HELP! –> First, go to the proper process guide and make sure you've followed our most up-to-date process. If that doesn't resolve the issue, see the Knowledge Base for processing issues/concerns/questions.
See our tips and tricks page for some advanced processing concepts (or just interesting tidbits).
The above guides targeted towards End Users and PIs (Peer Instructors) who want to know about the standard fabrication process often employed at The Hive, either before they are certified or afterwards. It is not intended to serve as a technical manual for any of these three tools or the software that controls them; for those, see the individual tool SOPs. It is also not intended to serve as a complete list of all processes that can be achieved with this tool suite. It is simply a step-by-step guide to our standardized processes.
The Hive has a suite of LPKF tools that enable students to fabricate 2-layer prototype-quality PCBs with fully-plated vias on campus. With additional setup, they can also apply soldermask and silkscreen for a production-quality finish, cut a solder paste stencil for part placement, and a reflow solder the components to the board. The tools have numerous additional capabilities beyond simple PCB fabrication, including 2.5D milling and exotic substrates. We encourage our users to explore new uses for the tools; however, as these options are beyond the scope of this document, if you’re interested in doing a non-standard process, we ask that you contact us beforehand.
The Hive's PCB fabrication tool suite has the following capabilities:
The full suit includes the following:
If you’re board passes OshPark’s specs (OshPark .dru file), it can be made using our process (see their website for details). However, our process can, in fact, go beyond that in some ways. See our Knowledge Base and Tips and Tricks pages for additional information.
| Specification | Theoretical Minimum (see note below) | Recommended Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Trace width | 1 mils (0.05 mm) | 5 mils (0.25 mm) |
| Trace spacing (“pitch”) | 1 mils (0.025 mm) | 5 mils (0.15 mm) |
| Polygon isolation | 10 mils (0.25 mm) | 24 mils (0.75 mm) |
| Drill hit | 6 mil (0.15 mm) | 15 mil (0.4 mm) |
| Drill X/Y resolution | +/- 0.01 mil (0.25 μm) | |
| Drill repeat accuracy | +/- 0.2 mil (5 μm) | |
| Laser repeatability | 0.08 mils (2 μm) | |
| Drill hit | 0.05 mil (1.2 μm) | |
Note: If you're considering a design at our theoretical minimum capabilities, first strongly consider whether you need that level of precision. If the answer is still yes, go to the ProtoLaser (for etching) and ProtoMat (for drilling) help sections for advice on reaching those new lows.