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Re: gEDA-user: sparkfun 4 layer boards
>
> What's the quality and turnaround with a two-layer board from sparkfun? I
> have a few toys that I've been meaning to get made.
>
I've used BatchPCB on quite a few 2 layer boards now. It almost always
seems to take 4 weeks calendar time, although I may have had bad luck.
But don't even start checking the mail box until 3 weeks have gone by.
Quality has been variable. Until recently I'd have said mostly good. In
an earlier order I had a bad board, but in my last batch (of 4 designs)
I ordered 4 copies of one design, a 48mm x 72mm 2 layer board, pretty
simple, all through hole. I got back 6 copies (I'm thinking "bonus!")
but the first one I assembled had a short in it :( I buzzed out another
one and it was good so I assembled it no problem. A friend wanted one,
so I buzzed out another one and found another shorted board :( so I
buzzed out yet another one pretty thoroughly for shorts (but not 100%
connectivity) and gave it to him. He found an open trace which he had
to jumper around.
So... mostly I've had a good experience but you have to be patient. My
last order was a disappointment. Order 4, get 6, 2 of which are
unusable, 1 repairable, 1 known good, 2 untested. Not a great batting
average. Up until that order I was a big fan. I'll probably still use
them because for small orders it is very hard to beat the price, but I'm
a little skittish about pushing a highly complex board through them at
the moment.
You can go direct to Gold Phoenix (which is the fab BatchPCB uses) and
buy a panel at the "special price"
http://www.goldphoenixpcb.biz/special_price.php
155 in^2 for $99, no electrical testing, "max 15% failure rate"
and for $20 more you can get them all electrically tested.
That may not be a bad deal, but there is sure no way that I could
tolerate a 15% failure rate if I did order a panel. I have no idea how
that failure rate compares to competitors. Even with electrical testing
for 4 layer boards they quote a 2% failure rate, but the web page
doesn't quote a failure rate for electrically tested 2 layer boards.
-dave
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