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Our No Touch promotion is the fast, automated and easy way to get your 2, 4, or 6 layer Printed Circuit Board prototypes online. We provide a sophisticated online software to enable a quick self-service solution to solve your needs for standard and no touch PCBs. No Touch enables you to get your quote, verify your design, and submit your order without any hassles!
The key benefits of our No Touch PCBs:
No On-Holds - With no touch PCBs, you can check your design even before you order, so your job will not go on-hold later.
Great Value - Get unlimited drill sizes, both plated and non-plated holes, soldermask and silkscreen all included, at great prices.
Fast and Accurate - Wait only a few minutes for our new Auto File Verification system to check your design.
"Real" Customer Service - Our No Touch specialists are standing by to help you during regular business hours. Email us at NoTouch@protoexpress.com and we will respond promptly.
Trust - Your boards are backed by Sierra Circuits Inc.’s 20+ years in the PCB business.
No Minimum Quantity - Order only what you need. Even one PCB is fine.
Excellent Quality - 100% Quality Guarantee!
Need more details about No Touch benefits?
More Benefits of the No Touch PCB promotion
Low Prices - for example: 3 pieces of 10 sq", 2 layer board for $30 each or 3 pieces of a 10 sq", 4 layer board for $50 each.
On Holds Eliminated: Using our new Auto File Verification system, you
can be assured that your file fits our main specs and will not go on hold.
Detailed Reporting: If your file does not pass our AFV system, (Say you had a trace width of 4 mils somewhere instead of 6 mils), then you get a report that tells you precisely and with pictures.
Re- Spins Reduced: Save time and money upfront. With our AFV system
catching the most critical of mistakes, trace/space, annular rings, you will likely save on having to re-spin your design later. Have a higher likelihood of getting it right the first time!
Ability to reorder without having to re-submit your design files.
Ability to save quote or email quotes, for future references.
Low prices for standard technology 2, 4 and 6 layer boards that do not need to be electrically tested. Prices depend on the Area of the board and on TurnTime.
Quantity discounts available: the more you buy the more you save.
We offer 1 Day, 2 days, 3 Days, 4 days and 10 days turn time. This is True Turn Time
What is True Turn Time? How do YOU benefit from it?
PCB manufacturers generally count the day you place the order as Day Zero.
If you place order by the cut-off time on Tuesday, then Tuesday is counted as Day Zero, Wednesday is Day 1, Thursday is Day 2, and so on. A 2 day turn placed on Tuesday will ship on Thursday.
Now here is the interesting part!
Unlike other manufacturers, we do NOT have an early cutoff time (like 9 AM or 12 noon) for your order. We give you the WHOLE DAY (up to 5 PM Pacific Time) to place your order!
Thus, with Sierra Proto Express, you get a significant benefit: You get the whole day to complete your design and place your order while not affecting your delivery date. That is TRUE TURN TIME.
Please keep in mind that in calculating turn time we count business days only - Saturdays, Sundays and any business holidays (e.g., Thanksgiving) are NOT counted.
! For example, a 4 day turntime order placed on Monday by 5 PM will ship on Friday.
Low minimum quantity order only 1 PCB if you wish (we don't force you to buy half a dozen, like some competitors do).
Get both plated and non-plated holes
Get unlimited drill sizes. We do not limit you to pre-set drill sizes, choose any size you want within 15 mils max.
As many as 50 holes per square inch allowed on your boards
No extra charges for soldermask or silkscreen..all included in the price.
Get boards backed by the Sierra Circuits' reputation and guarantee.
When should I choose No Touch PCBs?
Choose No Touch when you need standard technology 2, 4 or 6 layer prototypes, FR-4, max 100 sq", 5 mils (0.005") or more trace/space, 0.062" thick, with standard copper weights. No Touch offers 2-sided silk screen and soldermask for no extra charge! To order No Touch, you must be able to upload your gerber files online and when prompted, tell us which file is which layer. With No Touch, what you send us is exactly what you'll get. Every order is pre-screened by our AFV system, and then it goes to manufacturing in a fully automated way- no engineer touches your design--hence the name, "No Touch".
5 PM PST (all orders coming in on a given weekday until 5 PM will start next weekday as Day 1).
Minimum order
No minimum quantity. However, the more you order, the more you save.
Maximum Area of a Board
100 sq"
Note: The board X or Y dimension should not exceed 15.9" or be less than 0.5".
Material
FR-4
Thickness
0.062" (+/- 0.006); No special constructions allowed; we will use our standard constructions that lead to overall thickness.
Surface Finish
HASL (solder) (Lead-free will be available in near future)
Minimum Hole Size
0.010" (+/-0.003) finished hole size.
Minimum Trace & Space
0.005" (5 mils) minimum trace width / space
Minimum Width of Annular Ring
0.005" (meaning, your pad diameter must be at least 0.01" (10mil) larger than the finished hole size).
Copper Weights
1 oz. on outer layers (we start with 0.5 oz foil and after plating it becomes about 1 oz). In inner layers it is 0.5 oz.
Maximum Hole Density
We allow up to a certain "hole density". (calculated as: Total holes on individual board Divided By Area of one board). For your information, our No Touch Hole density specifications are:
For boards up to 1 sq inches area: we allow up to 100 holes/sq inch.
For boards between 1 and 2 sq inches area: we allow up to 75 holes/sq inch.
For boards more than 2 sq inches area: we allow up to 50 holes/sq inch.
Maximum Plated Hole Size
0.246"
Maximum Non-Plated Hole Size
0.199" (non-plated holes must not touch any copper)
Soldermask
Green LPI;We recommend that openings in the solder-mask layers should be 0.003"
larger than the copper feature on each side.
Example: If you have a rectangular pad then soldermask opening around
the pad will be overall 0.006" larger on each dimension.
Legend/Silkscreen
White color; both Top and Bottom allowed. (Please ensure the legend lettering width is minimum 0.005")
Restrictions
No Touch PCBs are simple standard technology PCBs. For example, the following features are NOT ALLOWED in No Touch PCBs:
Arrays
Steps and Repeats
Internal cutouts
Milling
Blind/ Buried vias
Special processes like Counter Bore, Counter Sinks
Multiple Parts or Part numbers ($10 charge applies to each additional part)
Class III, Milspec or ITAR jobs
Outline and Corners
Board outline is required for all orders and should be placed on one of your "working" layers. We allow irregular shapes, but please ensure the board does not have more than 16 edges. For rounded corners the radius of the corner must exceed 0.05".
NOTE: We reserve the right to cancel orders that have excessively complex routing-- those may be done outside of the No Touch promotion through our regular offerings.
Filled Areas
Crosshatching is not allowed; many CAD systems leave gaps in fill areas when using 45 degree lines. For No Touch, you must use 0 degree and/or 90 degree lines to do the fill. Please make the filled areas using 0.01" outlines with 0.001"overlap.
Notches
Notches are allowed: you can have up to 3 notches, but every notch must be at least 0.1" wide. If a notch with is less than 0.1", our router may ignore your spec and make it our minimum width.
Electrical Testing
Not offered on our NoTouch Product. Please use our Web PCB offering instead
Shipping options
No Touch PCBs ship by FedEx or UPS only. You can use your FedEx or UPS Account number if you wish.
Also, Will-Calls are allowed for a $15 service charge.
Payment Terms
Credit Card Only
Additional Requirements
All layers must be aligned and NOT mirrored. The layers should provide a view as if you were looking at it from top straight down to the bottom. To ensure this, we recommend double-checking this through a Gerber viewer and not just rely on the view from your design software. Occasionally, we notice the misalignment problem before the board is built, and we may correct it for you. But, generally, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure your layers are aligned correctly and not mirrored.
We put a small 6-digit order # on each board. This will either appear on the top or bottom silkscreen or etched into the bottom copper layer.
How to Quote and Order
1. Login to our website and get an Instant Online Quote
2. Upload your Gerber files
3. Assign Layer and Drill information (easy to do)
4. Wait a few minutes for our Auto File Verification (AFV) program to check your design
5. Place an order online using credit card.
First choose which No Touch you want to buy (2 Layers or 4 Layers or 6 Layers). Then choose the quantity, turn time and enter the dimensions. You will see a quote. You can choose to save/email quote for future or proceed with order.
Step 2
If you proceed with order, you will upload your zipped gerber files (RS274X format). Our software will immediately unpack these files.
Step 3
You will see your layer files online and you must now assign layers and verify drill data (this is a fairly simple task). See some common file name extensions here.
Step 4
In less than 20 minutes our automated file verification program will tell you if your design meets our specs. If so, you will see an order button--go ahead place your No Touch order. However, if your design does not meet the No touch specs the program will provide a detailed report of discrepancies. You can view this in the No Touch File Verification Status Page.
Step 5
Once the order is placed you can rest assured that there will be no On Holds. Your boards will ship in the turn time you have been chosen.
Step 6
After you get boards, you can always reorder more boards in the future, without having re-upload your files.
Every No Touch product comes with the guarantee that if your design has no manufacturability issues and conforms to our guidelines and restrictions, you'll receive an exemplary board.
Our No Touch process and manufacturing is highly automated. Your responsibility is to make sure your boards meet our specs and guidelines, and ours is to provide you a board manufactured to that design!
Q2. What files do I need to include?
Gerber files using English units in 274X format.
Exellon drill file in ASCII format with the following parameters:
Units = Inch
Tool Units = Inch
Coordinate = Absolute
Zeros omitted = Trailing
Number format = 2.4
Q3. What is the difference between buying No Touch vs. Web PCBs?
No Touch PCBs and Web PCBs are two online promotions for buying PCBs from Sierra Circuits. Each has its specific advantages for different customers.
With No Touch PCBs promotion, we always analyze your design files even before you place an order! However, this means that after you upload your design, you need the ability to assign which file is which layer, so that our Automatic File Verification (AFV) program can determine if there are any discrepancies (say, annular ring is not wide enough, or traces are too thin etc.)
If there are any discrepancies, you will get a detailed report and will have to fix your design and upload again. Once your design passes the AFV, only then can you place an order and your design will be manufactured just like that, with no human intervention (hence "No Touch"). Because of all the pre-order AFV checks, you can also be sure that your No Touch order will never go on-hold in the fabrication.
Of course, since No Touch depends more on automation than CAM engineers, we can provide you with great low prices for your PCBs. On the flip side, you can only order very simple "standard technology" 2 to 6 layer boards with No Touch.
With Web PCBS promotion, you don't need the ability to load files and assign layers…so in a sense it is also the quickest and most convenient way to order. The prices may be slightly higher than No Touch, because in this promotion live CAM engineers will analyze your files to detect any manufacturability issues. If issues are found, your order may be put on hold until we resolve it with your cooperation.
However, with Web PCBs there is a much broader range of PCBs that can be ordered online, including PCBs up to 12 layers with controlled impedances, special colored soldermask/silkscreen, special finishes, etc.
Bottom-line, we are quite sure that based on your specific project needs and expertise, one of these online promotions, No Touch or Web PCBs, will get you the boards you want.
Of course, if none of these online promotions can fulfill your needs (say, you need very complex, 22 layer, metal-core PCBs), just ask us for a custom quote!
Q4. What are the most common reasons for issues in a No Touch order?
We have found that if our customers watch out for the following TEN pitfalls in their board design and No Touch submission, they can be almost 100% sure of getting boards manufactured without issues.
TEN MOST COMMON REASONS for ISSUES:
1) If any file in your gerber packages is corrupt or missing.
2) If some gerber file has not been assigned correctly; example if during our AFV submission, on layer assignment screen, you assign your bottom copper layer as top layer-- you may end up getting bad boards.
3) If a complete board outline has not been provided. (We need full outline, not just crop marks.) The board outline must be on one of the layers, preferably on the soldermask layer.
4) If the layers are not properly aligned in your design.
5) If your drill file is corrupt or incomplete. Also note that if some of the holes in your design lie outside or on the board outline the job may be rejected. (In No Touch, we only drill holes INSIDE the board outline.)
6) If the Gerber data is not in 274x format or if the Gerber files are not 1:1 (true size).
7) If the Copper pour areas in your design are filled with trace width of less than 6 mils.
8) If the actual dimensions of your board are not what you entered. (We want you to be accurate: eg. 4.35" X 3.22")
9) If more than 1 circuit board design exists on the image. (Please include only one circuit board design per order; no multiple part numbers masquerading as one design)
10) If your design exceeds maximum individual dimension (15.9") on any side.
Or if a single board area exceeds 100 sq inches.
Q5. Are there any Design Tips to ensure my No Touch boards are processed smoothly?
Apart from following the overall specs e.g., minimum 0.005" trace &
space,0.005" minimum annular ring, 0.010" minimum hole size etc., please
do the following:
Do provide a full board outline (not just crop marks in the corners). Also ensure that each straight line in the outline is made of one continuous line segment, not multiple line segments.
Make sure all your layers are properly aligned
Make sure your drill data is as complete as it can be.
And do check your Design Software settings so drill file is output
correctly:
# Format = Excellon
# Data Type = ASCII
# Units = Inch
# Tool Units = Inch
# Coordinate = Absolute
# Zeros omitted = Trailing
# Number format = 2.4
Make sure all your holes lie within the board outline. Holes on or outside the board outline will not be drilled.
After you upload your files, our system will read in your data and ask you to confirm the information.
You will be required to provide/confirm the following:
1) The polarity (positive or negative) for each of your gerber files. E.g., Is your plane layer in positive or negative format?
2) Which holes in your drill file are plated and which ones are non-plated.
Kindly note these data submission requirements that will help ensure that your designs easily pass the Auto File Verification.
1)Layers must be aligned and viewed from the top side of the board. If your boards are not properly aligned, our auto file verification program will attempt to align them. If it is not able to properly align them, the job may be rejected.
2) Crop Marks are not allowed The following figure has crop marks to show the outline. Our automation DOES NOT like this.
Correct board out line must be present on one of the board layer (Soldermask preferred).
The following figure has a proper board outline. Our automation likes this!
Also, please note that the center of the outline needs to be the board outline. For example, in the picture below, the outline is for a 1x1 inch board, notice that the dimension is being taken from the center of the outline.
Q6. Can you show me examples of drill files that are acceptable to your system?
We expect your drill file to be Exellon drill file in ASCII format with the following parameters:
Units = Inch
Tool Units = Inch
Coordinate = Absolute
Zeros omitted = Trailing
Number format = 2.4
Here are two examples of good drill files:
################################ Example 1 ################################
Q7. Please explain more to me regarding board outlines and filled areas.
Board Outlines
You need to provide the correct board outline on one of the gerber files (we prefer it be on soldermask layer). The outline needs to be constructed by single line (not multiple line segments) that connect to each other (10 mil line width preferred), and the dimensions are calculated using the center of the line. See examples below:
An example of a good Outline (Notice how the measurement is taken from center of the line)
Some examples of bad outlines:
Crop marks instead of line
Not Clean at the corner
Here the outline is made using multiple lines and overlapping lines, instead of a single line. This is not allowed.
Filled Areas
Filled areas must be filled using 10 mil outlines with 1 mil overlap. Use 0 and/or 90 degree lines to do the fill. We have found that some CAD systems will leave gaps on the fill areas when using 45 degree line. Crosshatch is not allowed. See examples below.
Here we have one mil (0.001") overlap
This is an example of a plane area using a Cross Hatch pattern. Cross Hatch patterns are not allowed.
Q8. Please explain in more detail what you mean by Positive and Negative polarities.
Here are examples that will show you what we mean by positive or
negative polarities for different kinds of layers. (Please note: red represents data and black represents absence of data)
Silkscreen:
Positive
Negative
Solder Mask:
Positive
Negative
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT Soldermask Polarity: It is important that you understand that the polarity of Soldermask is almost always POSITIVE from a manufacturing perspective. There is some confusion in the industry about this because during design stage and in many design software these may be referred to as negative, but from a PCB manufacturing perspective, these are called positive.
Here is how you can understand how PCB manufacturers interpret polarity in a soldermask:
If your soldermask data represents the "absence of soldermask" then the data is in POSITIVE polarity.
In other words: if your data shows the places which you WANT TO SOLDER, then your soldermask layer is in POSITIVE format.
So when you are in the layer assignment screen on our website, it is most likely that soldermask should be assigned as positive polarity.
Plane Layer:
Positive
Negative
Signal Layer:
Positive
Negative
Q9. Why does No Touch recommend a minimum width of 5 Mils for silkscreen/legend?
We currently use two different processes to print the Silkscreen.
One process uses an Ink Jet Printer which uses a 5 mil dot for printing.
If your line width is below 5 mils, the line will be printed as 5 mil,
but the writing may blotchy and not readable.
The other is a screening process, where a film gets printed on a screen.
In this case, if your line width is below 5 mils, it may not get printed
at all!
Resolution: If your silkscreen is less than 5 mils, increase the line
widths to at least 5 mils and make sure the text is readable after the
increase. Please note that our automated program does not check for width of silkscreen. It is up to the customer to ensure that silkscreen width is more than 5 mils. In anycase, this requirement does not affect the electrical functionality of the board.
Q10. What is automatic sliver repair?
"Slivers" refer to small sections or partials of dry film. Any small partials of dry film resist have the potential of being lifted off the panel after developing and may re-deposit itself in an area where it could be detrimental to the end product. Such re-deposited resist slivers may cause shorts and/or opens on the end product. In a well-designed PCB, features that could result in small dry film resist slivers are modified to increase the amount of resist to aid in the adhesion of the resist to the laminate. In No Touch, we have customized our design software to automatically fix slivers in your design. This enables us to provide boards with less chances of shorts and opens caused by slivers.
Q11. Do you have any software I can use to view my gerber files?
Q12. What is the NoTouch Product Cancellation Policy?
Once your order has been placed online and is accepted, we immediately panelize it and automatically move it to production. Therefore, we do not allow cancellation of No Touch orders.
You can order No Touch PCBS in 3 days, 4 days or 10 days turn times. The cutoff time for placing the order is 5 PM Pacific Time (as opposed to other companies' cutoff times of 9 AM or 12 noon). Our late cut-off gives you the whole day to finish designing your boards and submit an order. If you were to place an order today, click here to see when your boards will ship.
If, due to delays on our part, you do not receive your PCB's on time, we will credit part or all of the shipping charges on your next No Touch order. Please keep in mind that in calculating turn time we count business days only - Saturdays, Sundays and any business holidays (e.g., Thanksgiving) are NOT counted.
Disclaimer
This order will be fabricated strictly to No Touch Product specifications.
Although our AFV process auto-verifies your files for some main specs (like minimum trace/space, minimum annular ring size etc), please note that it is not a full design rule check (DRC) and these boards are not electrically tested- therefore, you (customer) take full responsibility for the accuracy and correctness of your own design.
We have a more than 99% on-time delivery record for No Touch. However, in the rare case of missed delivery date, our policy is to credit part or all
of the Shipping Charges on your next No Touch order. If it is a quick turn
(less than 4 days), we can compensate you for any turn time premium charged.
Our customer service will work closely with you on any such issues.
