PCB Manufacturers

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Revision as of 00:56, 11 April 2009 by 99.8.230.183 (talk) (→‎ExpressPCB: added review details)
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The following is a user-submitted list of PCB manufacturers. Your results may vary.

This page lists "board houses" that take your custom PCB layout file and convert it to a custom printed circuit board (PCB) (ready for the next step: "assembly" adding parts). For "standard" prototyping PCBs, see stripboard and other techniques.

(FIXME: briefly mention the most relevant "capabilities": "preferred" and "minimum" trace width / spacing / via hole size / via pad diameter. Link directly to the manufacturer's "capability page" so readers can confirm these numbers for themselves. Boards that push the limit of manufacturability cost more than robustly designed boards that use preferred sizes.) For more details, see Submitting PCB's for fabrication.)

homebrew fabrication

capabilities: (see also Techniques#Homebrew fabrication)

preferred:

  • 1-layer, FR-4, 0.062" thick
  • no-holes-plated
  • 0.031" (0.8mm) line/gap ... except for 0.020" (0.5 mm) gap between pads ... bigger if possible.
  • No mask
  • No legend
  • Minimum hole size 0.031" (0.8mm) diameter
  • minimum via: 0.031" (0.8mm) diameter, 0.024" (0.6mm) ring giving 0.080" (2 mm) outer diameter.

UltimatePCB

Best prices around for >2 layer boards. 4-layer boards up to 30 sq in. with 7/7 are $210 for 5, including shipping. Turn time is about 10 days including DHL from China. Service is not as fast as bigger outfits like Advanced Circuits, but still fine.

BatchPCB

  • $2.50 / square inch + $10 setup: double-sided with silk screen and solder mask on both side.
  • $8.00 / square inch + $10 setup: 4 layer with silk screen and solder mask on both side.

No minimum quantity. Must use your own software to generate Gerber files. Easy-to-use web ordering interface, but slow turnaround time -- sometimes 30 days.

Sparkfun forum: PCB Deal Details

Advanced Circuits

Good online design rule checking, easy web ordering interface, and small standard trace/space tolerances. Students can order single PCB's for $33 each.

Peter Todd mentions "bare bones prototype: printed circuit boards" http://BareBonesPCB.com/ :

preferred:

  • 2-layer, FR-4, 0.062" thick
  • All-holes-plated
  • 8-mil line/gap (?)
  • Cut to rectangle shape only
  • No mask
  • No legend
  • Minimum hole size 0.015"

minimum:

  • 6 mil line, 10 mil gap on inner layers
  • 5 mil line/gap on outer layers (?)
  • 0.010 inch final finished hole size
  • minimum pad size: 0.024" (minimum 0.014" over finished hole size )

Olimex

Bulgarian PCB manufacturer - $33 for a 6.3" by 3.9" board. I.E. cheaper than BatchPCB, but with a minimum board size requirement, and a more complicated ordering process. (shipping cost?)

preferred:

  • white component mark on one side
  • traces/spaces >= 0,254 mm (0,010")
  • via hole size: 0.6mm (0,024") ( standard drill tool: 0,7 mm (0,028") minus plating 0,1mm (0,004") ) ; via pad size: ???

extra cost:

  • silkscreen both sides
  • minimum track/spaces: 0,203 mm (0,008")
  • minimum via hole size: ??? ; minimum via pad size: ???

Sunstone Circuits aka PCB123

(FIXME:)

Sunstone Circuits

Offsers three product lines:

  • Quickturn
  • Full-feature
  • PCB123

- Quickturn -

Fixed (fast) leadtimes with restricted capabilities. Double-sided (with or without soldermask), 4 layer and 6 layer fabrication:

  • traces/spaces >= mm (0.006") (the Sunstone DFM rules mention preferred width: 0.006", clearance 0.010")
  • finished via hole size: mm (0.016") ; via pad size: 0.030"
  • Pre-set finish drill sizes: .016, .020, .025, .029, .033, .036, .040, .043, .046, .053, .061, .067, .080, .087, .093, .100, .110, .125, .141, .151, .167, .193, .251
  • power plane clearance: 0.012"
  • 2-side Solder Mask
  • 1-side Silkscreen
  • instant online quote
  • open quantities from 1 to 100
  • has "PCB123 - free PCB Design Software from Sunstone Circuits"

extra cost:

  • 2-side silkscreen

- Full-featured -

Wide range of capabilities, price depends on exact specifications. Instance online quote.

- PCB123 -

Sunstone's own free (proprietary) schematic and PCB layout software -- easy to use, but you are locked into using their service unless you're willing to pay $50 for gerber files from them. Integration with ordering system simplifies the process of ordering boards. Unrestricted design size, live quoting of diki-key parts withing the bill of materials view.

PCBEXPRESS

All orders submitted before noon ship the next day. UPS ground shipping is free. Since they are located in the Portland, OR area this means you can get a board overnight to most places in the Northwest US.

Basic service is a two layer board routed to any size and shape. Two 9 sq inch boards for $63 (including shipping). Soldermask and silkscreen doubles the price.

EAGLE CAM export and design rule check scripts are provided.

PCBEXPRESS is apparently a division of Sunstone Circuits Quickturn service.

PCBFABEXPRESS

5 Boards for $60 ($12 ea. for 10 sq. inches) with a 5 day turn time. Good quality work, but turn times can be delayed if you have to correct any issues that don't meet their specs.

AP Circuits

2 boards, 2 layers next day shipping for as low as 7.95 each. or 2 boards, 2 layers, 2 solder masks and legend one side for as low as 9.95 each. 3 Day Service

Online quotes at http://www.apcircuits.com/ap/calculator

Full CNC contour routing including plated slotting, oversize holes, internal cutouts for a modest fee

Instructions for creating Gerber and NC output from many popular PCB programs are also on this site.

E-TekNet

4 2 layer boards for $23.99 each. Great prices for production board runs. Helpful staff.

preferred: (FIXME:)

maximum capabilities:

  • minimum 0.004" (0.1 mm) trace/space
  • minimum finished hole size: 0.008" (0.2 mm)

ExpressPCB

Free proprietary schematic and layout software, used for all board services (like PCB123). Simplifies the process of getting a board done and out, by vertically integrating the design and production flow. Fewer options and less power, but fewer ways to screw up.

  • Good deal on small prototypes: Mini-Board Service (3 identical boards, 2.5" X 3.8", doublesided, plated through, no silkscreen) is priced well at $51 total, plus $10 shipping. Orders placed by 2PM ET ship the next business day by 2nd Day Air.
  • Software features: SCH netchecks. PCB imports PADS netlists, and illuminates nets nodes to assist in connection. Built-in updated price quotes for all offered board services. Copy to clipboard available for schematic & silkscreen+pads(layers must be screen-captured.) Pretty good selection of components, pads, symbols, for free.
  • Notes: No Gerber support. Primitive single-level undo/redo. No PCB footprint selection/placement wizard from SCH info. No autorouting. SCH generates BOM, but PCB can't back-annotate (frustrating because most PCB footprints have Digikey part#s.) No net-based vendor integration. No scripting or plugins integration. Not enough keyboard shortcuts, uneditable.
  • Review: The company is responsive and responsible. The Mini-Board service is addictively cheap and fast, and the other proto and production services are good, if not the cheapest option. Board quality is high; fine traces held up perfectly. The software is stable and simple, but tedious work for high parts-count or high-density boards.
  • Conclusion: The sweet spot for ExpressPCB is sparse, simple, quickly-designed boards, at low and very high quantities. At any other density or complexity, might as well learn and use Eagle or KiCAD.

PCBCART

Fast turnaround (~8days + shipping), instant online quotes. $30 tooling fee, under $2/sq in.

Speedy PCB Prototype

No minimum order, $9.9 for protos, no extra charge for soldermask, silkscreen, E-testing, very low price on 2, 4, 6 layers.

YongXinYaPCB

quick turn prototype and vol production choice, based in CN, price competitive while quality guarantee, contact for more detail: georgehgm@gmail.com

Roca Printed Circuits

(FIXME:)

Accutrace

(FIXME:)

OurPCB

(FIXME:) prototype prices: 3 small 2 sided prototype boards for a total of $54 + $22 shipping.

PCB-POOL

(FIXME:)

PCBpro

(FIXME:)

Custom PCB

(FIXME:)

Myro PCB

(FIXME:)

capabilities:

4 small (max. 30 sq. inch) 2 sided prototype boards for a total of $80 + $35 shipping

  • Min. track/space 0.015 mm (0.006"). (This looks like a typo -- is it really 0.15 mm ?)
  • 0.35 mm via hole (0.014")
  • 0.32 mm inner clearance (0.013").

Imagineering, Inc.

(FIXME:)

capabilities:

  • min. track/space 0.08 mm (0.003")
  • ...
  • instant online quote

Onboard Circuits

(FIXME:)

printed circuit boards:

  • Accurate, Fast PCB Quotes. OnBoardCircuits.com is the easiest Printed Circuit Board PCB quote site on the internet. We strive to make your purchasing process simple. From quick-turn prototype and ramp-to-volume production boards to full-scale production printed circuit boards, every phase is monitored and managed by highly qualified professionals.

GC Aero

capabilities:

"GC Aero specializes in the design and manufacture of flexible circuits and completed assemblies."

Minco

capabilities:

"Minco has the ability to wind flat inductive coils and laminate them within flex circuits."

Uniflex Circuits

(FIXME:)

capabilities:

preferred:

  • polyimide flex circuits
  • (FIXME:)

minimum:

  • .003"/.003" Minimum Trace and Space on 0.5 oz. copper
  • .010" (drill size) Minimum Inner Diameter
  • .014" Minimum Annular Ring Over Drill Size
  • minimum pad size: 0.038" (calculated from min drill size + 2*annular ring)

Printed Wiring Technologies Ltd

capabilities:


preferred:

  • FR4, Rogers 4003, Rogers 4350, Rogers RT/Duroid
  • "Lead Free HASL" or Gold surface
  • solder resist: Green, Green (Matt), Red, Blue, Black, or Clear
  • silkscreen: White, or Yellow
  • Minimum Track & Gap: 0.127mm (5 thou)
  • Minimum Hole (Drilled): 0.25mm
  • Minimum Annular Ring: 0.127mm (5 thou)
  • Minimum Inner Clearance: 0.254mm (10 thou)

minimum:

  • minimum Track & Gap: 0.0762mm (3 thou)
  • minimum Hole (Drilled): 0.20mm
  • minimum Annular Ring 0.0762mm (3 thou)
  • Minimum Inner Clearance: 0.216mm (8.5thou)

Seeed Studio

Hobbyists created studio with PCB/PCBA services, they have outstanding communication among Chinese. They have some $10 offer for rather small board and $89 for combined designs. A very good alternative if you don't need it in a rush, or in large volume. Eagle files are accepted too. "An idea about open source PCBs".

DOMINO PCB service: $49 + $0.12 per sq.cm, . 2 layers, silk screen both sides, soldermask both sides, free shipping.

Propaganda - PCB service for open source works: $30 per board, qty 5, max 10cm*10cm each. 2 layers, silk screen both sides, soldermask both sides, +shipping (?) -- must be open-source and allow seeedstudio to offer the boards to others.

MicroConnex

MicroConnex fabricates flex circuits including strain gauges.

capabilities:

  • ...


Other fab lists

Other web sites with a short list of recommendations:

Other web sites with long lists of PWB fabricators:

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