[time-nuts] OT: ExpressPCB (cross-post from volts-nuts)

Bob Stewart bob at evoria.net
Fri Dec 9 15:18:26 EST 2016


I built my first set of boards with ExpressPCB, but they get expensive quickly if you want to make something that's not in their special form factor.  I use KICAD and OshPark.com to make my boards (there are other board makers).  I just ordered some boards that are .7" x .63" that cost $8.40 for 12.  You buy in multiples of 3, so that was actually $2.10 for a set of 3 times 4 sets.  Using surface mount, I was able to put an SOIC-14, an SOIC-16, an SOT23-5, three 0805 caps, a 3 pin header, and a 5 pad connector on the board.  Something like that would be wastefully expensive on ExpressPCB.

Bob 


      From: BIll Ezell <wje at quackers.net>
 To: time-nuts at febo.com 
 Sent: Friday, December 9, 2016 1:58 PM
 Subject: [time-nuts] OT: ExpressPCB (cross-post from volts-nuts)
   
Sorry if I'm behind the times, just did a new project that required a 
pcb, and ExpressPCB is my go-to vendor for one-off boards. I just 
noticed they now provide the low-cost boards (fixed size, 3x5, quantity 
3) that I've always ordered with silk screen and solder mask for $71. I 
got my latest boards that way and they're beautiful. No relationship to 
them, just a happy customer. You can still get the barebones boards for 
$51. The hack I used to use was to put the component id and such on the 
top copper layer as tiny text, but that was a bit of a pain for layout. 
(Oops, can't put that label there, it's copper and there's a trace there 
also) Really nice to be able to get real boards, even if it does end up 
being ~$23/board.

-- 
Bill Ezell
----------
The day Microsoft makes something that doesn't suck
will be the day they make vacuum cleaners.
Or maybe Windows 10.

_______________________________________________
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.


   


More information about the time-nuts mailing list