PCB/Circuit Help!

[Andy_con]

does anyone know where i can get a PBC board made?? and cheap i dont wana pay loads.

 

[sn00p]

www.pcbpool.com
www.pcbtrain.co.uk

are 2 that we use for prototypes.

 

[Andy_con]

errr cheers, just had a look and no idea what they are talking about on the sites LOL.

how do i go about getting that pcb made, should i just fone them?

 

[sn00p]

Erm, you'll need draw the circuit in a schematic capture tool and then do the pcb layout from that. Once you've done the layout and it has passed its design rules, you generate the gerber and send it off to one those companies.

10-15 days later your shiny PCB's land on your doorstep.

Cadsoft (www.cadsoft.de) has a free version of Eagle that will suit your needs (limits) for that circuit.

What you have above is a Schematic. You need to turn that into a PCB (with symbol footprints to put your IC's in) and tracks connecting them up.

 

[Andy_con]

cool cheers mate, ive got next week off so ill have a look at doing that.

and is that £10-15???

 

[sn00p]

10-15 days depending on which one of those 2 makes it.

A 2 layer eurocard (100mm*100mm) board without silkscreen is around about 49 euros, so 30 odd quid.

 

[Andy_con]

really, thats seems a little steep for a board worth £5??????

 

[rory182]

I think that sounds extremely cheap!

If you mass produced they'd cost f**k all but for one off protoyping they have to make something!

 

[Andy_con]

well i can get the same board from a guy in Australia including P&P for £28

so seems expensive to me

 

[rory182]

Anyway, looks easy enough to make yourself using RS components for parts.

 

[Andy_con]

haha i have tried and its just a big mess of wires. im good with electronics, but am struggling with this.

 

[LegoHead]

really, thats seems a little steep for a board worth £5??????

Thats fooking cheap! just think of the costs of equipment, man hours, just to produce one board!

I thought drilling holes in metal was cheap, but noooooo.lol. Got a bill for £1500 for machining my first project at work, and that was only 5 chunks of metal and some holes.

For one off stuff, you pay a s**t load, but that price is cheap. Maybe you could get cheaper. Try making your own, easy to do with just a laser printer and the right tools, will cost less than £30,plus will improve lead time.

Google is your friend.

 

[Andy_con]

yeah so everyone keeps saying, but i dont really no much about it.

ill get it from Australia, seems cheapest and easiest

 

[jonnyjogpants]

may ask what this circuit does????

 

[Brasseye]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=17352&criteria=pcb etch kit&doy=14m12

 

[sn00p]

PCB's cost money to produce. They only come down in price in volume.

We were at one point producing 10,000 circuit boards a month, some of which were 6 layer boards.

 

[Andy_con]

may ask what this circuit does????

indeed you can.

its a DAC (digital to anaologe) for my laser scanner, with TTL outputs to control the lasers.

these effects are being controlled from a DMX and i want to make my own effects and animations.
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/andy_con/lasers/15k/?action=view&current=08122006002.flv
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/andy_con/lasers/15k/?action=view&current=08122006.flv

this is my setup
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/andy_con/lasers/15k/?action=view&current=08122006001.flv

i need that board, my scanners, my two laser - connect them all a computer and i can draw what i want.

the only bit i need is that board.

 

[Andy_con]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=17352&criteria=pcb etch kit&doy=14m12

link does not work