Re: [TCML] SISG and ExpressPCB

["McCauley, Daniel H" <daniel.h.mccauley@xxxxxxxx>]

ExpressPCB is actually pretty good, despite the fact you can only use them for the boards.  Its also probably the least expensive, especially as they let you panelize different boards onto a single board.  Your conventional discount PCB vendors typically will not allow you to panelized different boards and charge for a single board.  They will charge you individually for each board in most cases.

A lot of people knock ExpressPCB, but for prototype boards its really easy.  Heck, all of the prototype boards we design here at Lockheed Martin where I work are done with ExpressPCB - and we order these things almost on a daily basis with no issues whatsoever.  Mostly because its easier for the engineer to design the board him/herself with that software and once you get into gerber based software, the drafting unions start filing their grievances and so forth . . .

As Steve said, Eagle is an excellent package as well. I myself have been wanting to convert over to Eagle for some time, but being most of my production boards are already in ExpressPCB and have extensive libraries already built, it would be a very expensive / time consuming to start from scratch and convert over to Eagle.  Also, my pricing analysis shows that I wouldn't save much money going to a gerber based manufacturer at this point.

Guess I'll wait until ExpressPCB goes bottom up !!!  :)

Dan
http://www.easternvoltageresearch.com



Hi Jay,

You will never learn about ordering PCBs in electrical engineering school, that's a far too practical thing, universities (at least "good" ones) wouldn't dare lower themselves to that level of practicality ;-).

You need to contact the originator (Mark Dunn, i think) about the PCB files, they are collectively known as "gerber" files, though i doubt any of them hold such an extension.  Basically, there are a bunch of files that detail the top copper, bottom copper, drill placement, board size etc, they cant extract this from a PDF.

Something about the "look" of the board file suggests to me that it was made at expressPCB, they have their own free layout software which handles all the details of getting boards made, you just have to be the designer.  At the same time, their software really only works for that company, and last time i used it, it was not nearly as nice as more professional software (Cadsoft's eagle is my favorite) that will generate more universal file types that can be sent to just about any PCB maker, including expressPCB.
So, just depends on what your needs are.

I personally get my boards made at 4pcb.com, often using the "barebones"
special, which means there is no silk-screen (text) or solder-mask (green
stuff) on the board, but they work just fine.  They may not be the cheapest source, but they are quick turn, and other places in china were not significantly cheaper.

Steve



On Thu, Aug 12, 2010 at 12:16 PM, <jhowson4@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>
>
> Hey guys,
>
>
>
> I am thinking of making a SISG coil as a project for my organization.   Not
> sure if it will actually happen, but i am exploring project options.
>
>
>
>
>
> I was wondering if the circuit on this site along with the parts list 
> etc, is still the best way to go for making a SISG.
> http://www.teslaboys.com/SISG/index.html
>
>
>
> Any thoughts?
>
>
>
>
>
> I am also looking for the file needed to order the PCB boards shown 
> here
>
> http://www.teslaboys.com/SISG/SISG4PCB.pdf
>
> I browsed a couple web sites for custom PCB sites, and they all seem 
> to require a special file type...which i dont know what it is... i 
> guess thats the stuff i will learn in my electrical Engineering 
> courses this year at college..amongst other things...  =)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Does anyone have any good recomendations of custom/cheap PCB web sites.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Thanks,
> John "Jay" Howson IV
>
>
> Any thoughts?
>
>
>
>
>
> I am also looking for the file needed to order the PCB boards shown 
> here
>
> http://www.teslaboys.com/SISG/SISG4PCB.pdf
>
> I browsed a couple web sites for custom PCB sites, and they all seem 
> to require a special file type...which i dont know what it is... i 
> guess thats the stuff i will learn in my electrical Engineering 
> courses this year at college..amongst other things...  =)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Does anyone have any good recomendations of custom/cheap PCB web sites.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Thanks,
> John "Jay" Howson IV
> _______________________________________________
> Tesla mailing list
> Tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla
>
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