<br>Before delving further into the various ways a small to medium sized electronics design team could obtain both a cheap prototype of a working product, and full blown PCB production, let’s look first at how this all comes to be. Is There Such A Thing As a Cheap PCB Prototype? The truth is that a cheap printed circuit board prototype can and does exist. But this is not the question you should be asking, it’s why a cheap printed circuit board manufacturing option exists.<br>
<br>So why do so many electronic design teams choose to purchase a printed circuit board from the manufacturer and then take it home to implement? Many times it is because they have been told a PCB manufacturer only carries a small run of the product, or they require a certain number of boards in order to complete their project. Sometimes it is as simple as one team member requiring a certain component. Either way, the use of a cheap pcb prototype can save an enormous amount of time and money in pursuing multiple prototype orders for an outsourcing manufacturer.<br>
<br>The need to have a cheap pcb prototype arises when several teams within an organization fail to agree on the design or the implementation of their products. Often these products will be used in multiple markets or by several different teams within the company. All of these components need to be approved for production before any production can take place. In the past the only option would be to send the wrong boards to the customer; but now there are options that make using a PCB prototype much easier. Instead of having to use the same circuit boards from the OEM, the teams can use a PCB design service which holds a large database containing thousands of compatible web designs.<br>
<br>A cheap pcb prototype often saves an enormous amount of time and money by using off-the-shelf components and minimizing design mistakes. Off-the-shelf components might include IC or printed circuit board. These manufacturers rarely have a database containing hundreds of different components, so many mistakes will occur which delays production and makes the final product much more expensive than it should be.<br>
<br>By using a cheap pcb prototype instead of purchasing a full pcb production you can save a lot of money upfront without having to pay for a large number of defective pcb’s. Many of the PCB manufacturers offer guarantee programs and on-time guarantees. This ensures that they stand behind the quality of their products and have a long warranty with which to prove their commitment.<br>
<br>Many of the off-the-shelf components are not designed to withstand the stresses of high volume production. When using a cheap pcb prototype, you are guaranteed to be producing the exact same quality product which is used in manufacturing. The final product will have the same hard-to-fix imperfections which were found during testing at the manufacturing company. Often the cost savings from using a less expensive material is worth the extra time spent finding a supplier of the exact component you need. The time saved is not as important as finding the best source for your cheap pcb prototypes.<br>