I've just had a double-sided prototype made by PCB Train using their
low-cost Express prototype service (no solder mask or silk) - I got the
board in three days for 30 GBP. They use immersion silver for all their
PCBs, which is new to me. It seems just as easy to solder as HASL tinning.
It might be a useful alternative to immersion tinning for homebrew PCBs,
with much better solderability. I don't know how easy it is to use, though.
PCB Train is here, if anyone else is interested in this service:
http://www.pcbtrain.co.uk/welcome.phpThey actually make the boards in 24 hours. They don't do any checking of the
Gerbers for this service, so you need to make sure that the design conforms
to their specifications.
I'm very pleased with the board. It's nearly all surface mount with an
Altera MAX II CPLD in a TQFP-100 package. I've assembled enough of it to
check that I can program the CPLD via the JTAG connector with my USB Blaster
and it's OK so far. I haven't even got any decoupling capacitors or JTAG
pullup/pulldown resistors on it yet, so I was a bit surprised that I could
program it.
Leon
--
Leon Heller
Amateur radio call-sign G1HSM
Yaesu FT-817ND transceiver
Suzuki SV1000S motorcycle
leon355@...http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller