Get your PCBs made

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Under construction: PCB making guide

Contents

Overview

  • Many cheap PCB services
  • How to turn Eagle files into PCBs
  • Seeed Studio (our preferred), ITead Studio make two-sided PCBs with the works starting at $1 per 5x5cm PCB. Both use the same prototyping PCB factory in Shenzhen China. Turnaround is fast, shipping starts at $3.
  • DorkBotPBX (?), BatchPCB, etc pool up multiple orders and send them to a fab. Laen at DorkBotPBX offers purple PCBs that have been quite popular.

Design rule check

Grab a design rule file from your prefered PCB maker:

  • Seeed Studio
  • ITead Studio
  • DorkBotPBX
  • BatchPCB

image

How to run a DRC,

image

what it does, correct errors, etc

Generate gerbers

Gerbers are generic files that any respectable PCB manufacturer can use to make boards.

Grab the CAM file for your preferred PCB maker:

  • Seeed Studio
  • ITead Studio
  • DorkBotPBX
  • BatchPCB

image

How to run a DRC,

image

what it does, layers generated

Preview gerbers

Check the gerbers before sending the PCBs to be made.

Grab a viewer:

  • example
  • example

image

setup gerber viewer

image

example of gerber viewer

Zip up the files

Put it in an archive. We include a readme.txt with....

For Seeed Studio and Itead order the PCB online and email the files. BatchPCB has a web interface, DorkBotPCX has XXXXX.

Get your boards

In our experience, services take about this long:

  • Seeed Studio
  • ITead Studio
  • DorkBotPBX
  • BatchPCB

How to inspect the board, what to look for.