RE: advice on small pcb board

Hello Peter,

Here are our Preset Board Features for our PCBexpress services:

You did not have any parameters within your gerber files, so you would need to make sure that your board features fall within these specifications.

Preset Board Features:

• 2-6 layers up to 100pc.
• Industry standard 0.062" FR-4 laminate.
• Standard 1oz. finished copper weight.
• Minimum trace & space to guarantee manufacturability .006
• Routed to customer provided outline (see details)
• Smallest board dimension .35 inch in one direction. Smallest square board = .64 x .64.
• Maximum board size is 12 x 14 (to 168 sq-inches)
• Tin lead finish
• 24 drill sizes available (finished size after plating):.008, .014, .020, .025, .029, .033, .036, .040, .043, .046, .053, .061, .067, .080, .087, .093, .100, .110, .125, .141, .151, .167, .193, .251 (.008 available with 4 and 6 layer only)
• Green soldermask over bare copper (SMOBC) Hot Air Level (HAL).
• 1 or 2 sided silkscreen (also known as “legend” or “nomenclature”).

Lead Free RoHs Compliant Board option available on every service type at no additional charge!

The following is information regarding the routing and palletizing of boards from our website FAQ section located at: http://www.pcbexpress.com/technical/faq.php#fab Please take a look at the sample picture of connected or palletized boards by clicking on the link below.

Precise board perimeter routing; most board shapes allowed:

Details: PCBexpress programs the board routing specification automatically by reading the path of your outline. Outline must be a continuous line; round or odd shapes ok when following our guidelines although, the shape should be very simple to be considered for the PCBexpress quick-turn service.

Our overall board dimensions are calculated from the center of the traces used to draw your board outline.

You should leave a .020 space from the fab edge of the board to the nearest copper elements to prevent traces from being cut off and possible mask peeling and exposed copper.

Due to the simplicity of our service, please check your outline for compatibility prior to submitting your files so there are no disappointments. See our "TIPS" below for checking outline.

Restrictions:

	Limit to 1 pass of outside board perimeter using .093 router bit; no internal cutouts.
	No internal cutouts, tab routed (array) pallets, v-score or slots for PCBexpress services -- Please try our Full Featured Boards at www.sunstone.com .
	Connected or Panelized boards are not cut apart, you will need to cut smaller boards from main panel. We recommend a Dremel tool, rotary cutter or small saw for separation. A continuous outline must be placed around individual boards connected with tabs; channel widths between boards must measure no less than .110 between boards otherwise a default square/rectangle may be placed unless you specify to hold for outline redraw. See Sample Picture
	Break away or Perforation Holes: Due to popular demand we have removed the Perforation/Break-away Holes restriction previously stated. Please limit your total number of holes per board design to no more than 35 per square inch. For example; if the total area of the circuit board is 9 sq-in, there is a limit to 315 max holes per board. For designs exceeding 35 holes per sq-inch there may be an added surcharge of 10%

If you do not wish to palletize your own boards, you can order our Full Featured Boards on our new Sunstone website at www.sunstone.com .

Please go to our website and click on the tab for Full Featured Boards. Enter the parameters of your board into the Quote/Order form and make sure to choose either tabs or tabs w/perfs. Here is some more information on how this works:

Tab Routing (with & without perforation holes)
Rather than completing the route path around the board edge, “Tabs” are left so as to leave boards attached in pallets for ease in assembly.

When this is selected on the order form “We” will take your one up board files, and step and repeat as many images as will fit into a 12"x14” (approximately) pallet. These Pallets will have a standard space of 0.1” apart, with 4 (0.1”) tabs positioned at our discretion along the edges, and surrounded by a 0.5" boarder.

If you have any directions as to how many boards across and down, or have special requirements like “Perf” holes, Fiducials, or tooling holes you will need to send in a detailed pallet drawing of what you need along with your other files, and select “Design Check” on the order form. See our assembly house requirements before submitting your order.

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any other questions or need additional assistance, please let us know. We are here 24 hours, 7 days of the week to support our customers’ needs.

Sincerely,

Dana Coffin

Customer Service Representative

Sunstone Circuits

503-829-9108

mail to: support@sunstone.com

=== Sunstone Circuits is 3 Trusted Brands =============

http://www.pcb123.com - no cost pcb design software

http://www.pcbexpress.com – quick turn, prototype pcbs up to 100-pcs

http://www.pcbpro.com -full-featured & design-checked circuit boards

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-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Kammel [mailto:kammel@npl.uiuc.edu]
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2006 5:38 PM
To: support@pcbexpress.com
Subject: advice on small pcb board

Dear PCBexpress,

I want order 16 copies of a small pcb board.

Before ordering I would need your advice on the following

questions:

i) does the attached design fulfill your specifications?

ii) can you advice me on how to combine the present design into

a panelized layout with 6-8 copies per board to reduce the

cost. The original design is made with PCad. Or can you do the

panelized arrangement?

If these questions can be solved, I would ask our secretary

to proceed with the order tomorrow.

Many thanks

Peter

Prof. Peter Kammel / pkammel@uiuc.edu

Department of Physics, Loomis Laboratory

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

1110 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801

Tel (217) 333-5424 / Fax (217) 333-1215