ESP32 Dev Board - JLCPCB Panellising ok?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- I got a bunch of my latest PCB's panellised via JLCPCB's online (free) panellising service and it's time to check out how good the results are!
Did it cut the mustard? Let's find out!
★ Subscribing, Liking and Sharing my videos really makes a difference. If you are not subscribed, please consider it and then click the alarm button to be notified when I release new videos. Thanks!
★ FOLLOW ME
/ unexpectedmaker
/ unexpectedmaker
/ unexpectedmaker
www.tindie.com...
If you do the panelization yourself you can add routing for the smooth corners and only have vscore for the straight lines. That way you keep the smooth corners which will get routed. Also check your gerber files for how the silkscreen looks before sending them to manufacturing. The factory shouldn't change the way your text looks but often when moving from cad system to gerber files the change occurs.
You are 100% correct - the issue is on gerber export, and not the fault of JLCPCB. I do normally check the gerbers to ensure silkscreens are ok, but for some reason I didn't remember to do it on this batch. I need to make a better 'check list" ;)
The round corners are actually in the panels, but the transition to the VScore area is what makes them feel less round.
I'd like to learn how to do it myself in Eagle - I have lots to learn still :-)
@@UnexpectedMaker Hi, that board design is available online?
I know I am a bit late, but I would change the USB connector back to the Adafruit header. Having the housing of the connector soldered as THT significantly increases the durability of the connector.
Given that this is a development board and therefore quite some insertions and some abuse are to be expected, I'd always go for more robustness. When it comes to connectors, I generally use THT, except for cases in which space constraints don't allow me to do so.
The Adaftuit header is only useful if you have their specific USB connector, which is super expensive, but I have moved to a different header that uses TH slots to give it more mechanical strength, and I've ditched these SMD only ones :-)
Why are there thumbs down? I think this is an awesome video. I didn’t realize you could just snap the boards apart!
There are always down votes... You can't please everyone - that's ok ;)
Thanks,,, learned a lot
I think the curves are per the radius you specify no? Ie I assume that board was defined as "rounded rectangle". I normally tune the radius up or down. Also,,, regarding v-score and leaving clearance,,, I think the point of vscore is 0-clearance straight cut,, and for that reason the specify a distance to "keep traces and components" back from edge of board. I've seem hundreds of people doing esp boards, but yours is the cleanest looking
Congratulations for your videos, could you please explain your way to make your PCBs breakable, thank you very much.
Not really unexpected (no pun intended), that panelising will involve some rough edges when you break the boards apart.
I guess a couple of quick swipes with a flat file will probably tidy that up. A little extra work, for a good cost saving. :)
Yeah I was expecting a rough edge, but maybe not that rough - lol - anyway, I am sure I can file/sand paper it down... just don't breath in the fibreglass dust right? ;)
I tend to use a fine file to take care of edges. :)
Cool! So a panel of 30 is the same cost as 10 of them? That's a lot of boards!! Oh, minor minor spot - that 5V DC silk label is good until you solder a jack over it?!! Could do with it ouside the footprint too? I'd be interested in the boards or kits on Tindie. The Tiny 85 dev ones too 👍👍
Yeah, same price if they fit inside the 100mm x100mm default. Quite a jump in price if they fall outside of that, but still cheap considering multi-boards.
Yeah extra silk on the back would have been a good idea.. rev 3 ;)
I have lots of stuff to prepare for tindie - eventually, maybe ;)
Unexpected Maker keep on making!!
What projects that use your board have you got in mind ? also would love to see your code when you do, and here your thought process, great vids and I hope your channel continues to grow....I, and maybe others, begin WIFI connectivity very exited but after all the nail biting and frustrations of learning the protocols and stuff, find that after you switch an LED on, or read back temp and humidity you kind of run out of ideas...…...wish I had thought about panel's earlier !.....great Tip !
This wasn't made for any specific project... more just to design and make one and share the experience. Once I finish it, I'll be open sourcing all of the files so others can make and learn from it too.
I find that Eagle sometimes does weird things with text and they don't always end up in the same place in the gerber file compared to the board file. It could be me but I see you have had some similar problems.
I get around this by inspecting the gerber files carefully with a gerber viewer before sending them off.
Yup, I've started doing that for every export I do. Using the KiCad gerber viewer. It's not very fast on macOS, but it works and I have caught a few issues so far :-)
Yep. Same same. Good job.
Sadly, JLCPCB now charges for panelizing.
Yup, super sad... this video was obviously recorded a while ago when it was still free. That said, even paying JLC for panellising still works out cheaper than most other PCB houses, or you can panellise your own boards for free :-)
@@UnexpectedMaker They are charging extra engineering fee only if your panelized design excess 10x9cm
Have you tried ordering a stencil from them too? I would be interested to know if any stencil would be for a single board or for the whole (mini) panel. I have a stencilling base that accepts 2.5mm metal dowels that I can align a board up with the stencil (you have to put a couple of special pads on the board). If the whole panel was included on the stencil, you could apply solder paste and reflow the whole panel in one go.
What tool did you use to panelize?
Is there a chance you could say what you put on each of the Eagle files for the gerbers? I have looked but I have not been able to find what should be on each of the Gerber layers. I have tried a few boards but I know that I have put too many and to much on each layer and would like to make it better. Thanks
Cool what are you going to do with the extras ... nevermind.
Well I just ordered another 20x ESP32 WROOM32 modules... so I guess I might might build some boards and sell them on tindie.. or sell kits on tindie or just PCB's if people want.
👍
are those tented vias?
Can you use wet and dry to smooth the board. Not saying use water though.
I can't put them in the dishwasher after I sand them with my orbital sander? :(
I think just some 220 grit sand paper might be enough to take off the roughness. But they are good enough to leave as is if they are going inside something.
220 may be a bit coarse. I'd go and get a few sheets of P1000 from super cheap (or equivalent Aus car place), no fluid.
You could do them in bulk too, solder some solid core wire on the four outermost corners of one PCB (the socket pins would suffice), feed a stack of the boards, say 5 of 10 to allow for stability. Align them, hold with a clamp of sorts (a quick clamp or whatever) then solder the other end of the wire to hold tension, unclasp and sand the sides as a whole group.
Hello! Did you send the panel already made in the gerber, or did you send just one PCB and then panelize using the jlcpcb option? Also, how do you specify the Vcut in the pcb software? thank you
I used JLCPCB to panellise... you don't need to specify vscore... just fill in how many XxY and they do it all.
Great video, thanks. Friendly advice: maybe you should get a camera with auto focus.
Seon, you'll love blog.thisisnotrocketscience.nl/projects/pcb-panelizer/
Yeah I'd seen this before, but forgotten about it... it's an interesting set of tools for sure, thanks for reminding me!
Plz share project link easyeda we can make us
I will be releasing the next design. I'm looking at using CH340C USB chips instead of the FTDI chips as they are 5x cheaper.