Cheap PCB's from JLC PCB, including cheap postage.

[Nigel Goodwin]

There's often been mention of the price of PCB's from the Chinese manufacturers, in this case JLC PCB.

Now while the boards are cheap (and excellent quality), the cost of getting them from China isn't

I order quite a lot of boards from work, and I've recently used the last of the hundred boards I last ordered for one of our products, so took the opportunity to change the board slightly - as such, I only ordered 5 boards to test, rather than 100 to find out I've messed up, and the boards are useless.

The boards are well under their 100mm x 100mm special offer price of $2, so it seemed a shame to pay $20+ to get them delivered.

Normally we pay for DHL delivery, because we like them to arrive quickly (usually a week from order, or even 5/6 days), but in this case there's no rush, as we're already waiting for other parts, and we've got a stock of 'mostly' built units waiting for those parts. So I went for the cheapest delivery offered - although this only seems available on low cost, or perhaps low weight?, orders.

So this is the actual cost, cut and pasted from the invoice at JLC PCB.

Merchandise Total: USD $2.00 (￡1.58)

Shipping: USD $1.55 (￡1.22)

Subtotal: USD $3.55 (￡2.80)

Import Taxes(20%): USD $0.71 (￡0.56)

Grand Total: USD $4.26 (￡3.36)

So, £3.36 for 5 boards delivered from China, including UK VAT paid (20%), you can't really grumble at that

I placed the order on 8th November, and according to the tracking they are in the UK, have cleared customs, and are in the hands of the local carrier, I imagine they will arrive tomorrow, or even this afternoon.

For a comparison, the 100 similar boards I ordered previously cost this:

Merchandise Total: USD $52.10 (￡41.04)

Shipping: USD $67.32 (￡53.03)

Subtotal: USD $119.42 (￡94.07)

Import Taxes(20%): USD $23.89 (￡18.82)

Grand Total: USD $143.31 (￡112.89)

To be fair, that works out at £1.13 per board, compared to £0.67 per board for the 5 on the special offer with slow postage. It is annoying though when the postage is more than the goods

 

[MrAl]

They just want gerber files, the standard that all PCB programs provide. They even have their own free program you can use, either on-line, or as a download. Personally I use DesignSpark PCB, which is free from RS - depending which version you want to use, but the free version is fine for me (it's now a subscription based model, but there's a free subscription version).

Hi Nigel,

Well, what I usually like to do is design the traces using a drawing tool, not really a PCB tool, which leads me to have an image file of the copper clad. That's all it is though, an image file.

What I would like to do is order boards with this, but if I have to convert to 'Gerber' files can I do that somehow manually, or is there some program that can read my image file and convert it into Gerber files?

I have not used "Gerber" files yet because back when I did any of this kind of design we used that black tape and clear sheets to make the trace patterns. That was some 40 or more years ago. Since then all I have done is make by own hand draw boards using something like a sharpie, and etching them at home.

The boards I would make would be fairly simple, maybe 3 inches by 4 inches (about 75mm by 100mm).

 

[MrAl]

To "level the field", it would require an effort similar to leveling a whole mountain to fill up a valley.

ExpressPCB, which I used for almost 20 years, the only decent service it offers is the Miniboard Pro service, which consists of:

• 3 boards of 2-layer, with a fixed size of 96.5 X 63.5 mm
• No cutouts or slots or shapes other than rectangular.
• Silkscreen only on a single layer.
• No electrical test.
• Pb-HASL the only available surface finish.
• Only green color available for the soldermask.
• Only 1oz copper.
• Minimum hole thickness 0.15mm
• Only 0.060" thick FR4 substrate.
• No plugged via options, nor NPTH options.
• No castellated holes nor edge plating.
• All of this for US $78 plus $26.73 ground shipping, for a total of $104.73 !!!!!

If I go for JLCPCB, and select a board with the same essential construction, I get:

• 5 boards variable dimensions up to 100X100mm
• The ExpressPCB constraints are non-existent, and are either no-cost options (electrical test slots, plugged vias, both side silkscreen, several substrate thicknesses, smaller holes) or may be had for a moderate price (copper weight, soldermask colors, substrate material, advanced finishing).
• The price is US $2.00 for the boards plus $1.52 slow shipping for a total of $$3.52; Even if I select UPSExpress, it is only $18.06 for the shipping and I will still get them earlier than ExpressPCB outrageous ground shipping.

To me, the JLCPCB vs ExpressPCB is the poster child of the China vs USA manufacturing conundrum. Not only there is an abysmal cost difference which cannot be solely filled up with tariffs, but their service and capabilities are at a far, far superior level.
The tariffs will be crippling..... for US consumers.

That's interesting, and I'd like to order some boards myself, but I need a way to convert my image files (like .bmp or .png) into Gerber files, apparently. Any ideas?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

That's interesting, and I'd like to order some boards myself, but I need a way to convert my image files (like .bmp or .png) into Gerber files, apparently. Any ideas?

Use a PCB program and create the gerber files directly, as I said before JLC PCB have a free version, either on-line or off-line, it's a LOT easier than physically drawing them in the first place. Download a program, or go on-line, and have a go.

As I also mentioned, I use DesignSpark PCB, free edition, so I never tried the JLC offering, but many here use it.

 

[For The Popcorn]

EasyEDA standard version from JLCPCB is indeed easy to use, with a short learning curve. The component/footprint library is huge and probably has almost any component you can imagine.

BUT.... while it's possible to lay out a pcb directly, it's geared towards marking a schematic first, defining the components, footprints and connections, then transferring that information to the pcb to lay it out. It's easy to use if you follow the flow – if you bring a mindset of "this is how I demand it work", it won't be so easy.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Just for information, the PCB's actually arrived on Thursday 21st Nov, my day off - so I only got to them this morning

I'm currently assembling one as a test.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

OK, the one I build as a test is fine, so I've placed an order for 100 of them

 

[augustinetez]

That's interesting, and I'd like to order some boards myself, but I need a way to convert my image files (like .bmp or .png) into Gerber files, apparently. Any ideas?

Have a look at this, not free but might do what you want https://imagetopcb.com/

 

[Tony Stewart]

Trump the Great Deflector and Saviour of some fears like rejecting the immigrants who can take minimum wage jobs not union ones and will create rising costs to middle-class with discretionary spending and lower the taxes for those in his bracket. What a great plan!

I used to get the best deals for 8-layer FR4 or 2 oz Kapton RF boards with a turnaround from quality shops like Sierra Express in SJ and Tektronix in Beaverton while the boys would do simple boards etched in-house with photo film and UV etch, rinse and tin plate. A 48h 10-board turn deal would be around $2k-$3k in the early '90's But then a PC cost just about that. I got the gerbers out by modem in a few minutes after the quote was received and approved. Then I figured out the volume cost was mainly the weight of copper unless complicated with Blind or BV's.

 

[ronsimpson]

new tariff will be 6% plus 60% new tariff.

Then Republicans will wonder why prices are so high, and why we can't export anything.

 

[For The Popcorn]

They've been promised China will pay the tariffs.... so they'll eat six bucks on the thing they sell for ten. Makes perfect sense, right?

 

[ZipZapOuch]

Then Republicans will wonder why prices are so high, and why we can't export anything.

Before the 2016 election, Mexico was paying for the wall. Before 2024 election, China is paying the tariff.

Nobody asks, if cost is added to the supply chain, how will prices remain the same?

 

[ronsimpson]

Nobody asks, if cost is added to the supply chain, how will prices remain the same?

In my job, I say, " for a $0.03 part I can add a feature." and accounting informs me that they have a 10x market up on everything. My 0.03 part costs 0.30 to the end price.
I am thinking that a $10 board costs the consumer $100. If we add $6 terrif to the board, we will have a $160 product. Trump's government will have the $60 to build walls.
I have a terrible problem with China making the same thing and putting it on the market. My $10 (or $16) board, they make for $8. They have a 3x markup and it hits the market for $24.00.

 

[MrAl]

Have a look at this, not free but might do what you want https://imagetopcb.com/

Hi,

That looks very interesting thanks for posting.