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Questions relating to designing PCBs
By RossWaddell
#187949
I see two packages for 3mm LEDs in the SparkFun-LED.lbr library - LED3MM.pac and LED3mm-NS.pac. In the Description of the LED3MM-NS package it says this means No Silk; visually, it looks like the pads are smaller than on the other, but what does it mean by 'no silk'? Is that something I can see visually when in board design, or only when I generate the Gerber files?
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By Ross Robotics
#187956
It will not have any print on the final PCB.
By ezflyr
#188081
RossWaddell wrote:I see two packages for 3mm LEDs in the SparkFun-LED.lbr library - LED3MM.pac and LED3mm-NS.pac. In the Description of the LED3MM-NS package it says this means No Silk; visually, it looks like the pads are smaller than on the other, but what does it mean by 'no silk'? Is that something I can see visually when in board design, or only when I generate the Gerber files?
Hi,

The 'silk' is the 'silkscreen', which is (typically) the white ink writing on the top and/or bottom surfaces of the PCB. The silkscreen typically shows part outlines, reference designators ('R1', 'C1', etc.), connector labels, identifying text, logos, etc.

A 'part' is generally made up the actual copper (and 'holes' if it's a thru hole component) that is found on the PCB, the soldermask, and the silkscreen. They are all independent, and not necessarily dependent on one another. For instance, frequently, I'll do a board prototype without soldermask and silkscreen (this saves $$), and then only add them for the final run of a board!

John
By RossWaddell
#188084
ezflyr wrote:
RossWaddell wrote:I see two packages for 3mm LEDs in the SparkFun-LED.lbr library - LED3MM.pac and LED3mm-NS.pac. In the Description of the LED3MM-NS package it says this means No Silk; visually, it looks like the pads are smaller than on the other, but what does it mean by 'no silk'? Is that something I can see visually when in board design, or only when I generate the Gerber files?
Hi,

The 'silk' is the 'silkscreen', which is (typically) the white ink writing on the top and/or bottom surfaces of the PCB. The silkscreen typically shows part outlines, reference designators ('R1', 'C1', etc.), connector labels, identifying text, logos, etc.

A 'part' is generally made up the actual copper (and 'holes' if it's a thru hole component) that is found on the PCB, the soldermask, and the silkscreen. They are all independent, and not necessarily dependent on one another. For instance, frequently, I'll do a board prototype without soldermask and silkscreen (this saves $$), and then only add them for the final run of a board!

John
Thanks John. I wasn't aware that the soldermask & silkscreen layers would add $$ to PCB production; I don't know if Seeed Studios (where I get my boards made) has a different price structure for not including those layers.

Where do you get your prototype boards made?
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By Ross Robotics
#188088
ezflyr wrote:
RossWaddell wrote:I'll do a board prototype without soldermask and silkscreen (this saves $$), and then only add them for the final run of a board!
Not sure where you get your boards done, but the most common board houses (OSH Park, Seeed, Itead) charge the same regardless of the layers.

Itead and Seeed use the same manufacturer so there prices are the same. They are cheap and you get 10 boards.
OSH Park has good prices with excellent quality. You get 3 boards.