Digikey custom PCBs

[darwin999]

I noticed recently that DigiKey has expanded into the custom PCB business.
E.g.,

DKRed

Looking to make your printed circuit board design a reality? Check out DigiKey’s DKRed, an affordable custom PCB service that allows you to create your prototype PCB and then ships free! Order your DKRed PCB today!

www.digikey.com

I myself have not even explored making my own PCBs, so I'll leave it to others to find out if their pricing is reasonable, etc.
But supposedly it's made in US, so it may well have benefits with regard to Orange Man's tariffs + potentially quicker/cheaper delivery.
Anyway, just thought I'd post it here for those that are interested...

 

[derevaun]

Looks comparable to OSHPark. I priced a 57x69mm 2-layer board: $36.32 for 4 from Digikey, vs $30.25 for 3 from OSHPark. Personally, I've rarely populated 3 boards for hobby projects, and it's usually just 1. I used OSHPark before catching on to JLC, and I'm comfortable going back to them.

But doing a little ham-fisted, back-of-the-envelope nonsense:

If the same board is $4.00 from JLC, plus another $4.00 tarriff, plus a $26.00 clearing fee from the carrier, that's still prety close at $34.00 (plus shipping).

Doing 5 similarly-sized designs from JLC comes to roughly $70.00, compared to around $150.00 from OSHPark?

But with so many unknowns and deliberate rolling chaos with the tarriffs situation, I have no immediate plans to find out the actual cost difference.

For personal hobby projects, it's an unwanted cost increase that I can absorb and/or adjust to (unhappily, and my anger is pointed where it belongs). If it were closer to a business project, it would be a real injury.

 

[Feral Feline]

IIRC, @Passinwind has some experience with Digikey's PCB service.

 

[Passinwind]

IIRC, @Passinwind has some experience with Digikey's PCB service.

Indeed, I've been using them fairly regularly for a few years now. Compared to OSHpark:

No plated slots supported.

Batch number printed on board, no option to omit.

Pricing is a wash; both include shipping, OSH is 3 at a time and then multiples of three, DKR is 4 minimum but then you can add by singles. DKRed charges me tax, OSH doesn't. DKRed sends along bonus boards pretty often, usually 1-3 beyond what I ordered. JLCPCB has done this sometimes too. With OSH you get what you ordered, full stop.

For a fair price comparison with JLC try ticking their ENIG option, and a higher temp spec for the boards if you want to get picky. Most pedal builders probably care about neither, for myself it seems to impact how many rework cycles I can get away with, and I do rework boards quite a bit since prototyping and modding are my main things. Also, DKR has clean board edges, no cutout arftifacts like you see on OSH boards. Both DKR and OSH do nicer silkscreening than JLC, IMO.

FWIW, here's a DK red board of my design that a friend hand soldered: