[OT]Homebrew PCB fabrication

From: Doc Shipley <doc_at_mdrconsult.com>
Date: Mon Feb 21 12:50:27 2005

Paul Koning wrote:
>>>>>>"woodelf" == woodelf <bfranchuk_at_jetnet.ab.ca> writes:
>
>
> woodelf> emanuel stiebler wrote:
> >> Just in case it is obvious, but did you check the prices for 2
> >> layer boards ? I think the prices are as low as never before, so I
> >> wouldn't even start to do it on my own.
>
> woodelf> The prices may be low but what about good cad software?
> woodelf> Free or under $100 US would be nice. Here in Canada I was
> woodelf> looking at about $75? setup and $1.00 can per sq inch. Of
> woodelf> course two boards minum. Unless you plan to do 3x4 inch
> woodelf> pcb's or thousands I too think getting the pros to do it is
> woodelf> a better idea. Ben alias woodelf. PS the homebrew computer
> woodelf> using CPLD's is going to need a far bigger board than demo
> woodelf> PCB software gives.
>
> You should be able to do a whole lot better for board prices -- grab
> any copy of EE Times and look at the ads in the back.

   Some of my friends who are into electronics design professionally -
I'm at the Rat Shack Casual level. They use Advanced Circuits
(www.4pcb.com) for runs of anything over a dozen or so. AC takes gerber
files.

> Some PCB shops offer free layout software, but chances are that isn't
> such a good deal because you're tied to that shop for fab and are
> charged extra.

   PCBExpress. The same friends use them for one-off designs, because
they're considerably cheaper on orders of less than 6 boards. They anly
accept their proprietary file format and their software is Windows-only,
but I'm told it runs well in VMware and VirtualPC.

   Both houses are reported to do very clean and consistent work.


        Doc
Received on Mon Feb 21 2005 - 12:50:27 GMT