Cost for custom populated PCB?

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chumbud
 
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Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by chumbud »

I am clueless as to the range of cost for having a custom PCB populated for me instead of having a blank board that I then have to solder the parts to. I do not want to attempt to solder something like the WIZnet W5100 chip onto a custom prototype board I have done so I would want the board done with the chip installed. I know some places do partial turnkey where I can send the parts in I want them to put on and they will place it on the board. Can someone give an estimate of what it would cost to have a small run of something like the WIZnet Ethernet module done so I can have an idea if this is feasible cost wise?

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zener
 
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Re: Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by zener »

How many?

Will you provide:

PCB

Parts

What exactly will you provide?

chumbud
 
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Re: Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by chumbud »

The most convenient would be I would provide nothing but the gerber files but I assume that would cost the most. I could provide all the parts and would need the PCB done and populated. To get a feel for pricing I am asking for rough estimate to produce the WIZnet Ethernet module.

I would be interested in just a few boards done at a time (<5).

Thanks.

adafruit
 
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Re: Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by adafruit »

you'd probably pay $50+ each at such qty

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zener
 
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Re: Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by zener »

I don't know anybody that would do turnkey on that qty.

chasterus
 
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Re: Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by chasterus »

hi - this kind of prototyping is my specialty - will do a run of 5-10 for $35 apiece - you provide all pcbs and components, i provide solder, etc and labor - testing (on any platform / os) a little extra depending on scope. i guarantee high quality and quick turnaround.
chumbud wrote:I am clueless as to the range of cost for having a custom PCB populated for me instead of having a blank board that I then have to solder the parts to. I do not want to attempt to solder something like the WIZnet W5100 chip onto a custom prototype board I have done so I would want the board done with the chip installed. I know some places do partial turnkey where I can send the parts in I want them to put on and they will place it on the board. Can someone give an estimate of what it would cost to have a small run of something like the WIZnet Ethernet module done so I can have an idea if this is feasible cost wise?

diogenes
 
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Re: Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by diogenes »

For quick and dirty cost estimates try the online tools here: http://www.screamingcircuits.com I use their online estimator to get ballpark costs on small-run assembly. They offer partial turnkey estimates in an online tool. Full turnkey requires a quote submission. I've never actually used their assembly service, so I can't comment on the quality of their assembly work.

Once I have a ballpark assembly cost from their online tool, I generally estimate that full turnkey will include the cost of components plus about a 20% markup for procurement. Then I take everything to a local assembler who does small-run work, and use my estimates to judge how badly they are gouging me.

alex_dubinsky
 
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Re: Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by alex_dubinsky »

Considering that screamingcircuits is already overpriced, your local assembler must be gouging you quite a lot.

Let's see. The WIZnet module has something like 3 through-hole parts, 10 SMDs, and 10 BOM lines. SC wants $65/pc for 5 pieces. I could probably solder all of those inside an hour. When I was doing this sort of thing, i advertised "go quote screamingcircuits.com, and divide by 3." I think a lot of people on this board would agree to such terms. (Note tho I had some fairly nifty equipment for doing SMDs.)

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dangerouslyunnamed
 
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Re: Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by dangerouslyunnamed »

If you're doing <5 boards then you're far better off doing it yourself. Or doing more and building up an inventory. In my experience, doing 5 versus 50 with a turnkey shop can work out to not much difference in price. However, if you're stuck on 5 at a time, and there's nothing wrong with that, do yourself a favour and spend a few bucks on some equipment that'll get it done at home and also speed up the process.
1) Make a stencil for your solder paste. If your boards are small enough, panelize them when getting the PCBs printed and try out the soda can method for making a stencil. Doesn't cost a lot, materials are readily available, and it will save you some time in the long run. It'll also render better soldering with fewer bridges than if you applied paste with a syringe. http://lowpowerlab.com/blog/2013/01/23/ ... p-through/
2) Get a good vacuum tool for placing components. Tweezers work for a few parts but can be painful when doing anything more than a few. I have one of these (http://www.steadyhandspnp.com/) and it made my life a heck of a lot simpler. You can plunk down your components in a fraction of the time and without pulling your hair out.
3) Get a walmart toaster oven for reflow soldering. You may want to buy a thermocouple while you're at it to make sure you're soldeirng to the right temperature. Alternatively, you can just watch the components, try not to breathe in the gasses, and wait for everything to wick up the leads.

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edgaren14
 
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Re: Cost for custom populated PCB?

Post by edgaren14 »

Have you tried to contact PCB Unlimited? I think they can help! Last month i was struggling with a partial turnkey assembly, and they solved it.

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