[time-nuts] OCXO Support Board

[jimlux]

On 5/13/20 5:56 AM, Bob kb8tq wrote:
> Hi
> 
> There are a number of free ( = there is no license fee ) pcb layout programs out there.
> One of the many is KiCad. It’s not that hard to use. It is very popular. There are a lot
> of YouTube videos and blogs detailing how to do this or that with it. Laying out a board
> to mount an OCXO on is a pretty good starter project.
> 
> Once you get going, a board is a weekend project. Indeed, a simple board might be an
> evening project. There’s not a lot involved.
> 
> Once you have your layout, it goes off to any of a number of outfits. Seeed Studio is
> one that many people use. WellPCB is another that comes with a lot of recommendations.
> As long as you stick with < 100 mm x < 100 mm parts a number of places will sell you
> boards for 50 cents each.
> 
> Shipping does cost $20 to $30, so doing more than one board at a time is a pretty good
> idea. If you are laying out five boards a week, batching them up isn’t the hard part :)
> 
> While most don’t seem to use it, many board houses also offer assembly / pick and place
> services. On a board that uses simple parts, that might take out the whole assembly
> process. No idea (yet) how well that part goes ….
> 


I've used several assembly services (in Oregon, as it happens) for small 
boards at work (<100mm square, although that's not a requirement for the 
service) and had relatively good luck. One of the nice things is that 
some services will actually order and kit the parts for you - you send 
them a board design, with a parts list from digikey, and a couple weeks 
later, you get your boards back.

It's not super cheap, but it sure is convenient.