Thread: Test Board
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Old 04-29-2008, 05:40 PM
Reactive Reactive is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2007
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Ok, back to the Forums.

Glenn: Did you ever pricing on this design: http://www.a2retrosystems.com/images...t/breakout.png

PS - Can you make that pic a little larger? ;-) What I may be able to do is if you send me the GERBER files I can 'clean' them up and get some pricing from different places. Am I wrong to think that that is still a two layer PCB? I think I will be able to mount the IC to the PCB. Doing to quick tests with a BGA IC I was able to fully mount it to a piece of sheet copper. Of course I destroyed the IC when I removed it. But the balls all looked like the adhered to the copper very well. Only testing would tell if I baked the IC though. And no PCB, no testing.

Assuming Andon Electronics Corp can produce the Adapters for 16.85ea and it's not some screw up on their side with pricing, which actually I assume it is, then they may be the cheapest solution. If we can get some proto PCBs produced for less then I say we do that, just for testing. At least I will know for sure if I can mount BGAs without damaging the IC. Also the benefit of the PSRAM would really make the added hassle worth it. I also have a call in to Andon Electronics Corp to check the pricing.


[From Glenn's Quote email]
well certainly better then my first quote for mounting services ...
but still .... sheesh - $ 150 to mount one chip - crazy

Very true. That is just nuts.

Anyone having a PCB produced any time soon? Maybe you could add a quick little VFBGA pad area to the PCB that could be cut off so I can experiment with mounting the IC. Just vias would be fine, if possible.


[GRANT]
You guys are still interested in the BGA? I thought that we decided to give up???

I wouldn't say 'give up' entirely. But more keep the options open and see what comes of it. I think we all agree that the PSRAM will be much simpler to work with then a piece of SDRAM. The only disadvantage of the PSRAM is the uncertainty of mounting it.


[GRANT]
I just made a design in Xlinix ISE 8.2 using schematic entry. It works great. There are a few bugs with the schematic entry, but once you learn where NOT to click it works good.

Oh great! It's Win CUPAL all over again?!? I did do a little playing around with 8.2 and the Schematic Entry too. Seems like it would be a bit easier then using HDL entry, at least for me and my needs. Last I heard though they are doing away with Schematic Entry in the next version. May just be rumor though.


[GRANT]
RamWall Invaders! It will be real!

Only you Grant. ;-)

Oh, one last question:
Anyone know were we can get pins? Like those used on the Adapters as legs? No top, just a flat surface for PCB pad mounting? I asked a few places if they would just sell me legs (pins) but they won't. If we make our own adapters, our only other choice are SIP sockets, like I use on my Dual Adapters, or square pins. Any other ideas or options?

Last edited by Reactive; 04-29-2008 at 05:43 PM.
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