QRZ! Ham Radio 1/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - December 1993.iso/arrl/pc_boa.rds

Text File | 1993-11-21 | 14KB | 381 lines

ARRL Technical Information Service

Printed-Circuit Board Manufacturers - Custom and Supplies
Rev: October 1, 1993    File: PCBOARD (\public\info\tis\pcboard.txt)

This  information  was prepared as a membership  service  by  the
American Radio Relay League, Inc., Technical Information Service,
225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111 [phone].
Email: [e-mail]

>From the files of the ARRL Automated Information Server
([e-mail])

Reprinted from: October 1993 QST, Lab Notes, "Printed-Circuit Board Circus"
Copyright 1993 American Radio Relay League, Inc.
All rights reserved

Thank you for requesting the following information from the  ARRL
Technical Information Service or the ARRL Automated Information Server
([e-mail]).

ARRL  HQ is glad to provide this information free of charge as  a
service to League members and affiliated clubs.

For   your   convenience,  you  may  reproduce   this   material,
electronically,  or  on paper, and distribute it  to  anyone  who
needs  it, provided that you reproduce it in its entirety and  do
so free of charge.

If  you  have any question concerning the  distribution  of  this
material,  please  contact Michael Tracy,  Technical  Information
Service Coordinator, American Radio Relay League, 225 Main  St.,
Newington, CT 06111
(email: [e-mail])

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Printed Circuit Board Circus

When it comes to building your own equipment, printed circuit
boards sure  make the job easier.  But do you buy your boards
premade, or make them yourself?  If you choose to make them
yourself, which process should you use?  Mike Gruber, WA1SVF, ARRL
Laboratory Engineer, comes to the rescue with information can you
use!--WB8IMY

Q: Mike, my son and I are interested in building some electronics
projects.  It seems like a great way to learn, and I think we'll
both enjoy the experience.  Printed circuit boards seem to be
almost universal these days, but are they really necessary?

A:  In most cases, no.  In fact, numerous  other  construction
techniques, such as wire wrap, "ugly" construction, breadboarding
and point to point wiring, are frequently used by the home
electronics hobbyist.  The best technique for your particular
project depends upon its complexity, the need for easy
modifications during development, durability, the environment in
which it will be used, ease of construction, components used,
operating frequency and other circuit requirements.

Q:   Wow, this sounds complicated!  Let's concentrate on printed-
circuit boards. What advantages do they offer?

A:  Well, commercial manufacturers favor PC boards for a variety
of reasons, including automated manufacturing and  product
consistency.  As a hobbyist, you can enjoy some of  these same
benefits at home.  Printed circuits offer faster, easier
construction.  They also reduce the chances of wiring errors.  At
UHF and microwave frequencies, printed circuit traces can even be
used to simulate actual circuit components, such as  capacitors,
inductors and transmission lines.
     Assuming that you're interested in building published
designs, PC board construction will probably be one of the  more
appealing options.  The most difficult part, of course, is
obtaining the boards themselves.

Q:   That's what I was afraid of.  How do you go about getting a
board for a particular project?

A:  Many published projects, and virtually all recent QST
projects, have PC boards available.  Your best bet is to contact
the source called out in the article.  Two excellent sources for
QST project boards are:

                  A & A Engineering
                  2521 W La Palma Ave
                  Unit K
                  Anaheim, CA 92801
                  tel: [phone]

A&A also carries PC boards for projects published in other
magazines.  They also manufacture boards, but the cost is
prohibitive for  quantities less than 100.  (Stas Andrzejewski,
W6UCM, president)

                  FAR Circuits
                  18N640 Field Ct
                  Dundee, IL 60118
                  (No telephone number available)

In addition to many QST project boards, FAR also sells PC boards
for projects that appear in the ARRL Handbook, QEX, W1FB's QRP
Notebook and QRP Classics.  FAR will manufacture custom boards if
you provide the artwork.  Small quantities.  Send an SASE for
complete information. (Fred Reimers, KF9GX, owner)

     So you have the choice of buying a premade circuit board, or
creating your own. It's not surprising that some hobbyists prefer
to make their own boards.

Q:  Really?  Is it really possible to make the boards at home?
I'll bet it's expensive!  How is it done?

A:  The least expensive approach involves using a special Magic
Marker-type pen, tape or dry transfer to outline the desired
pattern on a solid copper-clad board.  You can create your own
pattern--often referred to as artwork--from a schematic diagram,
or use the pattern published in the magazine.  For many QST
projects, a pattern is available free of charge from the
Technical Department Secretary.  See the project description for
ordering information.
     After the  pattern is created on the board,  the  board is
placed in a tank containing a corrosive etching chemical,
usually ferric chloride.  This chemical eats away all the
undesired copper.  Only the copper protected by the ink, tape or
transfer coating remains.  The board is then rinsed and the
coating is removed.  All that remains is to drill the necessary
holes for the components.

     Everything you need for this particular process is available
from your local Radio Shack.  Their 276-1576 PC Board Kit
includes:

                  (2) 4.5" X 3" single-sided boards
                  (1) Resist ink pen
                  (1) PC board cleaning pad
                  (1) 1/16" drill
                  (1) plastic box/tank
                  (1) Six-ounce bottle of etchant
                  (1) Two-ounce bottle of resist ink solvent

     This complete kit, by the way, is enough for two 4 1/2 x 3-
inch boards and costs $9.95.  Printed circuit boards can be a
relatively minor expense when compared to the overall cost of
most projects.  Also available from Radio Shack are:

276-1499--Dual-sided PC board, 115 mm x 160 mm
276-1577A--Direct etching dry transfers (4 sheets 7 7/8" x 3")

    The resist ink, tape or dry transfer process can be time
consuming and tedious for very complex circuit boards.  As an
alternative, you may wish to consider the photo process.  Not only
does the accuracy improve, you don't have to trace the circuit
pattern yourself!
     At the heart of the photo-etching process is a copper board
coated with a light-sensitive chemical.  In a sense, this board
becomes your photographic film.
     The first step to is make a contact print of the desired
pattern.  To accomplish this, the printed circuit artwork is
transferred to special copy film.  This film is attached to the
copper side of the board and both are exposed to intense light.
The areas of the board that are exposed to the light--those areas
not shielded by the black portions of the  artwork--undergo  a
chemical change.  This creates an invisible "image" of the artwork
on the copper surface.
      Now the film, er, I mean PC board, is developed (developing
techniques  vary).  After the board is developed, the etching
chemicals will remove the copper from all areas of the board that
were exposed to the light.  The result is a PC board that looks
like it was made in a factory.
       Everything you need for the photo process, as well as
Resist Ink-type processes, is available from:

              Kepro Circuit Systems
              630 Axminister Dr
              Fenton, MO 63026-2992
              tel: [phone]
                   314-343-1630
              fax: [phone]

     The photo process offers a very convenient method to
reproduce published artwork.  If you have access to a laser
printer, you can make boards from the output of a CAD program.
Kepro sells a special copy film that can be used with a laser
printer or a standard photocopy machine to create ready-to-etch
artwork.  A positive can also be made from the copy film, if
necessary, with  Kepro's new orange reversal film.  It can be
developed in ordinary tap water.
     Another source for complete circuit board kits (similar to
the Kepro process), single and double-sided boards, chemicals,
tape and other equipment is:

              GC Thorsen
              1801 Morgan St
              PO Box 1209
              Rockford, IL 61102
              tel: [phone] (Call for nearest distributor)
              fax: [phone]

              The Meadowlake Corp
              Dept 1
              PO Box 497
              Northport, NY 11768
              tel: [phone]

              PCB Kits
              750 Mariday
              Lake Orion, MI 48362
              tel: [phone]

  If you're looking for printed circuit board kits, chemicals,
tools and other materials, try:

                     Ocean State Electronics
                     PO Box 1458
                     Westerly, RI 02891
                     tel: [phone]

     Ocean State carries products by Kepro, GC, Datak and the
Meadowlake Company.  See pages 43, 44 and 45 of Ocean State's 1993
catalog.

Q:  What about commercial circuit board manufacturers?   What
advantages do they offer?  Will they manufacture boards from my
home design, or from a magazine project--even if I don't want
10,000 pieces?

A: Yes, there are companies willing to manufacture small-quantity
printed circuit boards.  They can offer features that are not
readily available to the home board maker, such as multiple
layers, plated-through holes, special plating and precision
tolerances.  Although most of these features are not necessary for
home-type projects, some hobbyists prefer to have their boards
manufactured for the sake of convenience.  (The manufactured
approach is also handy for club projects where many boards are
required.)
      When choosing a printed circuit board maker, be sure to
shop around.  Prices and artwork requirements can vary
considerably.  Some companies even accept CAD artwork via
telephone modem!

      Here is a partial list of companies that will manufacture
PC boards in small, or even single, quantities:

Colt Technology Corporation
Mid-America Industrial Estates
15301 W 109th St
Lenexa, KS 66219-1294
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]
A 24 hour modem service is available.

Express Circuits
1150 Foster St
PO Box 58
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]

Primarily a prototype house, but can accommodate short runs in
the 25 to 500 unit range.  Can accept artwork generated by
smARTWORK, HIWIRE-Plus, TANGO.PCB, TANGO SERIES II, PROTEL
AUTOTRAX, EE Designer I or EE DESIGNER III.

General Technology Corporation  (GTC)
6816 Washington NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]
Considers their market niche to be, "the small-quantity user who
typically needs delivery in less time than the industry average."

Speedy Circuits
Division of PJC Technologies, Inc
5332 Commercial Dr
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]
A typical prototype run is expected to be from five to ten pieces.

Atlas Circuits Company
PO Box 892
Lincolnton, NC 28092
tel: [phone]
Specializes in prototypes, short runs and small quantities  with
7 to 10-day service.


Note:  Products and manufacturers are listed in this column for
informational purposes only.  No warranty or endorsement is
expressed or implied.

We welcome your suggestions for topics to be discussed in Lab
Notes, but we are unable to answer individual questions.  Please
send your comments or suggestions to:  Lab Notes, ARRL, 225  Main
St, Newington, CT 06111.



Additional PCBoard manufacturers:

Beaver Brook Circuits
10 Grassy Plain Street
Bethel, CT 06801
comments: reasonable prices, fairly quick turnaround, small runs accepted

Brock Circuits, Inc.
101 Schnieder Rd
Kanata ON Canada K2K 1Y3
tel: [phone]

Metro Circuits
205 LaGrange Ave
Rochester, NY 14613
tel: [phone]
comment: pricey, but they have low turnaround

Midland Technologies
34374 E. Frontage Road
Bozeman, MT 59715

PCBOARDS, Inc.
210 W. Main Street
Chanute, KS 66720
tel: [phone]
comments: slow turnaround, but very affordable for small runs

PCB Prototypes of Sandy, UT
Ronald Baker
8195 South 2660 East
Sandy, UT 84093
comments:  no phone number available.  Affordable plated-through
hole work

PSI Inc.
514-T Milton Way
St. Helens, OR 97051
tel: [phone]
comments: flexible, quick turn around, small runs accepted

SM Company
170 Broadway
Ashville, NC 28801
tel: [phone]
comments:  cheap  overall, but a lot of setup charges added.
competitive for small runs

Trend
888 Washington Street
Dedham, MA 02026
tel: [phone]
commects: expensive, but they specialize in multi-layer work

Volunteer Circuits Inc.
Dept. T
Highway 20
Bells, TN 38006
comments: similar to PSI for service

----------------------------------------------------------------------

If anyone knows of any other suppliers of inexpensive custom prototype
printed-circuit boards or small-quantity printed-circuit board supplies,
please send the information by postal mail to:

ARRL Technical Information Archives
225 Main St
Newington CT 06111


The members and HQ staff would like to thank the following people for
their contributions to this information file:

WA1SVF

Send any additional information or changes to [e-mail].

Thanks, and 73 from ARRL HQ, Michael.