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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : iTEAD Studio PCB’s - wow....
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9590 |
In my youth, I DID use tin-snips to cut up boards, and it did work, but the boards fractured, and you'd have to leave plenty of room around the design, so as not the let the fracture creep into the work. I gave up on that idea pretty soon, and started using a mitre-saw and box and cut them up that way, then to the upside-down jigsaw. Once I found affordable PCB houses, I hardly ever make home-made PCB's at all anymore(not with the likes of iTead's prices), but this latest small panel design will require that I reuse my jigsaw arrangement. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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palcal Guru  Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1982 |
I've never ordered boards before, always made my own, but the double sided are a bit tricky. I use DipTrace, can someone advise how I export the gerber file. I did it but don't know which layers I should select, so I selected all of them. I am going to give iTead Studio a try. Paul. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9590 |
Not sure about DipTrace, but just about any PCB software should allow you to export the PCB layers as separate Gerber files. If in doubt, the best bet is to export all of them - the PCB house will advise you if they need additional files. If you export files they don't actually need, they just won't use them. You will also need to export the drilling information, normally in the form of an Excellon Drill Data file, which is normally just a TXT file, but my program(Sprint Layout 6) exports this file as a DRL file(Drilling). I just send this to iTead as is(as a DRL file), but make sure I rename it to EXCELLON DRILL DATA.DRL with the PCB filename as with all the other gerber files. You will need to zip all the separate files into one ZIP file with the likes of 7-Zip, and then send them the one ZIP file, which will contain all the separate files. Sounds like a mess, and a pain, until you do it a couple of times, then it is easy and you do it without even thinking. No matter which PCB house you choose, they all pretty much need the same set of files in a ZIP, so it's more-or-less the same procedure for any place you try.... Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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Oldbitcollector Senior Member  Joined: 16/05/2014 Location: United StatesPosts: 172 |
We've been using DIPtrace with iTead for a while now with success. I export front and backside of our board, then the drill file. Zip and send. Itead's quality has been steadily improving over the last year. When we first switched from Gold Phoenix (a much more expensive board house), we could see a quality difference, no show stoppers, but we tossed a few boards out of runs of 100. Now Itead has been right on par with more expensive board houses. My Propeller/Micromite mini-computer project. |
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| palcal Guru Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1982 |
When you say front and back, in DipTrace/Export/Gerber there are 14 layers, do you only send "top assy" and "bottom assy", no silk or solder mask etc. Also there is a choice of 3 drill files which one do you send. Paul. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
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vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
Hi Paul, I would not use anything in "assy" - so do not draw there... use bottom and top copper, silk screen and mask. Drill layer must be only one and must be Excellon compatible. I'm talking from memory, don't have Diptrace in front of me... In one of the copper layers you must have the board contour drawn there (using copper trace). Follow the iTead advices. Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9590 |
As others have mentioned, export the files that make up the board. I would like to know how any PCB program - even 4-layer boards for example, would use or want to export 14 layers - crikey. For a typical double-sided board, you would need to send 6 files or 7 files if you also send an outline file - iTead tend to want the outline file, even for just the standard PCB size. So, you would need: - Top copper layer - Top silkscreen layer - Top soldermask layer - Bottom copper layer - Bottom silkscreen layer - Bottom soldermask layer ...and the board outline layer for iTead, so it would seem, even if the board is just square or rectangular. If your board is single-sided, then you need to send them: - Top silkscreen - Bottom copper - Bottom silkscreen(if used) - Bottom soldermask ...and the outline layer. I've got single-sided from them - costs the same as double-sided options, you just specify single-layer, no top copper when you are ordering. They came out fine when I got them, so I have ordered some double-sided boards and am waiting on them. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2949 |
Groggy, All, I have just sent off (Monday AFternoon) two PCBs to test iTEAD, I paid the extra for DHL shipping so I will see how it goes, I hope to get times like you have. Do you normally get any confirmation that your artwork has been accepted? I received email confirmation with my order # but I then emailed the two PCBs and no correspondence as of yet. Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| WhiteWizzard Guru Joined: 05/04/2013 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2932 |
Mick, If you hear nothing within 48hrs then consider your submission(s) as accepted. Any issues and they normally get back very quickly with what the issue is. The only thing that may delay a response from them is a 'holiday' which they do seem to have every other day!! One other thing to note is whether or not DHL will charge you an import duty. I have to pay 20% + £10 on every order landed here in UK. However, even with this additional charge, iTead's costs still represent excellent value for me especially when compared to all other fab houses. The only disadvantage I have with iTead is that when panellising PCBs, you are not permitted to v-groove or perforate between PCBs which is why I asked in a previous post about the best way other members have found to 'cut' PCBs. Hope you will be pleased with the results . . . . WW |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9590 |
My latest SS(single-sided) boards just arrived this morning(H-bridge motor drivers), and they look great. We don't have any import duty here in NZ up to a certain declared value - pretty sure it is NZ$400 - over that amount, and you have to pay import duty. A bit mean of UK to charge you import duty for low-cost importing... 
Oh, and while I am here, I got your latest modules this morning too WW - thanks.  Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| palcal Guru Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1982 |
I just tried to place an order, but they would not accept my address, I live in North Queensland,Australia. I have emailed them to find out why. I mean if they ship to that little island across the ditch surely they would ship to me Paul.  "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2949 |
Lads, I have just received an email saying that they have sent my boards for `auditing' and that if all goes well they will then start the manufacture process. Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| Oldbitcollector Senior Member Joined: 16/05/2014 Location: United StatesPosts: 172 |
Generally, the next message you'll get is one in about seven days telling you that they shipped your order and give you a tracking number. My Propeller/Micromite mini-computer project. |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9590 |
No so much of the little, mate!  
At what point in filling out the order, did they reject your address? Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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donmck Guru Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1314 |
Would it be that their system doesn't understand a state such as "North Queensland"? Cheers Don... https://www.dontronics.com |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
I think that is Greenland from the North Pole... Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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| palcal Guru Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1982 |
When it got to pricing postage it rejected it. I didn't put North Queensland just QLD. However I tried again later and all is OK, I got my email and sent off the Gerber files Paul. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
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Lou Senior Member Joined: 01/02/2014 Location: United StatesPosts: 229 |
Mick, I am ready to send the two LCDuMite boards Zonker made with Autoteax DEX off to iTead, I have made the purchase and have my order number. Did you just send the zipped Autotrax output or unzip and rename the files with their .GTL - .GTS etc. and re-zip ?? Did you name the zip files A and B ?? I have 8 files to send for each board, does that sound right ?? I likewise went with DHL shipping, will post here and compare shipping time to the US. Thanks, Lou Microcontrollers - the other white meat |
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elproducts Senior Member Joined: 19/06/2011 Location: United StatesPosts: 282 |
For anyone interested, I make a quick blog post and video showing how I use a sheet metal notcher to cut out my circuit boards. Click on the link below if interested. It's only about a 1 minute video. Blog Post with Video of Notcher Cutting PCB www.elproducts.com |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9590 |
I am not Mick, but this is all I did - export the Gerbers and drilling data to a folder somewhere, then zip all the files into one ZIP file, and send them that along with your order-number. 
These filenames were generated by my PCB software(Sprint Layout 6), but I did add the EXCELLON DRILL DATA to that file, for clarification. I zipped all the files into a single ZIP file using 7-Zip(store, no compression), and then emailed that ZIP file to them. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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