Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
Express PCB — Parallax Forums

Express PCB

moorinmoorin Posts: 1
edited 2015-03-10 22:38 in General Discussion
I am looking for a high quality Express PCB manufacturer, which can deliver high quality circuit board in very short time and with reasonable cost. Any suggestion?
thank you,
Moorin

Comments

  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2015-03-10 14:14
    moorin wrote: »
    I am looking for a high quality Express PCB manufacturer, which can deliver high quality circuit board in very short time and with reasonable cost. Any suggestion?
    thank you,
    Moorin

    Welcome to the forums!

    There is only one company with the name ExpressPCB.

    http://www.expresspcb.com/

    .If you are looking at others there are:

    I can't find my list right now, but this thread has some:

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/127436-Questions-about-hobby-PCB-fabrication
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2015-03-10 15:08
    It depends on what a "short time" is and what "reasonable cost" is.

    I've listed a few of my favorites in post #5 of my index. (Near the center of the post under "PCBs".)

    Most of them take a couple of weeks.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2015-03-10 15:34
    Duane's list is very good.

    I just had my list on another computer that does not want to wake up. :)
  • JAllen007JAllen007 Posts: 3
    edited 2015-03-10 16:38
    Just want to say that I've used ExpressPCB and really like them. They give you high quality (free) software for drawing your schematic and taking it to board layout (even creates a Bill Of Materials BOM). Has great error checking and once the schematic is done, it does an excellent job of helping with the layout making sure all connections are correct. You end up with a very professional documented project.
  • tomcrawfordtomcrawford Posts: 1,126
    edited 2015-03-10 16:46
    JAllen007 wrote: »
    Just want to say that I've used ExpressPCB and really like them. They give you high quality (free) software for drawing your schematic and taking it to board layout (even creates a Bill Of Materials BOM). Has great error checking and once the schematic is done, it does an excellent job of helping with the layout making sure all connections are correct. You end up with a very professional documented project.

    Um, my experience with ExpressPCB layout is that it has essentially NO error checking. However, there is a helper program that does do checking. I have no connection with the vendor except as a happy user.

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/156063-ExpressPCB-Board-Checker-Program?highlight=expresspcb
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2015-03-10 19:33
    JAllen007 wrote: »
    Just want to say that I've used ExpressPCB and really like them. They give you high quality (free) software for drawing your schematic and taking it to board layout (even creates a Bill Of Materials BOM). Has great error checking and once the schematic is done, it does an excellent job of helping with the layout making sure all connections are correct. You end up with a very professional documented project.

    I haven't used ExpressPCB but I don't think it's easy to use their software to have boards made at other board houses.

    IMO, one is much better off learning to use DipTrace. With the Gerber files produced by DipTrace one can have their boards made from a huge selection of board houses. Either the fast houses which cost more or the inexpensive houses which can take a couple of weeks to deliver the boards.

    In one isn't in a hurry, PCB can be had for very reasonable prices and I'm pretty sure for prices much less than one would pay if the boards had been produced by ExpressPCB.

    Not long ago Parallax switched to DipTrace and listed the reasons in this post.
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,105
    edited 2015-03-10 22:38
    I haven't used ExpressPCB but I don't think it's easy to use their software to have boards made at other board houses.

    It's really not possible without a lot of extra work. ExpressPCB has seen better days. Once they were the only place for prototype PCBs, now I think they'd be my last choice. DipTrace has a free version and they've beat ExpressPCB at the easy game by allowing an order from inside the software without having to manually generate Gerbers. What's great is they allow any size, and any quantity. I just use the internal service to order some boards for a tradeshow next week. For $30 per order I got between 10 and 60 boards (I have four of various sizes). Most of the time I order boards from GoldPhoenix, but I'm going to try some of Duane's suggestions on my new Propeller Platform PCB (smaller, and with an ADC).

    Photo is of a Bluetooth HC-06 board I made for the EFX-TEK HC-8+ (mounted on an HC-8+ -- yes, it's a dirt-simple board, but I needed it to be nice for a trade show). Designed in DipTrace, ordered through their internal system.
    hc-8+_bluetooth.jpg
    960 x 720 - 633K
Sign In or Register to comment.