Advanced Circuits is Here to Help With Your Prototyping Needs
At Advanced Circuits we understand many are looking for low cost prototype PCBs, we offer many great options. BareBones, the ultimate cost saver for quickturn 2 layer PCB prototypes that ship in just 1 day. When you need to test a simple 2 layer design and need it quickly at a low cost, BareBones is the perfect solution.Another great option for 2 & 4 layer quickturn PCB prototypes, is our $33Each and $66Each Special. This special pricing offer is great for PCB prototypes that require just the basics while the price per board does not change as long as it stays within the 60 sq.in. maximum size restriction for 2 layer boards and 30 sq.in. maximum for 4 layer boards. Plus, Advanced Circuits has Standard and Custom Spec boards as options for prototyping as well.
BareBones™ PCB Prototypes (1 Day Turn/Low-Cost Option)
BareBones™ is a cost-saving option for PCB prototyping for single or double sided printed circuit board. This option skips the solder mask and silk screen (bare FR-4) and incudes 1oz. copper with Tin finish. BareBones™ship in just 1 day, so they are a great low-cost quickturn option (no min. order required).
2 & 4 Layer Prototyping Specials (3-5 Day Turn/Low-Cost Option)
There are two very popular options for low-cost quickturn PCB prototypes that are shipped in just 3-5 days for only $33 each for 2 layer boards and $66 each for 4 layer boards. Your PCB prototypes can be as large as 60 square inches for the 2 layer option or up to 30 square inches for the 4 layer option. They are manufactured using the same high-tech equipment as our production runs.
Standard & Custom Spec Printed Circuit Boards
Our Standard & Custom Spec are our full-service PCB manufacturing options. When prototyping, designers may want to stay within the standard spec parameters to keep costs low. However, both options can be made on a quick-turn basis (shipped as quick as the same day). For PCB prototypes with more advanced requirements, such as over 10 layers, heavy copper up to 20 oz., microvias, and other advanced features, the custom spec option is required.
* Standard Spec pricing assumes lead-free HAL. Alternatively, board finish may be upgraded to ENIG or Silver at no additional cost in the rare event lead-free HAL becomes temporarily unavailable. ¹If overall height or length is less than 1 inch, board will be increased to 1 inch and routed as a rectangle.
Advanced Circuits Offers Tools to Help With Prototyping Boards
Prototyping boards can help ensure the circuit boards in your project are correct and will work without malfunctioning. However, to get to that point, you will first need to design your PCBs. Also, you'll want to check for as many errors as possible before your PCBs are manufactured. Advanced Circuits has software that can help you design and check your prototyping PCBs.
PCB Artist
All circuit board designs have to start from somewhere. While designing PCBs can be complicated, PCB Artist makes it easy, and it's free to download and use. It offers many features other free and paid software don't offer, including: up to 28 layers, over 500,000 parts, a controlled autorouter, multi-page schematics, native eagle import and more. It makes designing PCBs so easy, even those who have no experience, can make the perfect PCB. This is the best software to help you start building your prototype PCBs and eventually even your finished product. Find out more and download it HERE.
FreeDFM
Advanced Circuits can help you save time and money, with our gerber file check software, FreeDFM. You can upload your gerber files to FreeDFM and it will check for errors and will email a report within minutes, detailing the potential errors, and errors the software may have corrected for you. Instead of sending your files to the PCB manufacturer hoping they are correct, this software will check your errors, so you don't have to keep ordering and wasting money from unforeseen errors. Ultimately, this software helps limit the number of tests you have to make with your prototype PCBs. The best part is this software is also free to download and use; in fact we'll give you $100 off your order if you use it. Learn more and download FreeDFM HERE.
While made for many different reasons, prototyping boards are useful to many engineers, hobbyists, and enthusiasts, especially when projects are early in development. Engineers designing PCBs often generate a prototype board prior to full-scale manufacturing of boards for end products. Prototypes may be developed for limited-function boards to test proof-of-concept of single functions, before production of a more complex finished product.
Prototypes fall into several categories:
- Proof-of-concept – this may include some of the intended functionality to prove a circuit design concept is feasible and reliable, but may not include all functionality planned for the final product.
- Working prototype – includes all intended functionality, but could be refined in the final design.
- Visual model – adheres to the final physical design for illustrative purposes, but is not a working prototype.
- Functioning prototype – this stage should include all functionality and characteristics of the final production board. The possible difference is that manufacturing may be performed on different equipment or can even include slightly different materials. This is generally due to differences in facilities at a given fabricator. Some manufacturers may have separate areas where prototypes are developed on a quick-turn basis as opposed to high-volume manufacturing lines that are be more automated or utilize different fabrication processes.
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