[sdiy] DIY PCBs

[Bill Keys]

Nuts & Volts Magazine, here in the US, has an ad which says "download our 
free PCB artwork program" and then "send the file to us" and they will 
"produce 3 boards". Supposedly costs $59.00 or so for 3 boards. I don't have 
a copy near me to give the website, but if no one else finds it by tonight, 
I'll dig out a copy. They've been advertising for at least the last 
year......

+_+_Yes, honey, I know there are 25 boxes of electronic junk cluttering up 
the attic. They will, one day, magically be transformed into a modular 
synthesizer cluttering up the attic.... www.mp3.com/OriginalSimulacrum _+_+



>From: The Old Crow <oldcrow at oldcrows.net>
>To: Jim Patchell <patchell at silcom.com>
>CC: ChristianH <chris at scp.de>, <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
>Subject: Re: [sdiy] DIY PCBs
>Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 10:20:37 -0400 (EDT)
>
>
>On Wed, 25 Jul 2001, Jim Patchell wrote:
>
> >     Using CAD is almost mandatory these days to get a PCB made.  For
> > two sided PCB's, the minimum is probably:
> >
> >     Top Layer Gerber Plot
> >     Bottom Layer Gerber Plot
> >     Top and Bottom Solder mask (assumes thru hole only, they will be the
> > same) opt.
> >     Top Legend (opt).
> >
> >     Axelon (sp?) drill file
> >     Tool Table
> >     Fab Drawing (this can be in gerber format as well)
> >     Aperature List (for gerber files).
> >
> >     Gerber files are a common file that is used to generate the film 
>used to
> > manufacture the boards.  All PCB cad programs can generate these files.
> >     Drill files are very important.  Without the drill file, the costs 
>will
> > go up astronomically.
>
>
>   To add my two cents:
>
>   When a place issues a quote, there are typically two prices: NRE and
>unit cost.  The NREs (non-refundable engineering) are for photoplotting,
>tool wheel setup, and the creation of the recipe program the lab will use
>to produce the boards, and this cost is a one-time charge.  The unit cost
>is for a given PC board, and is determined by the X-Y dimension, the
>number of holes and the number of boards requested.
>
>   A local place I use frequently charges about $195 for NREs and between
>$2.00 and $10.00 per board, depending on size/holes.  Double-sided vs.
>single sided and omitting the silkscreen, etc. don't make it any cheaper,
>so I do most things as 2 or more layers with silkscreened legend.
>
>   For a typical board of 4"x3" with 100 holes, 100 boards would cost me
>about $600.00 for the first batch, and $400 per 100 for subsequent
>batches.
>
>   (Jim, btw it is "Exellon", named for the first manufacturer of a CNC
>drill table, IIRC. ;)
>
>Crow
>
>/**/
>


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