Author Topic: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap  (Read 75715 times)

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Offline ev4n

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #25 on: July 29, 2019, 08:56:20 am »
Hi,

It's about to launch (i was told end of July):
https://jlcpcb.com/smt-assembly

From everything i've read here and playing around there are a couple of ways of using this:
1) Browse LCSC for stock, then search Altium GIT libraries for the same part
2) Using EasyEDA browse components using the "SMT" library option and drop them on a blank schematic. You can then export the schematics and PCB footprints.

Option 2) looks like the best way to go since you can check the stock levels and maybe the symbols/footprints/part numbers etc will be more compatible with their system.

I've created a template Altium project with JLCPCB rules, stack-up for 4-layer board and placed a bunch of common parts (0402, 0603, 0805 caps/res etc) on a blank schematic. Will share once i've had a chance to submit using their SMT line.

 
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Offline bd139

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #26 on: July 29, 2019, 09:08:59 am »
Thanks for the heads up. Really interested in this.  :-+
 

Offline mrpackethead

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #27 on: July 29, 2019, 10:39:21 am »
pcb fab spamming ????
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Offline bd139

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #28 on: July 29, 2019, 10:42:39 am »
Possible but it's on topic and informative and 100% in context in this case so I'm ok with it.
 

Offline sokoloff

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #29 on: July 29, 2019, 11:28:37 am »
Possible but it's on topic and informative and 100% in context in this case so I'm ok with it.
I'm always on guard for slippery slopes, but I have to agree 100% in this specific case.
 

Online Simon

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #30 on: July 29, 2019, 11:33:59 am »
Thats funny' two first time posters immediately hitting it off, hm, OK I'll pretend for now, flinch and your out!
« Last Edit: July 29, 2019, 11:51:36 am by Simon »
 
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Offline voltsandjolts

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #31 on: July 29, 2019, 11:40:03 am »
Yeh, spam. But I am a little bit excited about it so its OK by me.

The 'basic' component list is useful, just getting passives fitted would be a big help.
 

Online EEVblog

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #32 on: July 29, 2019, 11:50:07 am »
pcb fab spamming ????

Looks that way on the surface, but not evidence behind the scenes.
Another paid PCB voucher program thing if real users promote in other forums?
 

Offline thm_w

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #33 on: July 29, 2019, 10:40:25 pm »
1) Browse LCSC for stock, then search Altium GIT libraries for the same part
2) Using EasyEDA browse components using the "SMT" library option and drop them on a blank schematic. You can then export the schematics and PCB footprints.

Option 2) looks like the best way to go since you can check the stock levels and maybe the symbols/footprints/part numbers etc will be more compatible with their system.

For 1) I assume you just mean search through online Altium libs to see if anyone has created it, and there is no official LCSC lib.
2) is cool, didn't realize they had an "Export to Altium" option, surprising.. must mean a lot about the state of the tool in China.

edit: I tried placing one part and altium wouldn't open the schematic file, didn't bother testing further.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2019, 12:22:08 am by thm_w »
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Offline mrpackethead

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #34 on: July 29, 2019, 11:29:27 pm »
1) Browse LCSC for stock, then search Altium GIT libraries for the same part
2) Using EasyEDA browse components using the "SMT" library option and drop them on a blank schematic. You can then export the schematics and PCB footprints.

Option 2) looks like the best way to go since you can check the stock levels and maybe the symbols/footprints/part numbers etc will be more compatible with their system.

For 1) I assume you just mean search through online Altium libs to see if anyone has created it, and there is no official LCSC lib.
2) is cool, didn't realize they had an "Export to Altium" option, surprising.. must mean a lot about the state of the tool in China.

Its very widespread because you can "buy" a copy for 50RMB @ the Huaqiangbei Electronics Market.

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Offline ev4n

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #35 on: July 30, 2019, 06:25:11 am »
Details on the 'official' library are here (i had to use google translate):

http://club.szlcsc.com/article/details_963_1.html

I don't know who's maintaining it.

The EasyEDA library seems to be complete with symbols/footprints for all the stocked parts. It took me about 15min to create a library with 10 unique parts - good enough for me. I prefer to keep a separate library per project anyway. It's probably quicker than Digikey's symbol/footprint tool.
 

Offline Harvs

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #36 on: July 30, 2019, 08:22:13 am »
Given the cost of a stencil is almost as much as their NRE (which includes the stencil, but you don't get it in the end), when this is up and running there as long as it's not a PITA to get libraries configured for them, I can't see any reason not to use the service (or a similar one from someone else).
 

Offline mskeete

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #37 on: July 30, 2019, 09:26:34 am »
I found that link a few days ago but thought it was already mentioned here otherwise I would have posted it.

Can't wait.
 

Offline ev4n

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #38 on: July 30, 2019, 08:37:31 pm »
I pushed them for an updated date and got the following response :( So i guess sometime this month...

 

Offline SMTech

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #39 on: July 30, 2019, 08:47:57 pm »
Interesting, slightly limited perhaps if you want specific brands of things there's some huge gaps in that list. Green green green
 

Offline thm_w

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #40 on: July 31, 2019, 12:28:01 am »
The EasyEDA library seems to be complete with symbols/footprints for all the stocked parts. It took me about 15min to create a library with 10 unique parts - good enough for me. I prefer to keep a separate library per project anyway. It's probably quicker than Digikey's symbol/footprint tool.

This is kind of surprising, they have symbols/footprints for these oddball parts, but then when you go to search by parameters often a lot are missing or not available to search by..
Wonder if they've automated the symbol generation to some extent, or pulled from an existing library.

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Offline Harvs

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #41 on: July 31, 2019, 09:41:45 am »
So is anyone else running a competing service?

In particular I'm thinking of the very fast turn time on a standard library of parts.  I haven't seen anything else like it from the other suppliers I've used.

Being able to order a prototype board with the majority of jellybean parts mounted for an extra 24hrs really would be a significant change to how I'd do prototyping.

Though I don't understand the 2/4-layer limitation.  A number of times I've used 6-layers on a low quantity design where it made the design easier and quicker to route (and hence cheaper when time is factored in.)  But it would be no different to actually assemble the PCB.
 

Offline Harvs

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #42 on: July 31, 2019, 10:04:18 am »
So I politely asked about the 6-layer thing, the response I got was:

"Thank you for your support,but it is our of our capability now."

So effectively a non-answer.
 

Offline mrpackethead

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #43 on: July 31, 2019, 10:17:09 am »
Was not quite entirely clear where the repo was. but anyway.


git clone https://gitee.com/JLC_SMT/JLCSMT_LIB.git
« Last Edit: July 31, 2019, 10:19:51 am by mrpackethead »
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Offline sokoloff

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #44 on: July 31, 2019, 10:49:00 am »
It may be that they don't make 6+ layer boards in the same factory as the PnP equipment and can't take the 6 layer boards in as full panels for downstream processing. Or, it could just be that they predict that not enough people order 6 layer boards for assembly that they'd be running full panels (of mixed boards) and placing components on 1% of the board area or having to handle the 1% of boards by hand (not as panels).
 

Offline OwO

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #45 on: July 31, 2019, 01:49:57 pm »
They are using one big stencil per panel and that only works if there are enough customer designs to combine onto a panel, all of which must be PCBA orders.
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Offline Harvs

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #46 on: July 31, 2019, 10:15:46 pm »
That makes sense re volume of orders for 6-layer.  I guess in time that'll change.

Just looking at their website now, the price has gone down even further.  So now the setup fee is less than buying a stencil. Unbelievable...

"Prices start at $7.00 set up fee,$0.002 assembly fee per joint. No stencil charges"
 

Offline TimCambridge

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #47 on: July 31, 2019, 10:53:19 pm »
I looked at one part: XC7A75T-2FGG484I. Around $130 at Digi and Mouser, $26 at LCSC. A mistake I expect, or is this another wrinkle in the Chinese market?
 

Offline ataradov

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #48 on: July 31, 2019, 11:17:42 pm »
The prices are probably real, I also noticed a few ICs that are way too expensive on DigiKey, yet very cheap on LCSC. But I've been tracking availability over time, and it is not good. So you may get those 50 pcs, and nothing after.
Alex
 

Offline mrpackethead

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Re: JLC PCB Prototype Assembly - Incredibly Cheap
« Reply #49 on: August 01, 2019, 07:05:49 am »
I looked at one part: XC7A75T-2FGG484I. Around $130 at Digi and Mouser, $26 at LCSC. A mistake I expect, or is this another wrinkle in the Chinese market?

Digi and Mouser are extremely easy, but extremely expensive.   
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