For the first time in my (limited) experience, I’m running up against PCB fab board size minimums. In fact, I’m running well below them. I need to get a number of boards 0.5" x 0.75" (they just hold a sensor, a mounting hole and a connector). I’m looking in particular at Golden Phoenix for the fabrication, and they have a 1" x 1" minimum (but of course the issue is not restricted to one fab house). So how would you get these boards made?
Off the top of my head I can imagine laying out 4 identical designs on a 1" x 1.5" board, plus a little extra in each dimension for cutting the boards apart (on our end, not theirs). Is that the correct approach? Is it typically possible to get the boards scored so they can be broken apart easily, and if so, how would I indicate that in the files I send to the fab?
Ask the company! They usually prefer the files for a single board, and will do the step and repeat themselves. You can ask for the boards to be scored. If your boards are too small for them to manufacture, do the step and repeat yourself and cut the boards up yourself when you receive them.
As Leon said, this is exactly where scoring saves the day. The minimum size that Gold Phoenix states is the smallest panel that they can handle. You don’t want small panels jamming up their machines. With scoring, or tab-routing, you can put several PCBs on a single panel, and separate them yourself.
Gold Phoenix:
Min board size 1"X1", when the board X or Y size is less than 1", the price will be 100pcs USD99 due to the complex of V score. When the board shape is not square 50pcs USD99, because tab-routing is needed for the panel.
I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that their "square" requirement is just bad English. I think they really mean if it is not rectangular, then tab-routing is required. I have had non-square (but rectangular) scoring done through them before, but this was before they put this rule in place. The issue is that the scoring blade can only make straight cuts.
If you are only producing a single PCB, you can send the gerbers to Gold Phoenix and ask them to panelize and score. You should get back a large panel of 100 pieces. If you want the panels laid up in a particular way (say, 2x10 PCBs per panel), then panelize the board yourself. When I do this, I send the usual gerber files (with the PCB copied several times), the outline of the entire panel as a gerber file, and another gerber that has the score marks on it.
I think everyone else has basically said the same thing, but I will jump on the band wagon.
Talk with Shane at GP and tell him you just want the design V-scored and left IN THE PANEL form. I do this all of the time for one of my lipo chargers. They are about .7’’ x 1’’ each. They prefer this request because its less work for them. They just have to score the panel and send them on their way.
Last time I made an order of small boards I received them v-scored in the panel.
Now I have gone to order another batch and Shane has told me that I can no longer do this, as there is some new rule against boards under 1"x1".
This is quite a problem as nearly all my boards are under this size, and normally where I was getting 600pcs I am now only getting 100pcs for the same price.
I will have a chat with Shane about it and see what I can do, it may force me to a new PCB provider for these small boards.
The reason given for this rule is “complex v-score”. I assume when they say complex they just mean “lots of”. I don’t really see the big problem with it but then I am not operating the machines.
Last time I made an order of small boards I received them v-scored in the panel.
Now I have gone to order another batch and Shane has told me that I can no longer do this, as there is some new rule against boards under 1"x1".
This is quite a problem as nearly all my boards are under this size, and normally where I was getting 600pcs I am now only getting 100pcs for the same price.
I will have a chat with Shane about it and see what I can do, it may force me to a new PCB provider for these small boards.
The reason given for this rule is “complex v-score”. I assume when they say complex they just mean “lots of”. I don’t really see the big problem with it but then I am not operating the machines.
Hmm, I just got back the tiny boards in question from them. I did only get 100 pieces, so perhaps that was under the new rules? Please let us know what you find out. I plan to be in the market for a great many of these tiny boards.
