The Somei70 keyboard project was sponsored by PCBWay.com, a company based in China that specializes in PCB prototyping, assembly services, and 3D modeling, including CNC machining. For this project, I focused on their PCB and PCBA services. Although I have used other PCB manufacturers in the past, this was my first time working with PCBWay, and I was interested in how they compare to competitors.
PCB Design
The project involved designing a 70-key keyboard with hotswap support, an OLED display, and backlit keys, utilizing a Pro Micro equivalent controller.
Design Upload Process
Uploading the design to PCBWay was simple due to their KiCad plug-in. After installation, I was able to upload my design directly from the PCB Editor within KiCad. Once ran, a browser is presented with the uploaded PCB including any components listed as part of the bill of materials.
Customization Options
PCBWay offers several customization options for PCB production.
For this project, I retained the default settings with the exception of selecting a white soldermask and black silkscreen. Additionally, I opted to pay an extra $1.50 to remove product numbers, an aesthetic choice.
It is worth noting that while they offer other soldermask colors, such as pink, these are limited to their Advanced PCB selection, which incurs additional costs.
For PCB assembly, I opted to have only one of the ordered PCBs assembled, mainly to evaluate the quality of their assembly service.
Ordering and Review
After submitting the order, PCBWay carried out an audit of the PCB design.
The initial review for the PCB was completed within a few hours. The PCBA audit took longer, as PCBWay engineers reached out via email to confirm component selections and ensure accuracy.
Once this was completed, the total cost was adjusted to include the necessary components and engineering charges.
Production and Assembly
The production tracking system provided updates throughout the process. PCB production was completed within two days, while PCB assembly took approximately one week. During this period, PCBWay engineers verified component placement and provided high-resolution images for my review.
One issue presented itself due to an error with the PCB design I had submitted – diodes were placed upside down. Despite this being my mistake, PCBWay corrected it without charging any extra fees, which was confirmed by additional photos once the corrections were made.
Turnaround Time
PCBWay initially quoted a build time of 3-4 days for the PCB and another 15-18 days for Assembly. However, the whole process up until shipping took only 14 days, including shipping from their factory in China. Delivery was also faster than expected, with delivery arriving within 3 days of being dispatched.
Quality Assessment
Upon delivery, the PCBs were packaged securely with sufficient protective materials, arriving undamaged with the following checks being carried out:
- Continuity checks across all PCB traces showed no issues.
- Soldering quality on the PCBA board was clean, with no visible residue left behind on what appeared to be a hand-solderered job.
- The silkscreen, though slightly unclear in the smallest text areas which was below their recommended requirements, was otherwise sharp and clearly defined, especially on the front-side graphics.
- Drill holes and edge cuts were precise, with no damage to the solder mask in those areas.
Conclusion
My experience with PCBWay was largely positive. While their pricing may be slightly higher than some competitors, the overall quality of their service and the speed of delivery made up for it. The process was handled efficiently, and the PCB assembly service met expectations, even in the case of a design error that was resolved without additional cost.
While the Somei70 project is ongoing, with firmware and case design yet to be finalized, the electronics aspect is complete. Based on this experience, I would strongly consider using PCBWay again for future projects, particularly for their PCBA service which after calculating the cost of components actually worked out more cost effective than sourcing components myself.
PCBWay.com – PCB Prototype the Easy Way
