A visual explanation of every field in our instant quote form. Use this guide to fill your quote accurately and get the best price.
A. Basic Parameters
Base Material (基材)
The substrate material determines your PCB's electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. Your choice affects dielectric constant (Dk), signal loss (Df), maximum operating temperature, and cost.
Material
Dk
Best For
Cost
FR-4
4.2–4.8
General electronics, digital, power
$
Rogers
2.2–3.5
RF, 5G, radar, satellite
$$$$
HDI
4.2–4.5
Fine-pitch BGA, smartphones, wearables
$$$
Rigid-Flex
3.4–4.5
Foldable devices, aerospace, medical
$$$$
PTFE
2.1–2.6
mmWave, satellite downlinks, >10 GHz
$$$$$
Tip: If your design operates below 1 GHz, FR-4 is almost always the right (and cheapest) choice. Only choose Rogers/PTFE if your RF engineer specifically requires low-loss substrates.
Layer Count (层数)
The number of conductive copper layers in your PCB stackup. More layers provide more routing channels, dedicated power/ground planes, and better signal integrity — but at higher cost.
Tip: For anything with ICs running above 25 MHz, go with at least 4 layers. The dedicated ground plane dramatically reduces EMI and makes impedance control possible.
Board Dimensions (板尺寸)
Enter Length × Width in millimeters. This is the single-board outline size — not the panel. Price scales directly with area (length × width × quantity = total manufacturing area).
Range: 5 × 5 mm minimum — 1200 × 600 mm maximum
Tip: Measure from your board outline Gerber layer. If you upload Gerber files, dimensions auto-detect. Always use mm (not inches).
Quantity (数量)
Number of individual PCBs. Unit cost drops significantly at higher volumes because fixed engineering and setup fees are amortized. No minimum order — we accept 1-piece orders.
Tip: For prototypes, order 10–20% extra to account for assembly yield loss. Check price breaks at 50, 100, and 500 pieces.
Delivery Format (交付方式)
How boards are delivered: as individual pieces or connected in a panel for automated assembly. Panels improve pick-and-place efficiency but require depanelization after assembly.
Single PCB — Individual boards, routed to final outline
Panel by Customer — You design the panel (include V-score/tab-route in Gerber)
Panel by Manufacturer — We arrange boards on a panel for you (extra engineering fee)
Tip: If you plan to do SMT assembly, panels are essential. "Panel by Customer" is cheapest if you know how — otherwise let us handle panelization.
Lead Time (交期)
Standard lead time starts at 5 days (calendar days — factory runs 24/7 except holidays) (for 2-layer) and increases with layer count. Rush options reduce lead time by 1–7 days at an additional cost (10%–200% surcharge depending on urgency).
Standard — No surcharge. 5–18 days depending on layer count.
Tip: Lead time starts AFTER engineering sign-off (not order placement). Allow 12–24h for the engineering review before the production clock starts.
B. Board Specifications
FR-4 TG — Glass Transition Temperature (玻璃化转变温度)
TG is the temperature at which the resin transitions from rigid to soft. Higher TG materials withstand more thermal cycles (important for lead-free assembly at 260°C). Options vary by layer count.
TG 135 — Standard, for leaded solder or low-stress environments
TG 150–155 — Lead-free compatible (recommended for most designs)
Tip: If you're using lead-free solder (reflow peak ~260°C), choose TG 155 or higher. TG 135 is fine for prototypes with leaded solder only. This parameter has no cost difference.
Board Thickness (板厚)
Total finished thickness after lamination, including all copper and dielectric layers. Standard is 1.6mm. Thinner or thicker boards may incur surcharges. Very thin boards (<1.0mm) are limited to ENIG surface finish.
Range: 0.2mm – 5.5mm. Each layer count has a "standard range" with no surcharge.
Tip: 1.6mm is cheapest for most layer counts. If your enclosure requires a specific thickness, check the "standard range" shown in the calculator — anything within range has no surcharge.
Copper Weight (铜厚)
Thickness of the copper foil on each layer, measured in ounces per square foot (oz/ft²). 1 oz = 35μm = 1.4 mil. Heavier copper carries more current but limits minimum trace width.
Outer layers: 1 oz (standard, free), 2 oz, 3 oz (free), 4–5 oz (surcharge)
Inner layers: 0.5 oz (standard), 1 oz, 2 oz, 3 oz
Tip: 1 oz outer / 0.5 oz inner is the default with no cost adder. Only increase copper if you need higher current capacity (use IPC-2152 charts to calculate required trace width for your current).
Solder Mask Color (阻焊颜色)
The protective coating over copper traces. All colors are the same price. Green is most common and easiest for inspection. Black/matte black looks premium but makes rework harder (solder bridges are less visible).
GreenRedYellowBlueWhiteBlackMatte BlackMatte Green
Tip: All colors cost the same. Green is best for AOI inspection and rework visibility. Use black/matte black only for consumer products where aesthetics matter.
Silkscreen Color (丝印颜色)
The ink used for component reference designators (R1, C2, U3...) and polarity marks. Should contrast with your solder mask color for readability.
Options: White (most common), Black (for white mask), Yellow, None
Tip: White silkscreen on green/blue/red/black mask. Black silkscreen on white mask. Choose "None" to save cost if you don't need reference markings (rare).
Surface Finish (表面处理)
The coating applied to exposed copper pads to prevent oxidation and ensure solderability. Different finishes suit different applications — from basic HASL to wire-bondable ENEPIG.
Finish
Description
Best For
Cost
HASL
Hot Air Solder Leveling (leaded)
Prototypes, through-hole heavy
Free
LF-HASL
Lead-free HASL
RoHS-compliant production
Free
ENIG
Electroless Ni (3-5μm) + Immersion Au
Fine-pitch, flat pads, wire bond
$$
Hard Gold
Electrolytic gold (thick, wear-resistant)
Edge connectors, test points
$$$
OSP
Organic Solderability Preservative
High-volume, short shelf life OK
Free
Imm. Silver
Thin silver coating
RF pads, high-frequency
$
Imm. Tin
Thin tin coating
Press-fit connectors
$
ENEPIG
Ni + Pd + Au (multi-layer)
Mixed assembly (wire bond + solder)
$$$
Tip: HASL/LF-HASL is free and works for 90% of designs. Choose ENIG if you have fine-pitch QFN/BGA pads (≤0.5mm pitch) — the flat surface ensures consistent solder paste deposition. Boards thinner than 1.0mm require ENIG.
C. Advanced Options
Min Trace/Space (最小线宽/线距)
The narrowest copper trace and the smallest gap between traces in your design. Finer geometry requires more precise (and expensive) manufacturing. Check your EDA design rules to find this value.
≥ 4.5/4.5 mil — Standard (no surcharge)
4/4 mil — Fine line (+15% engineering)
3.5/3.5 mil — Advanced
≤ 3/3 mil — HDI-grade precision
Tip: Run DRC in your EDA tool to find the actual minimum trace/space. If it reports 5 mil but you select 3/3 mil, you're overpaying. Upload your Gerber — our system auto-detects this.
Min Hole Size (最小孔径)
The smallest mechanically-drilled hole in your design. Smaller holes require smaller (more expensive, faster-wearing) drill bits and tighter process control.
≥ 0.25 mm — Standard (no surcharge)
0.15 – 0.20 mm — Fine drill (surcharge applies)
0.10 mm — Ultra-fine (significant surcharge)
Tip: Check your drill file for the smallest tool. Most designs use 0.3mm vias — only BGA fanout or very dense boards need 0.15–0.2mm holes. Our auto-detect reads this from your Gerber upload.
Via Covering (过孔处理)
How the via holes are treated. This affects whether solder can wick into vias during assembly, and whether vias can be placed under components.
Tip: "Tented" is free and works for most designs. Choose "Epoxy Filled + Capped" only if you have via-in-pad (vias directly under BGA/QFN pads) — this prevents solder wicking.
Impedance Control (阻抗控制)
When enabled, trace widths and dielectric thicknesses are calculated to achieve target impedance values (e.g., 50Ω single-ended, 100Ω differential). Required for USB, PCIe, HDMI, DDR, Ethernet, and other high-speed interfaces.
No — No impedance control (standard)
Yes (±10%) — Standard tolerance
Yes (±8%) — Tighter tolerance with TDR verification
Tip: If your design has USB, HDMI, PCIe, DDR4/5, or Ethernet, you need impedance control. Provide your impedance requirements (e.g., "50Ω single-ended, 100Ω differential") and we calculate the trace geometry.
Gold Fingers (金手指)
Thick gold plating on edge-connector pads for repeated insertion into card slots (like PCIe, RAM modules, or custom backplane connectors). Gold thickness ranges from 3U" to 50U" depending on insertion cycles required.
Tip: 5U" is enough for light-use connectors (<50 insertions). For standard card-edge connectors, use 15-30U". PCIe/DIMM slots that see thousands of insertions need 30-50U". Always add chamfer (30° or 45°) for easier insertion.
Castellated Holes (半孔/城堡孔)
Plated half-holes on the board edge, used for module-to-motherboard soldering. Common on WiFi/BLE modules, sensor modules, and any PCB designed to be soldered onto another board as a component.
Tip: Choose "1–2 Sides" or "3–4 Sides" based on which edges of your module need connection pads. Adds ~15–25% to engineering fee.
Edge Plating (侧面镀铜)
Copper plating applied to the board edges for EMI shielding or grounding. Creates a continuous copper shield around the board perimeter, connecting top and bottom ground planes through the edge.
Tip: Used primarily for EMI-sensitive RF designs or modules that need 360° shielding. Most digital designs don't need this — via stitching along the edges is usually sufficient.
Via-in-Pad (盘中孔)
Vias placed directly inside SMD pads (rather than routed to a nearby via through a short trace). Essential for fine-pitch BGA breakout (≤0.65mm pitch) and thermal vias under power pads. Requires epoxy fill + copper cap to create a flat, solderable surface.
Tip: Only select this if your design actually uses via-in-pad. If all your vias are routed away from pads through short traces (dog-bone pattern), you don't need it. Adds ~650 CNY per design.
Electrical Testing (电测)
Every board is 100% electrically tested for opens and shorts. Two methods available:
Flying Probe — Movable test probes, no fixture cost. Best for prototypes and small batches.
E-Test Fixture — Custom test fixture for high-speed testing. Only available for orders ≥ 3 m² total area. Adds 800 CNY fixture fee but faster per-board testing.
Tip: Flying Probe is the default and works for 99% of orders. Only consider a fixture for large production runs (1000+ boards) where testing throughput matters.
Outline Tolerance (外形公差)
The precision of CNC routing for the board outline. Tighter tolerance is needed if your board must fit precisely into a machined enclosure.
± 0.1 mm — Standard (no surcharge)
± 0.05 mm — High precision (+10% engineering fee)
Tip: ±0.1mm is fine for most applications. Only choose ±0.05mm if your board slots into a CNC-machined enclosure with very tight mechanical clearances.
Confirm Production File (确认生产文件)
When enabled, we send you a production file preview for approval before manufacturing starts. This adds a review step but ensures nothing was misinterpreted during CAM processing.
No — Production starts after engineering review (faster)
Yes — You must approve production files first (recommended for orders > $300)
Tip: Auto-enabled for orders above ~$300 (2000 CNY). For expensive or complex boards, always confirm. For simple prototypes under $50, skipping saves 12-24h lead time.
Now that you understand each parameter, configure your board specs and get an instant estimated price. Upload Gerbers for auto-detection of dimensions, layers, and trace widths.
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