a design program that produced gerber output files could I then use other PCB manufacturers who may have better low quantity prices? I looked at Eagle before but I couldn't find any directions or tutorials and so the program just didn't seem to make sense and didn't seem very easy to use.

I'm at the point where I have several designs using SMT parts that pretty much require a printed circuit board but I can't afford to get them made.

TIA for any and all advice.

Mike
 

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Mike said:
And if I put more than 1 circuit onto that 2.5"x3.8" board it was difficult cutting them apart.
Click to expand...
Designing a panel with more PCBs on it would be much cheaper from my experience. There are no problems in separating the boards if you specify the 'V-scoring' to the manufatcturer, assuming that they provide this service, of course.
 
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Mike said:
Hi guys,

And if I put more than 1 circuit onto that 2.5"x3.8" board it was difficult cutting them apart.
Click to expand...

Found using one of these cheapo Tile cutting saws gives good results with large and smallish PCBs.
 

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eng1 said:
Designing a panel with more PCBs on it would be much cheaper from my experience. There are no problems in separating the boards if you specify the 'V-scoring' to the manufatcturer, assuming that they provide this service, of course.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I see "V scoring" as an option in the Pad2Pad software but I haven't quite figured out how you place score lines on the board yet. I'll check out the Help menu...
 
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BatchPCB

We accept 2 and 4 layer designs with unlimited vias, pads and components. Minimum size is 0.5x0.5 inches and Maximum is 10x15 inches. Our prices are $2.50/sq. inch for 2 layer boards and $8.00/sq. inch for 4 layer boards.
Click to expand...

That is solder mask and silk screen both sides.

Your boards would be $21.75 each if I got the math right.
There is a $10 per order setup fee.
Shipping is actual cost + $2.

There is an Eagle tutorial on their site and on the cadsoft.de site.
I think BatchPCB has a guide on what to do to Eagle settings and
how to generate the files.
 
Hi 3v0,

I calculate 1.53 square inches (1.7 x 0.9) or $3.825 per board. Yes, no? Plus $10 per order and shipping?

If so, that's not too bad.

I wonder what kind of prices Bill (Blueroom) is getting from Canadian PCB manufacturers? We used a Canadian company back in '84 and '85 to produce the large board for the first TV Guide Channel type character generators which fit inside 19" rack panels for installation in Cable TV company "head ends".

Mike
 
The first calculations were for the 2.5"x3.8" boards.

My calculator agrees for the (1.7 x 0.9) boards.
38.30 // 10boards * $3.83
10 // setup
10 // actual shipping(guess) + 2
-----------
58.30

I have not used them but may need to. Making your own PCBs gets old when you have to make 10 copies or everything.

I do not know what Bill is paying. It has been a while since I have talked with him. He was looking at a new place that did a special soldermask that made surface mount soldering very easy. I forget what it was called.

 
3v0,

Those prices seem pretty decent but I dread the thought of trying to learn Eagle again (yuck!).

I've accumulated a dozen designs over the last couple years that I'd like to do, all in that quantity 10 range, which would use some SMT samples I've been collecting.

I wonder if anyone would consider adding one of my designs as a 'panel' in their next batch to help reduce costs for both of us?

I'd love to get this little LCD adapter done first (1.7"x0.9") because I can use it in several different configurations; (1) as a straight thru' 10 pin interface (including R/W and backlight Anode signal lines), or (2) as a modified Predko 74HC164 2 pin interface, or (3) as a 12F635 1 pin serial interface, or (4) as a high performance 12F688 1 pin serial or 2 pin SPI interface. And the latter three interfaces all provide four latched outputs which can be used to drive switch or keypad matrices.

Mike
 
What sort of a time frame are you looking at. I have about 20 single line LCD displays that have 8bit only interaces with .05 pin spacing. I would like to layout a board similar to what you are doing but does not need to be as flexiable.
 
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I don't really have a time frame. Some of my project designs are a year or two old. I just didn't have the money to get the printed circuit boards made.

If I can learn how to use Eagle I might be able to take advantage of BatchPCB type pricing to complete some of these projects. For example, I received ten 2.2 inch 8x8 display samples a couple years ago that I'd like to turn into a Signboard/Clock but I just didn't have $140 for the minimum Pad2Pad tooling charge.

Mike
 
Maybe we can work somthing out given that your timeframe is flexiable. There are a few things I might want to do.
 
Have you checked out **broken link removed** who advertise on this site. For 10 of 1.7x0.9 double sided including one of tooling cost of $33 comes out as $61 total. A second lot would only be $28. If you want 20 of then the price rockets from $61 to $68!!

I haven't used them but will probably try them with the next boards I need making.

Mike.
 
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Wow. China, huh? That's cool...

I'll get to work on Eagle but it might take awhile (I'm a slow learner).

Thanks for your kind consideration and all the good ideas guys.

Mike
 
Hai Mike, for the board shown, do you really need a double sided board at all?
perhaps you may do little more exercise and convert it to single sided board. Then you might well make few by yourself.
 
Hi Sarma,

I really would like to have plated through holes, solder mask, and silk screen so I don't think a home made PCB will do.

Mike
 
Mike said:
Hi Sarma,

I really would like to have plated through holes, solder mask, and silk screen so I don't think a home made PCB will do.

Mike
Click to expand...
OK
Did you try Sunstone circuits in US who own the package PCB123. they also have means to make pcbs to your design
their software is free on line.

www.pcb123.com
 
batch pcb - I think they take gerbers, no need to use eagle if you don't want to. sizes are rounded up to next full in^2. delivery time is LOOONNGG. 3 weeks is what they quote but I've heard of longer. Cheap yes, fast no.
 
mvs sarma,

I appreciate your input and comments but unless you know for sure that their prices are better than Pad2Pad or that their software produces gerber files that I can use with any PCB house then I suspect they are just another ExpressPCB or Pad2Pad type operation...

Thanks anyway. Mike
 
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philba said:
batch pcb - I think they take gerbers, no need to use eagle if you don't want to. sizes are rounded up to next full in^2. delivery time is LOOONNGG. 3 weeks is what they quote but I've heard of longer. Cheap yes, fast no.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by "no need to use eagle if you don't want to." ???
 
Mike said:
What do you mean by "no need to use eagle if you don't want to." ???
Click to expand...

I thought it was pretty clear. I was referring to your comments about learning to use eagle. Batch PCB takes gerbers. You can use any PCB cad program you want to produce your gerbers. Well, almost any...

There are PCB CAD programs that others claim are much easier to learn than eagle. However, I'm an Eagle user so can't make any recommendations.
 
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