Homebrew PCBs

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.php

They 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