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- | I’m ready to have my board professional fabricated. Do you have any recommendations? | + | ==== Knowledge Base ==== |
- | We don’t officially recommend any of the following | + | Where to go if you have general questions about anything.\\ |
+ | \\ | ||
+ | It's suggested that, if you're having processing issues, go to the [[pcb-fab|relevant process guide]] first to confirm you're doing things right. Then look at the relevant tool pages (below) for additional details. \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | [[pcb-help_fab|General | ||
+ | [[pcb-help_PM|ProtoMat]]\\ | ||
+ | [[pcb-help_PL|ProtoLaser]]\\ | ||
+ | [[pcb-help_EP|Electroplater]]\\ | ||
+ | [[pcb-design|PCB design]]\\ | ||
+ | [[pcb-tips|Fab tips and tricks]] | ||
- | + | If you cannot find the answer | |
- | Some additional notes on board design and fabrication: | + | |
- | * Slots are hard in this process. Please consider using a single drill hit that’s wide enough if possible. If it’s unavoidable, | + | |
- | * Plating is typically avoidable by making vias with a diameter of 40 mil (1 mm). A standard 0.1” header pin can then be pushed through and soldered on both the top and bottom. | + | |
- | * Higher polygon isolation will reduce the chance of bridging to a plane during assembly (since we don’t really offer soldermask). However, it will also increase etch time. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | Fabrication | + | |
- | * Process specifications | + | |
- | * Can I add soldermask or silkscreen? | + | |
- | * Is there a recommended DRC/CAM file I can use? | + | |
- | * Do I have to be with my board during the entire fabrication process? | + | |
- | * How long does it take to make a board? | + | |
- | * How long does electroplating take? | + | |
- | * Can I somehow reserve time on the equipment? | + | |
- | * Do the tools have additional capabilities? | + | |
- | Slots\\ | + | |
- | How to use the PM's Operate tab to re-start projects\\ | + | |
- | Substrate thickness | + | |
- | + | ||
- | ===Fabrication=== | + | |
- | + | ||
- | ** Process specifications **\\ | + | |
- | The Hive's PCB fabrication tool suite has the following capabilites: | + | |
- | * // | + | |
- | * //Copper thickness/ | + | |
- | * //Trace width (minimum):// | + | |
- | * //Trace pitch (minimum):// | + | |
- | * //Drill holes (minimum diameter):// | + | |
- | * //Slot:// yes, use overlapping drill hits | + | |
- | * // | + | |
- | + | ||
- | ** Can I add soldermask or silkscreen? **\\ | + | |
- | We have the capability to apply soldermask and silkscreen, though we //do not// recommend attempting this process - it's time-consuming, | + | |
- | + | ||
- | For those who would like to attempt this, instructions are available on our [[pcb-mask-silkscreen-SOP| mask and silkscreen]] page, as well as in the " | + | |
- | + | ||
- | **Is there a recommended DRC/CAM file I can use?**\\ | + | |
- | Yes! | + | |
- | - [[https:// | + | |
- | - [[https:// | + | |
- | + | ||
- | **Do I have to be with my board during the entire fabrication process? | + | |
- | Yes! You must be present for the entire process. This is for safety reasons. PIs have the authority to cancel any unattended boards. You may, however, leave the space //if and only if// you leave a note with a phone number and accept the possibility that something may happen | + | |
- | + | ||
- | **How long does it take to make a board? | + | |
- | It depends on the size and layout of your board. A small board with no electroplating (i.e. no vias) can easily be made in under an hour, while a very large board with lots of copper removed can take over 4 hours not including electroplating. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | **How long does electroplating take?**\\ | + | |
- | Between 2 and 3 hours, regardless of board size. This will plate between 8-15 um of copper onto your surfaces. Less than this processing time can cause unreliable vias with variable thickness of the plating. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | **Can I somehow reserve time on the equipment? | + | |
- | Yes! Although you are not required | + | |
- | | + | |
- | - In the main toolbar on top, on the right, click "Set Active BG/ | + | |
- | - On the main page, locate the Schedule section. Under the drop-down menu that says, “My Schedule - Select a tool to schedule time”, select the tool in question. Note that you cannot reserve time on a tool until you have completed training for it. | + | |
- | - Click and drag on the calendar itself to reserve time. Release the mouse button to bring up the reservation screen. You must enter a description in order to reserve time! Click “Save” to save the reservation. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | We highly advise you to schedule time on all the tools you’ll need, i.e. if you’re fabricating a standard board, you should reserve time on both the Plotter and the Laser. If you do not, and someone schedules time on only the laser, they have priority on the tool. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | // | + | |
- | * Non-PIs (i.e. those who are not volunteers at The Hive) may schedule a maximum of 4 hour block per tool per day during The Hive’s open hours, and up to 4 days in advance. | + | |
- | * PI’s may schedule up to 8 hours per tool per day, up to 7 days in advance. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | ** Do the tools have additional capabilities? | + | |
- | //NOTE: The following capabilities are allowed in the spec of the tool, but we do not support these functions, meaning that our PIs and MPIs do not have experience with them, so you will be on your own if you attempt any of them!//\\ | + | |
- | The ProtoMat has the capability to do aluminum and plastic 2-dimensional milling. The ProtoLaser can etch a very wide variety of substrates and films. The electroplater has the ability to do tin plating (though we don't carry the necessary solution by default). We also have the LPKF ProConduct system that enables manual electropating of individual vias for RF PCBs (proceed with caution here). | + |