Where do hobbyists order low-cost boards from?

autodeskguest over 10 years ago

I assume there are DIY hobbyists here and not just pros, so where do you

order your (Eagle-designed) PCBs from without paying excessive amounts

of money?

I'm in the process of designing several small boards in the freeware

version of Eagle, and not having the gear (and mixed past results) for

etching my own (and not finding anyone who transfers PCBs from magazine

articles etc. via the "old fashioned way") I thought I'd order them

professionaly made instead.

These are mostly one-off boards, but for some I'll be needing 2 or 3

identical boards.

Since I haven't found anything really cheap online I was wondering where

hobbyists order them from?

michaelwylie over 10 years ago

Price depends upon the complexity of your board, but I like:
http://www.seeedstudio.com/service/

Choose either Fusion PCB or Premium depending upon your specs.
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johnbeetem over 10 years ago

Here's a long thread on the subject: http://www.element14.com/community/message/14587/l/cheapest-pcb-makers-low-volume

I've heard good things about https://www.oshpark.com/
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dougw over 10 years ago

I use iMall at iteadstudio - very similar to seeedstudio.
http://imall.iteadstudio.com/open-pcb/pcb-prototyping.html
You can see examples in my project blogs on e14.
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Former Member over 9 years ago

        PCBNPI TECH is a printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer who is mainly specialized in PCB prototype in China.
        We can make FR4/Flexible/Aluminium/Halogen free/Thick copper/High TG PCBs.All fabed as per your requirments.
        Additional,we have a professional team to review your file before production and get involved in your project during fabrication and assembly process to ensure end pruduct's quality and reliability.
        You can rely on our professional team to produce product specifications that meet your exacting standards every step of the way.
        If you have any questions about PCB fabricate and assembly,please come here for help,our engineers will be glad to help you!

         Chrismas promotion here!

         For more details,pls visit website http://www.pcbnpi.com
         You can also write to me via         sales@pcbnpi.com
         Value up,Cost down!
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rea5245 over 9 years ago

Use the price-comparison site PCBShopper.com. You enter your board's specs and it tells you prices and delivery times from 25 different PCB manufacturers, including the best-known companies in Asia, North America, and Europe. You can also read and write Amazon-style reviews of the companies.

Full disclosure: I run the site.

- Bob Alexander
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gadget.iom over 9 years ago in reply to rea5245

PCB shopper is a really useful resource. Would highly recommend it.
Much prefer to find a well reviewed supplier of PCBs, and will actively avoid companies who resort to spamming community forums.

Keep in mind that you are handing these people your intellectual property. And some Asian companies are notorious for their back door operations.
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