I am at the point that my projects are becoming limited by the space on my breadboard. Rather than buying more, I have decided to look into PCB fabrication. My question is this: is it cheaper to make your own PCBs for prototyping, or should I send my plans away and have them fabbed elsewhere? If you do make your own boards at home, how much does it cost per square unit (approximately) and what method do you use?
If it helps, I am in Australia so I don't have many fab businesses close by.
Best Answer
I often make my own prototype PCBs at home. I made my own UV exposure unit for about £20, and use a cheap HP inkjet printer with Mega Electronics (UK) Jetstar Premium film for the transparencies and Mega's FPC16 positive resist pre-coated boards, developed in sodium hydroxide solution and etched in ferric chloride. The FPC16 costs about 1p a sq. inch, and the film costs roughly the same. I can make a PCB in about 30 minutes (not including drilling), and can do 8/8 mil tracks without any problems.
Join the Homebrew PCB Yahoo group if you need more information on the various techniques that are available.