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Breaktru Forum  |  eCigarette Forum  |  Modding  |  Topic: Excellent PCB service
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Offline CraigHB

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Excellent PCB service
« on: January 23, 2012, 08:12:44 PM »
I just had a really good experience with a PCB fabricator and thought I would share for the benefit of others.  This was my first experience with them.

I tried these guys since they have the best prices I've ever found for PCB fabricating.  Now, they don't list a custom option on their web site, but if need be, you can inquire about having any board made by emailing order@iteadstudio.com

I'm doing a mod project with a complex 4 layer PCB and most fabricators charge as much as $50 a board for my design.  Three weeks turn-around is pretty typical.  They did my boards amazingly fast for an incredible price of $12 a board including shipping.  I got them in a week and a half.  The quality is not steller, but it's good enough especially considering the speed and price.  Though, they are in China so you need to select the more expensive shipping option to get them quickly.  In my case, the low cost of production more than made up for the cost of expedited shipping.

The boards I got from DorkbotPDX have the best quality I've come across from a small quantity fabricator, but they cost more and take longer, at least for 4 layer boards.  Maybe not for 2 layer boards.  In any case, they're still way cheaper than most fabs.

My camera is on the fritz and it's not taking very good pictures, but I attached a photo of one of the boards I got from these guys.


Online Breaktru

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Re: Excellent PCB service
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2012, 09:11:09 PM »
Thanks for the info Craig. Was there a minimum order to get the price of $12 ?
Still haven't tried PCB's as yet but maybe some day. You re-sparked my interest.
Got to play around w/ the PCB design software when I get some time. Haven't figured that out yet.
Do you still use ExpressPCB ?

Offline CraigHB

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Re: Excellent PCB service
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2012, 03:31:24 AM »
I tell ya, at the prices they offer, there's no reason not to from a cost standpoint.  For example, if you want to make a PCB for your booster mods, I think you could go with the 2 layer 5cm x 5cm option for $10.  I think standard shipping is $4 if you don't mind waiting on the slow boat from China.  That's $1.40 per board shipped which is unheard of. 

One thing about PCB fabs is when ordering small quantities, the bulk of the cost is in tooling and setup.  So the difference in cost between say 10 boards and 1 board is pretty small.  Once you pay for tooling and setup, the number of boards doesn't have much effect on cost until the numbers start getting up there.  There's a price point that gives you the best deal for small quantities at around 10 boards.  So, that's the number of boards they make for you.  Even if it was only 3 boards, the cost would be similar so might as well take the extras.

I'm using a 4 layer board which is typically double the cost and fabs that will do small quantities of them are harder to find.  That's why mine are a lot more expensive.  Plus, it always goes by board size and mine are 10.5cm x 3.4cm, bigger than you would typically need.  A smaller 2 layer board is all you ever need for most projects.

Oh, I just noticed your question.  I use Eagle.  It has a bit of a learning curve and can be downright frustrating at times, but you need PCB software that can generate Gerber plot files and Excellon drill files.  Those are the generic file types that just about all fabricators accept.  ExpressPCB software lacks that capability since it's designed to interface only with that particular fabricator.  Though, it's a really good free and easy to use program if you just want to print stuff to make your own PCBs using the toner transfer method.  If you're a Linux user, cheack out gEDA.  I've heard it's really good.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2012, 04:01:05 AM by CraigHB »

Offline Str8v8ping

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Re: Excellent PCB service
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2012, 08:10:08 PM »
Iv ordered from them about 15 times now and they are great . Everything is usually perfect except for the silk screen layer. Cant beat it for the price. Seedstudio also offers the same cheap service.

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Re: Excellent PCB service
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2012, 08:21:21 PM »
Iv ordered from them about 15 times now and they are great . Everything is usually perfect except for the silk screen layer. Cant beat it for the price. Seedstudio also offers the same cheap service.

Good to know. Thanks for the input.

Breaktru Forum  |  eCigarette Forum  |  Modding  |  Topic: Excellent PCB service
 

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