Homebrew PCBs

OK, after making a successful prototype, does anyone have any
comments on good or bad experiences with commercial PCB
fabricators that are good for small volume?

I just had a HORRRIBLE experience with e-teknet.  Their prices
are good, they made a few good boards for us, including some
6-layer boards.  Then, I had a fairly easy 6-layer board that
I ordered on Dec 4, 2003.  I got the first batch of 7 boards
on Dec 28, 2003, and discovered they assembled it with the
layers in the wrong order.  It took them 2 weeks or something to
decide they were responsible, and I got a second batch of
5 boards on Feb 22.  These boards worked fine.  But, I
ordered 12 pieces.  Finally, after about 15 phone calls, they
sent 5 more boards on March 24.  After building one up, it was
clear they did NOT test the boards, as I had requested in the
order.  I consider that THE cardinal sin, not testing, and
supplying forged documents.  It took me something like 10
hours to chase down the shorts.  One was easy, the other was
deep in the board, and I had to burn it out 3 times, as the
short jumped from one power plane to another.

I had good luck with Advanced Circuits, but their prices are
pretty high, and I'm hoping I can find a reputable fabricator
that can do it for less.

(And, no, I DON'T have the technology to do 6-layer prototype
boards myself.  I do 2-side no plated through protos with
a homemade laser photoplotter and dry film photoresist, though.)

If there is a better list to exchange this sort of info, please
let me know.)

Thanks,

Jon

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Jon Elson" <elson@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2004 3:17 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] PCB manufacturers


> OK, after making a successful prototype, does anyone have any
> comments on good or bad experiences with commercial PCB
> fabricators that are good for small volume?

[deleted]

PCB-Pool are very good (they are in fact brokers) on both quality and price,
but can only do up to 4 layers:

http://www.pcbpool.com/ppuk/info.html

They can do both prototypes and production quantities.

Olimex are nice and cheap, but can only do 2 layers. Quality is OK for
prototypes:

http://www.olimex.com

Garden City Circuits are excellent for high-quality production quantities
and prototypes:

http://www.gardencitycircuits.co.uk/

Leon

While I've found Advanced Circuits boards to be of good quality I've had problems with both shipping and pricing with them.  Last time I had them make me a few boards shipping cost double what I was quoted, I was double billed, They shipped by a different courier than I requested (which caused all sorts of problems) and the two day prototypes took over a week.

Paul

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 02:17:34 +0000, Jon Elson wrote:
....
>
> I had good luck with Advanced Circuits, but their prices are pretty
> high, and I'm hoping I can find a reputable fabricator that can do
> it for less.
>
....

>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Jon
>

Hello,

Anybody have any experience with pcbPRO.com ?

Ballendo


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Paul Davis <paul_davis@s...> 
wrote:
> While I've found Advanced Circuits boards to be of good quality 
I've had problems with both shipping and pricing with them.  Last 
time I had them make me a few boards shipping cost double what I was 
quoted, I was double billed, They shipped by a different courier than 
I requested (which caused all sorts of problems) and the two day 
prototypes took over a week.
> 
> Paul
> 
> On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 02:17:34 +0000, Jon Elson wrote:
> ....
> >
> > I had good luck with Advanced Circuits, but their prices are 
pretty

> > high, and I'm hoping I can find a reputable fabricator that can do
> > it for less.
> >
> ....
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> >
> > Jon
> >