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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : iTEAD Studio PCB’s - wow....

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Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9098
Posted: 08:56pm 30 Jun 2014
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7 days from order to arrival, 50 Boards for $45. DHL delivery, which is less then half the price for the same DHL service from my previous PCB house.

I got these as a test of their service, but also plan to use them, naturally.

VERY impressed with the turn-around time, and the boards are excellent. Will be using them again, me thinks.

Edited by Grogster 2014-07-02
Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
 
MicroBlocks

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Joined: 12/05/2012
Location: Thailand
Posts: 2209
Posted: 10:04pm 30 Jun 2014
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That is quick. I often order less and that takes about a week longer, i guess they need more time to combine orders. Still absolutely great and good quality.

Microblocks. Build with logic.
 
Grogster

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Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9098
Posted: 10:11pm 30 Jun 2014
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PERHAPS my order was the exception to the rule, and/or they give greater priority to small-batch orders?
Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
 
darthmite

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Joined: 20/11/2011
Location: France
Posts: 240
Posted: 09:02am 01 Jul 2014
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I never have a need of 5 x 5cm from iTead , but i get 10 to 20cm board from
them and it have take like 3 week to come back in France ;)

Theory is when we know everything but nothing work ...
Practice is when everything work but no one know why ;)
 
Grogster

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Posted: 01:46pm 01 Jul 2014
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Yeah, beginning to think it was just luck that my order got done and sent so quick.
I will see how long it takes for the next one.
Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
 
bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2875
Posted: 02:12pm 01 Jul 2014
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Groggy,

Pretty Impressive,

Best I have had is 8 days delivered to my door but in AUS 5 days waiting on customs..

I generally use SITOPWAY.COM and they EMS for $15 US (usually the killer in small QTY with many companies).

My last order was in AUS about 5days but took another 5 to trickle through to my door.

I used SITOPWAY because I couldnt get Dirty scummy crappy PCBs to believe that my gerbers were the size that the AUTOTRAX DEX said they were.

eg.. 22mm x 48mm come out as something like 27mm x 55mm and layout of a 4x2 panel which should still have been 94mm x 98mm they said was actually something like 110 x 115.

If I had hair I would have pulled it all out.. Their prices are cheap but I dont know what was wrong with their board size calculations.. SITOPWAY read them fine,

Mick


Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<
 
elproducts

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Joined: 19/06/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 282
Posted: 05:15pm 03 Jul 2014
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My first order with iTead used airmail shipping. Took 10 days.
My last 5x10 board used DHL and got it in 7 days.

I've been really pleased with the quality and price is excellent.

I use ExpressPCB to make the boards then use Copper Connection to create the gerbers.
Lot cheaper result than even the ExpressPCB mini board service.
www.elproducts.com
 
Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9098
Posted: 09:27pm 03 Jul 2014
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Yeah, I paid for DHL delivery, which would have something to do with it, but they still have to make the boards....

I have just placed another order also with DHL, so we'll see if it arrives next Friday.
Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
 
Goeytex
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Joined: 12/05/2014
Location: United States
Posts: 74
Posted: 06:20pm 04 Jul 2014
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[quote]I used SITOPWAY because I couldnt get Dirty scummy crappy PCBs to believe that my gerbers were the size that the AUTOTRAX DEX said they were. [/quote]

I hope you are not serious ....

Dirty PCBs is a joke/spoof site perpetrated by bored employees at Dangerous Protoypes. They are not real.

http://dangerousprototypes.com/2014/04/16/the-deal-with-dirt y-cheap-dirty-boards-pcbs/


Edited by Goeytex 2014-07-06
 
bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2875
Posted: 06:59pm 04 Jul 2014
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Hi Goeytex,

  Goeytex said   I hope you are not serious ....


In which way is that meant to be? I dont understand that comment.

  Goeytex said  Dirty PCBs is a joke/spoof site perpetrated by bored employees at Dangerous Protoypes. They are not real.



That could explain the problem I had but the link (without the Back Shed extra spaces in long text) Fixed Link doesn't quite say it is NOT real. It does say it was a joke that was meant to be in-house.

Thanks for the insight, I found that an interesting read, something I probably would have been involved in 30 years ago given half a chance.

Regards,

Mick




Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<
 
Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9098
Posted: 07:36pm 04 Jul 2014
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=== POST DELETED ===

Did not see that Mick had already posed a corrected hyperlink..... Edited by Grogster 2014-07-06
Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
 
viscomjim
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Joined: 08/01/2014
Location: United States
Posts: 925
Posted: 05:01am 05 Jul 2014
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Hi BigMik,

I just purchased autotrax dex. Where you able to find a part for the uMite 28 pin or 44 pin somewhere? I can't find it in the library.

As I just got this, can I ask, how did you find the learning curve on this program? I never laid out a board using real pcb software before. I always used programs like adobe illustrator and freehand to make my single sided boards in the past. I would love to start being able to order "real" 2 sided, silkscreened, drilled, etc. boards to start making my projects. I read a lot about autotrax and diptrace and hope I purchased the right one to start with. If you get a second, can you let me know what you think about autotrax and if you are happy with it.

Thanks!!!!!
 
bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2875
Posted: 12:45pm 05 Jul 2014
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Hi Jim,


I made my own but I was still learning Autotrax and didnt realise immediately that when DEX builds a 28pin IC that the schematic part had the right hand side pins in the reverse order..

I just looked for the part but I must have created it on one of my other PCs or Laptop.. I will dig it out and correct the part to add to my library and send it to you if you want..

I find many parts DEX has in its libraries dont quite suit me (careful as almost all of the headers have drill holes too small to accept male pins) I copy them into my parts directory and rename them to "whatever mik" and put them in my directory of parts.. It is working quite well for me.

I now get into the habit of saving any new part so I can transfer it to my other PCs that I use DEX on..

Give me a copuple of hours and I will dig my part out and edit it for you.

Mick

PS.

As for learning curve, I found it more difficult than I thought it would be but I am really getting the swing of it..

The internal router .... well SUCKS... but I usually start by using the internal then fixing it all up and eliminate as many vias manually as I can, DEX at least makes layer swapping of track segments super easy (hit the space bar)

As to happy with it, YES for $50 I think it is briliiant... Is it the best software out there? NO, does it have bugs ? YES.. but the coder Iliya is very responsive and makes changes usually in the next 24hrs when a bug is detected or someone has a suggestion..

There is a release expected in a few days that will import EAGLE schematic and PCB files so they can be editted. It is a constantly improving program and I am proud that I bought in and thus support it.

I am by no means an expert and sometimes struggle with some things but I have sofar had some very good results out of it..

the one clanger was my MuP-Test artwork had no text but it was on the overlay but when DEX created it, it was missing and I didnt notice when I sent the Gerbers off.

Just one of those little `bugs' but I am prepared to accept them.

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<
 
viscomjim
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Joined: 08/01/2014
Location: United States
Posts: 925
Posted: 04:01pm 05 Jul 2014
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I appreciate the input Mick, I agree with the learning curve, but like anything else, put in enough effort.... I will stick with this for a while until I am comfortable enough and hopefully will be able to put out my first "real" pcb going through all the steps. I do appreciate you looking for the pic32mx150 parts if you have them. This would help a bit towards getting started.

With the situation you described with your MupTest board, did the pcb house just assume you didn't want the text, do they not contact you, was that just an option they figured you did not want, do they charge the same with or without? Just wondering for future knowledge.

Thanks!!!!
 
bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2875
Posted: 04:23pm 05 Jul 2014
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Hi Jim,

I couldnt find my original PIC32MX150 part so I created a new one.. I spent about 40minutes looking for the old one to then edit it and in the end started afresh and only took about 15min to do from scratch (had to teach myself some things again like how to add the text to NAME the pins)

Here is the part
2014-07-06_022733_PIC32MX150.zip

This is the schematic and footprint.. If you want some changes let me know








Regards,

Mick

PS. Extract the part and put it in the library somewhere (I created a Library called Mik)
The location for my library is under C:/Users/mik/AppData/Roaming/AutoTrax Software/Dex/Library/Catalog1/Mik
Remove any spurious spaces TBS wants to add in the long string above but I am sure you get the idea.

Regards,

Mick

EDIT***

I realised after I made this post I left the ) off the end of the pin(16) name so I have updated the part in the ZIP above so unless you downloaded it within 5mins of this post the part will be correct for you.

Mick
Edited by bigmik 2014-07-07
Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<
 
viscomjim
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Joined: 08/01/2014
Location: United States
Posts: 925
Posted: 04:26pm 05 Jul 2014
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Thanks Mick!!! This will help in getting the proverbial ball rolling.
 
bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2875
Posted: 04:31pm 05 Jul 2014
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Jim,

You are most Welcome!!

If I can assist in anyway just ask



Mick


Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<
 
WhiteWizzard
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Joined: 05/04/2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2794
Posted: 10:39pm 05 Jul 2014
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Jim, Mick

Slight correction needed gents to the schematic labelling . Pin 19 is GND, Pin 20 is Vcap, Pin 21 is Pin(21).

WW
For everything Micromite visit micromite.org

Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o
 
bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2875
Posted: 11:06pm 05 Jul 2014
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Thanks Phil,

Thats what happens when you rush,

Cant fix it now, out of time, but will tomorrow,.

Glad someone is awake.

Regards,

Mick


Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<
 
Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9098
Posted: 11:18pm 05 Jul 2014
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Just ordered another board from them - H-Bridge motor driver for DC motor control. Uses the 6221 chip, which has lots of extra features like over-current, over-voltage, over-temp etc....

Three boards per 5x5 panel.
Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
 
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