Our No Touch self-service ordering system enables you to specify two-layer, four-layer, and six-layer prototype PCBs entirely online for quickturn delivery at the minimum cost. Using No Touch, you can automatically verify your design, get a quote, and submit your order in one smooth transaction.
No delays:
You can check your design before you order, to avoid holds for design clarification.
Economy:
You get an unlimited selection of drill sizes, plated and non-plated holes, soldermask, and silkscreen included in the low price.
Speed: Our automated file verification system checks your design immediately after you submit it and responds within minutes.
Personal Assistance: No Touch specialists are ready to help you during regular business hours. Simply e-mail notouch@protoexpress.com and you’ll have a prompt answer.
No Minimum Quantity: Order just what you need—even one prototype PCB is fine.
Quality: Sierra Circuits guarantees your boards will be fabricated exactly as you order.
Choose No Touch ordering when your prototype PCB design:
Employs standard fabrication technology with 5 mils (0.005 inches) or greater trace and space width Has two, four, or six layers Uses FR-4 laminate Calls for standard copper weights is no larger than 100 square inches and no thicker than 0.062 inches
5 p.m. Pacific Time
(All orders received on a weekday until 5 p.m. will start the next weekday as Day 1).
Minimum order
No minimum quantity,but the more you order, the more you save.
Maximum area
100 sq. in.
Note: The board X or Y dimension should not exceed 15.9 in. or be less than 0.5 in.
Material
FR-4
Thickness
0.062 in. (+/- 0.006 in.). No special constructions are allowed. Our standard construction will result in the overall thickness.
Surface finish
HASL (solder).
Minimum hole size
0.010 in. (+/-0.003 in.) finished hole size.
Minimum trace and space
0.005 in. (5 mils) minimum trace and space widths
Minimum width of annular rings
0.005 in. This means your pad diameter must be at least 0.01 in. 0.005 in. This means your pad diameter must be at least 0.01 in. (10mils) larger than the finished holesize.
Copper weights
1 oz. on outer layers: We start with 0.5-oz. foil and after plating, it becomes about 1 oz. You must use 0.5 oz.on inner layers.
Maximum hole density
Hole density is calculated using the following formula: Hole Density = Total holes on individual board / Area of one board
Hole density specifications for No Touch PCBs are as follows:
For boards up to 1 sq. in.: We allow up to 100 holes/sq. in.
For boards between 1 and 2 sq. in. area: We allow up to 75 holes/sq. in.
For boards larger than 2 sq. in.: We allow up to 50 holes/sq. in.
Maximum plated hole size
0.246 in.
Maximum non-plated hole size
0.199 in. Non-plated holes must not touch any copper.
Soldermask
Green LPI only; we recommend that openings in the soldermask layers should be 0.003 in. 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 in. larger in each dimension.
Legend/Silkscreen
White only. Silkscreen is allowed on top and bottom of the printed circuit board. The minimum width of legend lettering is 0.005 in.
Restrictions
No Touch PCBs are simple, standard technology PCBs. For example, the following features are NOT ALLOWED in No Touch orders:
Arrays
Steps and repeats
Internal cutouts / slots
Milling
Blind/ Buried vias
Special processes (for example counter bores, counter sinks)
Multiple parts or part numbers (a $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 Solder mask layers. If there is no solder mask, then place the outline 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 in..
NOTE: We reserve the right to cancel orders that have excessively complex routing. Such orders can be accomplished through our Web PCB or custom order systems.
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-in. outlines with 0.001-in. overlap.
Notches
Notches are allowed. You can have up to 3 notches, but every notch must be at least 0.1-in. wide. If a notch is less than 0.1 in., our router may ignore your spec and make it our minimum width.
Electrical testing
Not offered on our No Touch product. Please use our Web PCB offering instead, if electrical testing is required.
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 though you were looking at it from top straight down to the bottom. To ensure this, we recommend double-checking this through a Gerber viewer; not simply relying on the view from your design software.
Occasionally, we notice a 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 small 6-digit order number 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.
Price Matrix
Here are some representative pricing examples for common configurations of PCBs. Actual pricing may vary slightly.
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.
To order No Touch PCBs, simply upload your Gerber files online and when prompted, indicate the layer each file describes. Each order is prescreened automatically and goes directly to manufacturing. No engineer touches your design—hence the name, No Touch.
Step 1 First choose the number of layers you require on your printed circuit board (2, 4, or 6 layers). Then choose the quantity, turn time, and enter the dimensions. You will see a quote. You can choose to save/email the quote for the future or continue to proceed with the order.
Step 2 If you proceed with the order, you will be prompted to upload your zipped Gerber files (RS274X format). Our software will immediately unpack the files for processing.
Step 3 You will see your layer files online and you must now assign layers and verify drill data.Visit this page to view some common file name extensions.
Step 4 In less than 20 minutes, our automated file verification program will tell you whether your design meets our specifications. If your design is approved, you will see an order button. You can go ahead and place your No Touch PCB order. If your design does not meet our specifications for No Touch ordering, you will be provided with a detailed report of changes to be made before you can order it for No Touch fabrication. You can view this in the No Touch File Verification Status Page.
Step 5 Once the order is placed, there will be no On Holds. Your boards will be deliveredon time strictly according to the turn time you have chosen.
Step 6 If you wish to re-order more boards that conform to the prototype design, you can do so without re-uploading files.
* Promotion valid for Newer Customers Only (those with 5 or less orders)
2-layers, FR-4, 0.062"
Minimum quantity 4 boards
4 day turn time
Maximum board area 50 sq."
1 oz copper outer / 0.5 oz inner
Minimum 0.006" trace/space
Minimum 0.015" hole size
Hot Air Solder Level (HASL) finish
Plated and non-plated holes allowed
Green LPI mask (both sides)
White legend (both sides)
1 part number per order
No slots and internal cutouts
Credit card only
Existing customers please
New Customers please
4-layers, FR-4, 0.062"
Minimum quantity 4 boards
4 day turn time
Maximum board area 50 sq."
1 oz copper outer / 0.5 oz inner
Minimum 0.006" trace/space
Minimum 0.015" hole size
HASL finish
Plated and non-plated holes allowed
Green LPI mask (both sides)
White legend (both sides)
1 part number per order
No slots and internal cutouts
Credit card only
Existing customers please
New Customers please
Q. What if my design is more complex than the specs shown above? A. We essentially have THREE different "channels" to order PCBs. Our No Touch promotion is great for most PCBs that are standard 2 to 6 layer prototypes. It can also accommodate down to 10 mil (0.0010) minimum hole size and 5 mil (0.005") trace/space. See complete details on our No Touch promotion. However, if your design is more complex, or needs different material, special thickness, special routing etc, please check out our Web PCBs promotion. Of course, if none of these online promotions fit your need, (say you have a complex, 22 layer board with blind/buried vias) you can always get a quote by email on ANY pcb using our custom quote page.
Terms & Conditions And Product Specs
This order will be fabricated strictly to NoTouch Product specifications. Our turn time commitment on No Touch orders is made on a "best effort" basis. Please note that there may be (very rare) instances when we exceed our specified time in manufacturing the order. In such cases, we will refund all or part of your shipping charges on the next order. In case there are any delays on 2 day turns we will give you a refund of the premium we charge over the 4 day price.
No Minimum Quantity. We allow you to order just 1 board if that's what you need.
Minimum 6 mil trace and space (0.006") is Standard (extra charge for 5 mil)
Generally, 3 day turns, 4 day turns and 10 day turns (and limited offering of 2 day turns)
Green LPI Mask on both sides
2-layers, 4-layers or 6 layers
White Legend on both sides. While our automated AFV program does NOT check for width of silkscreen/legend, we recommend that legend be atleast 5 mils wide.
FR4 Material only
We use digital legend printing that allows for finer resolution of the legend.
0.062" (+/-.006) thickness
Individual Route, Straight edges and 90 degree corners expected. Rounded corners are also allowed. Board outline must NOT have more than 16 corners (for example, in a rectangular board, at most 3 notches allowed).
Plated holes expected (non-plated holes must not be on copper areas)
1 Part Number per order
Maximum plated hole size .246 inches
Maximum Size: Maximum individual board area allowed is 100 Sq" and no side can exceed 15.9 inches. Minimum Size: No side can be less than 0.5 inches.
Maximum non-plated hole size .199 inches
No arrays, No step and repeats
We allow minimum Hole Sizes of 15 mils (+/- 3) Finished (i.e., 0.0015" +/- 0.0003").
(quote includes extra charges if design has 12 mils or 10 mils minimum finished hole size)
No slots
5 mils minimum width of Annular
Rings
No internal routing
Hot Air Solder Level (HASL) Surface Finish only
No gold finishes
Standard Nominal Copper: 1 Oz./sq foot.
Standard Copper plating: 0.0013" to 0.002" (33 microns to 51 microns)
Plating on Hole Walls: 0.0008" to 0.0012" (20 microns to 30 microns)
NOTE
In the No Touch process, our Auto File Verification program checks on some features like traces/spaces, annular ring sizes, minimum hole sizes, hole density etc to ensure these meets our No Touch specs. However, if you need a full 100% Design Rule Check and Electrical Test, you should use our Full Service Advantage product product.
Do not upload any Milspec, Class 3, Military/Defense or ITAR designs for No Touch AFV processing.
When you are ready to place an order, please have a Credit Card number available.
For more details about No Touch product, see our FAQ page.
If, due to delays on our part, you do not receive your PCBs 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, Christmas) are NOT counted.
2, 4, 6 layer low-cost, quickturn prototype PCB fabrication
