So I have a board I am going to have made. It is 6x4". BatchPCB tells me that one copy of that will cost me about $66. I can get several for $99 direct from Gold Phoenix.
IIRC, BatchPCB uses Gold Phoenix. Seems like BatchPCB is good for very small boards, but for anything bigger it’s not a deal.
Comments? Am I missing something?
You mean you can get several copies of the same board for 99$ by dealing directly with Goldphoenix?
It is not much for tiny board but for getting a single board instead of having to place a 100$+ order for a prototype.
On Goldphoenix’s website they even mention the price can go as low as 0.12$/sq in. for double layer pcb. Batchpcb charges 2.50/sq in.
Correct. The Gold Phoenix site indicates that you get 155 sq in for $99. Since mine is about 24 sq in, that should be 6 boards.
I understand the need for a high price per square inch for BatchPCB for dealing with small boards, but it seems like there should be a sliding scale for larger designs…
Peter,
As you discovered, BatchPCB is designed to allow hobbyists to have smaller boards built at a very reasonable cost, in exchange for longer turnaround times. They’ve done a great job of providing just about the lowest cost of entry possible.
But, it’s not quite as attractive when you start talking about larger boards. For large boards (or 50-100 units of small boards) I go directly to Gold Phoenix, using the specials you mentioned. Quick turnaround, free step&repeat for single designs, etc. Very good quality.
$99 is still very cheap for a set of 4x6 boards - that’s basically your lowest cost of entry for that board size.
Good luck!
-Brett
bretth:
Peter,As you discovered, BatchPCB is designed to allow hobbyists to have smaller boards built at a very reasonable cost, in exchange for longer turnaround times. They’ve done a great job of providing just about the lowest cost of entry possible.
But, it’s not quite as attractive when you start talking about larger boards. For large boards (or 50-100 units of small boards) I go directly to Gold Phoenix, using the specials you mentioned. Quick turnaround, free step&repeat for single designs, etc. Very good quality.
$99 is still very cheap for a set of 4x6 boards - that’s basically your lowest cost of entry for that board size.
Good luck!
-Brett
If the $10 matters, you can have a batch made at $89 for 100 square cm. That is usually the route I go, even if I am prototyping. I used BPCB for a while when I was doing single little boards, but as time progressed, I started doing larger boards and going direct was just a better deal for me. I typically email Shane my files, pay with PayPal within an hour or so of his confirmation email and I have boards on my doorstep in 10 days. Hard to beat.
EDIT: Whoops, sorry, I should have done the math first. I guess you will have to go with the $99 batch.
Who is this Shane person?
I spin boards every so often with Advanced Circuits… if pheonix is cheaper for my needs, I’m all for using it.
When you email your Gerbers to Gold Phoenix, Shane is the guy who will review your order, request payment via Paypal, etc.
GP is always running “specials”, but they never end, so the prices are consistently reasonable! Usually less than 8 calendar days from order placement to boards on my doorstep. And you’ll usually get 2X the number of boards you order to account for any manufacturing defects, although I’ve never experienced one myself.
About GP, if you are going to sell the PCB boards it is important to order electrical testing so a consumer doesnt get a faulty board, right? I just put in an order w/testing, I should get 90 PCB boards but I will see if they ship extra.
I guess I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t run across many faulty boards (other than those with my own design errors ).
My testing strategy is to test the fully populated boards at the end of the assembly line - depending on the board, this can sometimes be done entirely in firmware, but usually requires some human verification or an external test harness board. Then I know the shipping product is functional before it leaves my shop.