Looking for PCB manufacturer links

[Lemosteam]

Can anyone provide some?  Been serching for three days here without success.

Remembers someone commenting recently about providing some sample for a decent price 2-5 shipped or something?

ANY help would be great!

[reinhardtjh]

I have no experience with any, but here are some I found when looking last year:

A forum for PCB -->>http://www.smtnet.com/Forums/

MyRO PCB --> http://www.myropcb.com/

OSHPark get good reviews around --> https://oshpark.com/

Express PCB --> http://www.expresspcb.com/

Dirt Cheap Dirty Boards --> http://dirtypcbs.com/

Advanced Circuits --> http://www.4pcb.com/

AP Circuits --> http://www.apcircuits.com/

This is the Google search I had used then "pc board service"

[railnerd]

Have had very good luck with these folks, although the board quality varies as it is outsourced within Shenzhen

   http://www.seeedstudio.com/service/index.php?r=pcb

Shipping can take weeks— a bunch of us locals batch up our own stuff so we can get express shipping.


For much faster service:

The highest quality (but most expensive) boards I have ever gotten fabbed were out of Oregon:

    http://www.sunstone.com/

Another recommendation for OSHPark as well:

   https://oshpark.com

-Dave

[peteski]

Try http://www.hackvana.com/store/
Unfortunately, unlike 3D printing, PCB design and manufacturing is a bit more convoluted.  You will have to learn all the ins and outs of new software and design parameters.  There are good tutorials on most of the manufacturers/contractors websites.

[Lemosteam]

Try http://www.hackvana.com/store/
Unfortunately, unlike 3D printing, PCB design and manufacturing is a bit more convoluted.  You will have to learn all the ins and outs of new software and design parameters.  There are good tutorials on most of the manufacturers/contractors websites.

Lol. In a chat tonight with one of the vendors above, I asked them about the design reqirements (like the ones you can look at for extching) and if they had a sample drawing to look at.   He hold me to search for tutorials in the Internet!

I was hard pressed to find the available material thickness, etc. on the site too.  Not even a basic explanation of the terms, layer, etc.

I'll keep plugging.

[peteski]

Lol. In a chat tonight with one of the vendors above, I asked them about the design reqirements (like the ones you can look at for extching) and if they had a sample drawing to look at.   He hold me to search for tutorials in the Internet!

I was hard pressed to find the available material thickness, etc. on the site too.  Not even a basic explanation of the terms, layer, etc.

I'll keep plugging.

This is somewhat helpful https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p6FH25ltGpzJQ5_8fbflDukqEKghiEcpuhJpngth2Is/edit?pref=2&pli=1#heading=h.4pr5wnov2ig (I really hate Google's new URLs).    Read through the whole document - board thicknesses are listed.

Basically you have to supply separate format files for the PCB manufacturing (etching, silk screen) and for drilling.  It is funny that the PCB industry has not made this process simpler yet, but they are still stuck with the ancient methods.  I'm strictly speaking from a theoretical expeirence. as I have never designed a PCB to have it made by a manufacturing company. But I have looked into doing this and it is complicated.

[peteski]

My GF's son is in the PCB manufacturing business and here is a snippet of a conversation I had with him last year:

Q:
Do you know of a decent free PC board design software which would handle my simple board and output in the  required Gerber format? I did some searches and found several free PC board design tools but they all seem to be  buggy or crappy (going by user's comments).

A:
All of the free stuff has issues...but, that's why it's free   We like Eagle (http://www.cadsoftusa.com/eagle-pcb-design-software/) or KiCAD (http://www.kicad-pcb.org/display/KICAD/KiCad+EDA+Software+Suite)  although, we're finding that KiCAD iterates often enough that it keeps breaking our backend software, or DipTrace (http://diptrace.com/).  We currently support uploads directly from those three, and  they seem to be the largest of the freeware programs that  are out there.

There are some online tools (such as PCB123), but, I would suggest staying away from them.  They're operated by board houses who force you to using their services, and rarely provide the gerber file outputs.  They work fine, but, after you use them, you're stuck with them.

[Lemosteam]

I can make a DXF easy enough, I just need the design rules, I.e what can be manufactured and what can't.  Frustrating and thanks @peteski for the info!

[reinhardtjh]

KiCAD is well though of as a design tool in some of the vintage computer forums I frequent.  People have designed DEC UNIBUS and QBUS replacement cards with it.  Eagle is also very well liked in hobbyist areas.  Most PCB services will want gerber files for the device layout and masks for silk screening (if desired).  A DXF may not be enough.  Unless it's a simple 1-side board.  I don't know for sure.

[peteski]

Different PCB manufacturers have slightly different requirements and specs. It is best to check with them directly.  Normally you provide a Gerber-format set of files for etching and cutting the PCB, and a separate Excellon format file for drilling holes in the PCB.

Here is some reading material.
http://circuitpeople.com/Blog/WhatIsAGerberFile.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerber_format
https://blog.live.altium.com/Blogs/pcb-production-file-format-wars
http://www.sunstone.com/pcb-products/assembly-services/file-requirements

[nscaleSPF2]

Can anyone provide some?  Been serching for three days here without success.

Remembers someone commenting recently about providing some sample for a decent price 2-5 shipped or something?

ANY help would be great!

John, having been there and done that (starting with zero knowledge and zero experience with PCB's), I can get you pointed in the right direction, if you know your design parameters:

Board thickness, and approximate length and width.
How many layers of copper (on one side, two sides, or multiple layers laminated together).
How many boards, and your target price.

I should be be able to save you some time.