Sorry your browser is not supported!

You are using an outdated browser that does not support modern web technologies, in order to use this site please update to a new browser.

Browsers supported include Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer 10+ or Microsoft Edge.

Geek Culture / How Can I Get a PCB Assembled For Under 200 Dollars?? :S

Author
Message
Dark Java Dude 64
Community Leader
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Sep 2010
Location: Neither here nor there nor anywhere
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 06:28
Link
I apologize for asking a buttload of questions lately, but i have done an enormous amount of research trying to find a place to get a PCB assembled for under 200 dollars, but i cant seem to find any place at all! Getting the boards fabricated will be very cheap, but for a simple 9 by 6 inch board, getting the components on it will be about 200 a board!! I know plenty of people sell boards the same size in their kits but for much less!! So surely there is a way to get them assembled cheaper, right? What about reflow soldering for SMD from home? I have heard of techniques to do that at home but are they reliable or will i ruin components and the board? Seems like manual SMD would be too tedious. I can however to through hole by hand no problem. As always, help is greatly appreciated.

Back to top
Profile PM Website
Indicium
16
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th May 2008
Location:
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 06:39
Link
I'm sure several people told you this would be expensive...

Back to top
Profile PM
Dark Java Dude 64
Community Leader
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Sep 2010
Location: Neither here nor there nor anywhere
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 06:40 Edited at: 4th Aug 2011 06:43
Link
What? There's no way it really can be that expensive. I see people selling kits that include fully assembled 12 by 12 boards for only 30 dollars! These people also make only like 30 at a time! So i t cant have to do with how many you produce...

Back to top
Profile PM Website
Benjamin
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 24th Nov 2002
Location: France
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 06:56
Link
What's wrong with doing it yourself?



Support a charitable indie game project!
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Dark Java Dude 64
Community Leader
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Sep 2010
Location: Neither here nor there nor anywhere
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 07:01
Link
i suppose i could do that. If i had to i would solder SMD by hand but that would be rather tedious, and what about the reflow soldering at home where i would put the board in an oven, like they do at PCB assembly facilities? Is it ok?

Back to top
Profile PM Website
The Wilderbeast
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 14th Nov 2005
Location: UK
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 12:39 Edited at: 4th Aug 2011 12:53
Link
Reflow solder stations are way beyond your budget - I would solder by hand. If they are only prototypes then this would make sense as it is an unnecessary cost unless selling them commercially looks like it will take off well.

[EDIT] And where are you looking to get these boards done? Most assembling of electronic equipment is done in China where labour costs are incredibly cheap. Though I will warn you (having had some experience in the area) that by submitting your plans to a factory in China essentially makes them public. Many of the cheap Chinese copies you see today are uncannily similar to the real thing because it goes like this:
Real product submits plans to Chinese factory -> Chinese factory produces allotment of units -> Chinese factory sells plans to other factories -> Other factories start manufacturing knockoff goods.

If you're going down this route, also make sure the factory treats its workers well - I'm sure everyone remembers the Foxconn headlines a while back.


RSS ENABLED :: AV SECURED
Back to top
Profile PM
mm0zct
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 18th Nov 2003
Location: scotland-uk
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 13:50
Link
Why are you looking at pcb this early? buy some breadboard and bell wire, look at arm devboards, the embedded/uC ones are ~£35 that I linked you to in another thread.

pcb design comes at the end, when you know exactly what you are doing, prototype boards should be done by hand, you shouldn't need that many components really. Consider using a standard controller port like the megadrive/genisis ones, I think it's the same as a serial port, and the wiring is really simple, it means you don't need to make controllers to test the rest of the system.

AMD AthlonX2 5000 black edition @2.8ghz, 4gb pc5400, AMD/ATi hd3850, creative xfi music, 24" hp widescreen 1920x1200 + 22" zalman trimon 3D 1680x1050, ECS KA3 MVP mobo
Back to top
Profile PM Email
DevilLiger
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Nov 2003
Location: Fresno,CA,USA
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 14:05
Link
this reminds me of the beagle board. Incase if you're interested to know what is it.

http://beagleboard.org/

Back to top
Profile PM Email
Dark Java Dude 64
Community Leader
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Sep 2010
Location: Neither here nor there nor anywhere
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 21:57
Link
Hmm, well last night i did some more research about reflowing at home, and this one website showed how to do everything from applying the solder paste with a stencil to actually reflowing it on a skillet. It also explained why a reflow station isnt needed, the one they got was like 3000 but always melted the boards. The only reason i want to know how to get PCB's this early is because i juts like to know what i will have to do in the future. So that means i will be getting the boards fabricated by some place, be it in china or not they wont have the actual components that will go on the board, then i will simply reflow my self. I have heard of the beagle board before, let me take a look at that!

Back to top
Profile PM Website
Neuro Fuzzy
17
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 11th Jun 2007
Location:
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 22:33
Link
^There was an article on sparkfun something like that... I forget what it was titled and where it was... but the founders of sparkfun apparently have a lot of experience assembling circuit boards in an apartment xD


Why does blue text appear every time you are near?
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Dark Java Dude 64
Community Leader
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Sep 2010
Location: Neither here nor there nor anywhere
Posted: 4th Aug 2011 22:54
Link
Yes that is where it was!!

Back to top
Profile PM Website
Libervurto
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 30th Jun 2006
Location: On Toast
Posted: 5th Aug 2011 17:10
Link
Some schools have these machines. Are there any technology schools near you, ones that specialise in electronics and such. They might do you a deal.

Back to top
Profile PM Email
Dark Java Dude 64
Community Leader
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Sep 2010
Location: Neither here nor there nor anywhere
Posted: 5th Aug 2011 22:37 Edited at: 5th Aug 2011 22:38
Link
Im probably going to use the skillet method, but thank you! The only thing i need to figure out now is how to do a double sided board with the skillet method--for that i might have to use the toaster oven method.

Back to top
Profile PM Website
Neuro Fuzzy
17
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 11th Jun 2007
Location:
Posted: 5th Aug 2011 22:57
Link
Although... breadboards will suffice 80% of the time, and prototype boards another 10%


Why does blue text appear every time you are near?
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Dark Java Dude 64
Community Leader
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Sep 2010
Location: Neither here nor there nor anywhere
Posted: 5th Aug 2011 23:44 Edited at: 5th Aug 2011 23:45
Link
Indeed, im thinking about using a breadboard and a microcontroller to build something with an 8 by 8 LED matrix. But when it comes to the console, i will obviously want a PCB.

Back to top
Profile PM Website
Back to top

Login to post a reply

Server time is: 2025-05-21 01:24:44
Your offset time is: 2025-05-21 01:24:44