[sdiy] pcb-fab help

[patchell]

    Are you asking for help on making your own PC boards, or doing PC fab in
your own kitchen?

    If you really need 50 boards of the same type, you might want to consider
getting them made professionally...depending on your financial situation...

    But here is what you can expect if you get them professionally made (I am
not talking about the layout yet...)...

    I used Advanced Circuits ( http://www.4pcb.com ), and generally here is
the process I go through:

    1. Get 3 prototypes made @ $33 each (total $100+shipping).

    2. Build them up, make sure they work....

    3.  If they work good enough, Get production run of same boards of 50 @
~$5/board :Total $300.

    4.  If they didn't work, rework schematic, change artwork, goback to step
1.

    So, depending on the number of steps, 50 boards are going to cost between
$400-$500.  But remember, these are top quality boards we are talking about
here...ISO 9002, MilSpec, etc....a very good price, all things considered...

    If you are going to make them yourself....Well, I will let other people
talk about that...I am not a big fan of fabbing PC boards at home.  I just
don't like messing with the chemicals...but quite a few people do that here.

    Now, as far as laying out the board, if nobody else volunters, I can do
that for you, more or less, depending on the number of components.  The most
labor intensive part of a PC board layout is actually placing the parts on the
board.  Routing it is number two.  Generally, I always do two layer
boards....however.

mcphive at corrupt.net wrote:

>         hi!
>
>         i have been working on some DIY processing stuff, and would like
> to get my own PCBs made. i need a quantity of around 30-50, because i plan
> to modify them by using different parts/etc, and will be building several
> of the same circuits up for some musician friends of mine.
>
>         however, i have no experience in laying out a PC board, which is
> why i am writing the list. i would be glad to pre-pay anyone with some PCB
> layout experience to create a board from my schematic, and to draw up
> adequate files so i can have a fabrication place make the boards for me.
> (or even to get the boards done and have them sent here.) they will be
> relatively small (2"x3" max, i'm guessing), single-sided, and relatively
> simple.
>
>         some experience with designing PC boards is preferable. if you are
> reading this far, i will be glad to pay you a very decent price for a few
> hours' layout work... this is not something i would ask people to do for
> free! :)
>
>         please do contact me if you have any tips, even if you are not
> interested in doing layout, because i would love to know how much i should
> expect the fabrication to cost, and what is a fair price to pay for
> something like this!
>
>         thanks again!
>         andy

--
 -Jim
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