Author Topic: I need some info regarding printing a PCB  (Read 1313 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline isaku

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 1
I need some info regarding printing a PCB
« on: Thu, 18 March 2021, 07:31:48 »
I'm planning on building some keyboards using the open source voyager60: https://github.com/ai03-2725/Voyager60 .

Now let's say that I provide all the necessary files to a manufacturer and they print the pcb, will this pcb miss anything? I'm assuming it will come without a usb port or leds for example thus they have to be soldered afterwards, which is fine to me, but other than that, will I have to "complete" the pcb in other ways?
It's my first time "working" with this kind of stuff and I just want to make sure.


Offline Rico

  • Posts: 105
Re: I need some info regarding printing a PCB
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 18 March 2021, 11:02:55 »
By default when you send files for PCB fabrication no assembly service is done, so you have to order then solder all components yourself. That means soldering lots of SMD components like diodes, resistors capacitors, MCU(CPU), USB connector, ...

A cheap place to make you PCB make is JLCPCB.
Another place to order you components is LCSC, a sister company of JLCPCB.

If assembly is required, then things can often go pretty expensive for a few units.
But recently JLCPCB also offers assembly service, I tested it on my own design and was happy of the results.
It is also super cheap for a few units, great!
There some caveats though, they have limited components choice and until recently could not offer though hole or connectors soldering service.

Quickly looked at the github repo, the USB connector used looks to be listed at JLCPCB so there may be hope for you to have the PCB fully assembled by them;)