Re: (a bit OT) PCB Fabs

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

"AZ Woody" <Reply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>I while back, I asked about design SW for PCB boards.  Well, been using
>EAGLE (cadsoftusa.com) and now I find I ant to actually have some boards
>made.
>
>There not fancy - single sided, 2"x2", and I'd like to start with 10 of
>them.
>
>Anybody know of a good and cheap fab house that supports the EAGLE files?
>

Does Eagle output standard Gerber files? If so, my preferred source is
http://www.ezpcb.com. Their $50 prototype service cost $50 plus shipping for
5 boards. Additional boards are priced depending on quantity. Quality is the
best I've seen and delivery times are fast depending on how you ship. The
only drawback is they only accept PayPal.

Spark Run Electronics accepts Eagle files and has a setup where they pool
designs from several orders and get them made in China. They charge 2.50 per
square inch with a service charge ($10?) that gets added to the shipping
charge. I think they charge extra for your first order to cover any support
that may be required. Once you've submitted trouble free files the surcharge
is dropped. The quality is excellent but I've found their delivery times
optimistic at best. My orders have almost all taken a month or more. They
are a good choice for small boards but get expensive quickly for larger
boards.

I think Olimex accepts Eagle files but the quality of their prototype boards
SUCKS. If you need to rework anything you'll find the copper lifting off.

For small, prototype boards you might also look at BareBonesPCB. They turn
them around overnight but there's no mask or silkscreen. It's a loss leader
service that they hope will lead to larger orders. ;)