Cheap PCB sourcing from less than reputable vendors can be costly.  Poor quality standards is a typical issue, but there are other important factors to take into consideration, such as turnaround time, consistency, and service.  Cheap PCB manufacturers in China and Taiwan usually have long lead times and since boards have to be shipped across the world there are high shipping costs if faster shipping is required.  Not to mention frequent U.S. Customs delays and even import duties to be paid once you receive the boards.  Communication and customer service from some of these “no touch” PCB manufacturers can also be an issue.

Looking for Cheap PCB Prototyping without Sacrificing Quality & Lead-Time?

Advanced Circuits has created a special pricing option for 2 and 4 layer printed circuit boards that are made using the same high-tech equipment, materials, and quality standards as our Standard Spec and Custom Spec options.  This option is great for prototyping because it was created for those that need very small quantities and are shipped in as fast as one day.  There are three low-cost PCB prototyping options available:

For 2 Layer PCBs:

• BareBones – Our BareBones is a very basic board on FR4 material with 1 oz. copper and Tin Finish.  BareBones do not have solder mask or silkscreen, but the biggest benefit to ordering these boards for prototyping is the ability to order as few as just 1 piece with the turn time of just 1 day!  Note that you can get your BareBones for free when you place a Standard or Custom Spec order for the same part number – click here for details.
• $33Each – Our $33Each deal is also a simple 2 layer board on FR4 material with 1 oz. copper and Lead-Free Solder Finish but it does include solder mask and silkscreen on both sides.  The great benefit to using this deal is you can order as few as just 3 pieces that ship in 5 days and you can have a board as big as 60 square inches without additional charges for the size of your board.

For 4 Layer PCBs:

• $66 Layers – This deal is great for simple 4 layer boards with 1 oz. copper and Lead-Free Solder Finish.  Boards can be as big as 30 square inches and still qualify for this deal!  Order as few as 4 pieces with a turn time of just 5 days.

These low-cost alternatives can give you peace-of-mind knowing that your prototypes will be manufactured quickly and arrive on time with the high quality standards you can expect from Advanced Circuits.

Advanced Circuits “Hands-On” Approach: Did you know all circuit board design files are manually inspected by our experienced CAM engineers to find manufacturability issues prior to production?  This helps customers fix any possible issue before production starts to avoid receiving boards that are not usable.

To learn more about our 2 and 4 layer PCB special pricing options, please click here for details.

Advanced Circuits Offers High Quality Options for Cheap PCB Prototyping

Our 2 and 4 layer prototyping special allows customers to cut cost without sacrificing PCB quality or turnaround speed.  Our 2 & 4 Layer Special options are manufactured in our state-of-the-art Colorado facility using the same high tech equipment as our regular production of Standard and Custom Spec options.

Our BareBones™ option for 2 layer design ships in just 1 day with no minimum quantity requirements .  This options is made without Soldermask and without Silkscreen, hence the “BareBones™” name.  This option is great for those that need a very quick prototype to test out a simple design.  The BareBones™ special is not only popular because it is a cheap PCB prototyping option, but also because of you can choose to be reimbursed the cost of the BareBones™ boards when you “upgrade” your part number to a Standard Spec on your next run.

Another great option for 2 layer prototype boards is the $33 Each Special.  This special pricing option allows you to manufacture any size PCB (up to 60 square inches) for the fixed price of only $33.  That’s correct, your design can be for small boards, medium boards, or large boards up to 60 square inches and it will only cost $33 each.  Custom shapes are allowed and the minimum order quantity is only 3 pieces – ships in just 5 days!  You may also use as much of the 60 square inches available with a multi-part or array for a small fee.

Similar to our “$33 Each” special, our 4 layer prototyping option also ships in just 5 days.  You can order any size 4 layer board (up to 30 square inches) for the fixed price of only $66 each.  The high quality prototypes can have a custom shape an are not limited to rectangular outlines.

All PCB orders placed with Advanced Circuits receive a full CAM review prior to manufacturing to ensure that any design issues the PCB design may have are corrected prior to production.

Get Cheap PCB Prototypes without Sacrificing Quality or Speed

Our 3 options for low cost PCB prototyping for 2 & 4 layer printed circuit boards can be found on our website’s main navigation under the “Products and Services” tab under “2 & 4 Layer Specials”.  Using these special offers you can have your PCB prototypes manufactured and shipped as quickly as 1 day.

• BareBones™ – 2 Layer PCB is a very fast prototyping option that ships in one day. It is manufactured on “bare” FR4 material without solder mask or silkscreen.  You can order as few as 1 circuit board any size from .5”x.5” min. to 12”x16” max.
• $33 Each™ – 2 Layer PCB option is a great option that allows you to order circuit board prototypes as large as 60 square inches and have them shipped in just 5 days.
• $66 Each™ – 4 Layer PCB prototype option ships in just 5 days with a very low minimum quantity requirements of 4 boards for PCBs as large as 30 square inches.

Compare Advanced Circuits Quality, Value, and Reliability vs. Cheap PCB Competitors

There is no shortage of PCB manufacturers that produce boards “on the cheap”.  But how does their cheap PCB fabrication compare with our low cost prototyping options?  Advanced Circuit’s experienced CAM engineers fully inspect your PCB design files before manufacturing, contacting you if there are any issues found.  Unlike the “no-touch” alternatives, you are not left on your own with design issues after manufacturing with boards that you are not able to use.  Advanced Circuits™ also offers you:

• Industry’s best on-time shipping record
• Quick turn as fast as Same Day
• 100% US Based Manufacturing
• Industry’s largest support team
• 24 Hr. tech support
• Latest state-of-the-art equipment
• High Quality Standards
• Detailed CAM Review