[sdiy] Where do I go to have PCBs made?

[Tim Parkhurst]

On 8/1/07, Sam Ecoff <secoff at execpc.com> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> 2. I know that there are several options available when ordering
> PCBs, phrases I don't yet understand like solder mask, silkscreen (I
> assume that's the white lettering like R1, R2, etc. I see on most
> boards?) So what I'm wondering is which options do I need?
> 3. I don't have EAGLE or any other layout software, so at the moment
> I'm left using what's already available. I'm open to purchasing a
> package at some point down the road, but I simply can't afford it
> right now.
>

Hey Sam,

On question 2:
Silkscreen is the lettering on the board that shows things like "R1."
Very handy, especially if you're going to make a bunch of boards and
sell / give them to others. If you're making just a couple of boards
for your own use, you may be able to get away without it, but you'll
need to be pretty careful when placing components. One thing to note -
if you do make a silkscreened board, try to place the component
designators (R1, R2, etc.) outside of the component so that the
silkscreen letters are still visible after the component has been
soldered in place. Makes troubleshooting a LOT easier.
Solder mask is the colored coating that you see on most commercial
boards. Usually green, but not always (Magic Smoke boards are blue,
fer example, 'cause it's my favorite color). Solder mask helps protect
the traces, makes soldering and cleaning easier (especially on
mass-produced products that are soldered with a wave or reflow
process). Solder mask is another thing that is not absolutely
necessary for a DIY board, but it's nice if you can afford it. If I
had to pick one or the other, I'd have silkscreen and no solder mask.

On question 3:
Although it has a few quirks and I've had to create a few new packages
for it (566 and 2164 for example), I've been very happy with KiCAD
http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/
There are a few things I wish it did differently, and you have to be
fairly careful with edits (there is no true "undo" function), but it
works well, produces excellent output, and it's FREE. Hard to beat
that!

Hope this helps. :-)



Tim (Captain Quirk) Servo
-- 
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein