Prototype PCB Assembly
Get populated prototypes for bring-up, firmware development and product validation. Send your BOM, placement data and board files with the quantity you need.
Already have your files? Go directly to the enquiry form. Need advice first? Send the open questions with your request.
Check files & prepare an assembly brief 鈥� optional
Prepare Your Prototype Assembly Brief
Use only the sections you need. Review your summary before continuing to the enquiry form.
What happens after you send your files?
- Define the buildIdentify the file revision, quantity and delivery target. Label preliminary files and unresolved questions.
- Resolve the quotation scopeReview component-supply responsibilities, missing data and requested inspection or programming.
- Approve the releaseAgree price, lead time, included checks and changes before production. Requested dates become commitments only in the confirmed order.
- Keep the next revision controlledIdentify the delivered revision and retain the agreed records. Link each design change to the files and tests it affects.
Need an NDA? Discuss it with the team before sending confidential design files. Assembly scheduling depends on the approved release, board and component readiness, and any first-article hold.
Choose the route that matches your current readiness
There are three common starting conditions. Some teams have a complete released package and need fabrication plus assembly. Others have a finished layout but unresolved component availability or substitutions. A third group needs an early first article before committing the rest of a small batch. These routes share many files, but they create different approval points and scheduling assumptions.
If the package is complete, identify the hardware revision, variant, quantity, and acceptance work in one manifest. If parts are unresolved, mark the affected references and say whether alternatives are permitted. If a first-article hold is needed, specify what evidence will be reviewed and who can release the remaining quantity. Do not assume that first article means a full product qualification or that it is automatically included in every prototype order.
Engineers who intend to hand-solder straightforward assemblies may only need bare prototype boards. That can be a sensible route when the packages, equipment, and validation needs support it. Hidden joints, dense placement, many repeated units, or a need for consistent assembly records may favor an assembled prototype service. The choice should follow the work required, not a belief that every prototype must use the same supply model.
A useful inquiry can say that the files are ready but a connector is not approved, or that one board should be assembled first to verify a mechanical fit. Those statements give the reviewer an actionable problem. A vague request for the fastest possible build leaves the team guessing about the very items that usually control the schedule.
| Build route | What to define | Before release |
|---|---|---|
| Full assembly | All fitted components, DNP positions and each build variant. | Separate purchased quantity from fitted quantity. Confirm that BOM, placement file and assembly drawing agree. |
| Selected-component assembly 鈥� request review | For example, hidden-joint or fine-pitch devices assembled first; your team fits connectors later. | Identify exact reference designators, handling between stages and responsibility for final inspection and test. |
| Turnkey, partial turnkey or consigned | Who buys each part, approved MPNs and customer-supplied parts. | Agree substitutes explicitly, including package, pinout and performance differences. Sourcing responsibility does not define which components are fitted. |
For ongoing assembly scope and production options, use the PCB assembly service overview. For a bare-board order, switch to prototype fabrication for your own assembly.
Resolve supply responsibility before parts become a blocker
Choose who supplies each component group. Turnkey procurement, customer-supplied material, and a mixed arrangement can all be workable, but the boundaries must be explicit. Identify components that are already purchased, those awaiting availability confirmation, and those requiring engineering approval. A supplier cannot reliably plan a build around a part that is described only as arriving soon.
Customer-supplied parts should arrive with usable identification and packaging. Ask about accepted formats, handling overage, moisture-sensitive requirements, and unused-material disposition. These details depend on the actual components and process. Do not apply one universal overage percentage or assume that a bag of loose parts is equivalent to tape, reel, or tray presentation. Packaging affects preparation work and traceability.
For substitutions, distinguish availability approval from engineering equivalence. A purchasing team may find a physically similar part, but voltage rating, timing, thermal characteristics, firmware behavior, or mechanical fit can still differ. Record the exact proposed alternative and who authorizes it. If approval applies only to the prototype lot, say so; otherwise a temporary workaround can be mistaken for the production baseline.
Review the small number of items most likely to delay the project first. A special processor, programmed device, connector, or unusual package can control readiness even when the rest of the BOM is simple. A complete material status table helps the assembly team explain realistic dependencies. It is more useful than a nominal lead-time statement that ignores whether the essential parts are actually available for this build.
Next step: Check BOM readiness.
Build one coherent fabrication and assembly package
Provide fabrication data, the board outline and layer information, the assembly BOM, placement coordinates, and assembly drawings for the populated sides. Add special instructions for polarity, orientation, unusual mechanical items, and intentional DNP positions. The files should describe the same revision. A later placement export paired with an earlier BOM can create discrepancies that are difficult to resolve once components are prepared.
The BOM should include full manufacturer part numbers, quantities per board, reference designators, and approved alternatives. Placement data should identify side, coordinates, rotation convention, and reference origin clearly. An assembly drawing provides context for orientation-sensitive parts and items that automated data may not explain well. Do not assume that a visually plausible footprint proves the selected component is correct.
For programming, provide the approved firmware identity and instructions, including how successful programming is confirmed. For functional testing, provide the required sequence, limits, equipment assumptions, and safe handling requirements. If those elements are not ready, identify them as open scope. An assembler can review a partial plan, but an undefined function test cannot honestly be treated as a finished deliverable.
Use the existing BOM and project preparation tools as aids, not as electrical approval. Structural checks can highlight missing fields and conflicting quantities; they cannot prove circuit functionality or suitability of every substitute. Download the resulting brief if available and attach it through the agreed inquiry path. Do not assume that opening a contact page automatically transfers files unless the actual handoff behavior has been confirmed.
Next step: Choose bare-board prototypes for self-assembly.
| Release item | Information the assembler needs | Typical ambiguity to remove |
|---|---|---|
| BOM | Manufacturer and MPN, quantity per board, references, DNP and approved alternatives. | 鈥�10 k惟 resistor鈥� without tolerance, size or exact MPN; variant totals mixed together. |
| Placement / centroid data | Reference, X/Y, rotation, side, units and origin. | Bottom-side mirroring or orientation conventions not agreed with the assembly drawing. |
| Fabrication + assembly drawings | The board revision, polarity marks, special instructions and delivery format. | A revised BOM paired with a previous Gerber export. |
| Programming and testing | Firmware version/checksum reference, procedure, equipment, acceptance limits and records. | 鈥淭est all boards鈥� with no approved test method or expected values. |
Use the assembly BOM checklist and pick-and-place file guidance before release. A BOM format check cannot establish availability, part authenticity or circuit correctness.
Use first-article review to answer specific questions
A first article is valuable when it checks a defined uncertainty before the remainder is built. Examples include orientation of an unfamiliar connector, a mechanical interface, a new placement program, or a critical programming sequence. The review should identify what evidence is required: selected photographs, dimensional observations, programming results, or a defined functional result. A photograph alone cannot approve all hidden joints or product behavior.
Agree on the hold point and response process. State whether the rest of the lot remains unassembled, whether procurement can continue, and who can authorize release. Include a response contact and expected review window without treating it as a guaranteed delivery commitment. If approval is delayed, the schedule may change. Those dependencies should be visible in the quotation and order rather than discovered during production.
Define what happens if the first article exposes a design problem. Is rework permitted, is a new PCB revision required, or should the remaining material be held? An authorized prototype modification needs an as-built record. Otherwise the engineering team may test a modified unit while assuming it represents the released files. Record the affected references, modification description, and units included.
First-article approval should be scoped. Accepting placement orientation does not establish EMC compliance, lifetime, or performance across all operating conditions. Keep manufacturing acceptance and product validation distinct. The purpose is to reduce uncertainty at the right stage, not to create a broad approval statement that neither party can support. A targeted first-article plan can save time precisely because it avoids asking a small preliminary build to prove everything.
Next step: Prepare prototype validation.
| Stage | Decision / evidence | Responsibility to agree |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-build review | Record file conflicts, approved parts, stackup and any unresolved exceptions. | Customer approves design changes; supplier confirms the quoted manufacturing scope. |
| First assembled sample | Check orientation, fit, workmanship and requested programming or test results. | Specify whether the rest of the lot waits for approval and who signs off. |
| Bring-up and functional validation | Use the design-specific power procedure, firmware and measurable interface tests. | Identify who provides fixtures, software, limits and diagnostic support. |
| Next revision | Log failures against serial / board ID, reproduce the issue and update the controlled release. | Keep a known baseline; distinguish design corrections from assembly defects. |
Plan bring-up, firmware and RF validation
MCU and industrial control builds
Separate power-rail checks, programming access and interface validation. Identify which boards go to firmware work and which remain untouched as a baseline. Specify connector orientation and mechanical fit before the first article.
RF and hidden-joint packages
Keep the material and stackup tied to the board revision. Ask for package-specific assembly and inspection review. Record the RF fixture, calibration plane and measurement limits for your own validation plan.
For laminate and geometry questions, use the RF material and design workspace.
Specify the inspection and test evidence you need
Choose inspection and test methods according to likely defects and your next engineering task. Visible assembly inspection, selected X-ray evaluation, electrical checks, programming, and functional testing provide different evidence. A board can pass a visual check and still contain a wrong value or a firmware issue. Conversely, a board that passes a basic functional test can contain a workmanship condition that affects reliability later.
Describe functional testing with enough detail to be repeatable. Include power conditions, loads, interface connections, firmware, expected outputs, and limits. Identify whether the fixture or software already exists or must be developed. For a small prototype lot, development effort can be a substantial part of the scope. Leaving it undefined does not make the work disappear; it transfers uncertainty into the build schedule.
Ask for the records that will help your team bring up the boards. These may include unit identifiers, firmware versions, authorized substitutions, and any rework performed. Avoid requesting every possible report without a purpose, but do not omit information needed to interpret a later failure. A good as-built record can prevent an unnecessary respin when the actual cause is a single component substitution or a unit-specific modification.
For unusual packages, use the component manufacturer's attachment guidance. TI's packaging reference library illustrates why requirements are package-specific rather than one universal SMT rule. The exact device and process still require review. The prototype order should describe the requested acceptance work without implying that every listed method is automatically performed, available in-house, or suitable for every assembly.
Next step: Review broader assembly services.
Compare assembly quotes on an equal build scope
The useful comparison is the same BOM, fitted quantity, variants, board revision and test coverage. Separate non-recurring setup or fixture work from recurring assembly and components. A small lot can still need substantial preparation.
- Identify customer-supplied parts, loss allowances and how unused parts are returned.
- State whether first-article review adds a hold point to the requested delivery date.
- Separate programming, hidden-joint inspection, cleaning, coating and functional test scope.
- Confirm the latest file-release date and component readiness before treating a requested date as a committed schedule.
For schedule-sensitive builds, review quick-turn assembly preparation. When the release is stable, plan the transition to low-volume PCB assembly.
Before you request your prototype quote
Can you assemble only selected components?
Submit the exact references and the remaining assembly plan for feasibility and quotation. Agree handling, rework and final-test responsibility. Do not use a general 鈥減artial assembly鈥� note as the only instruction.
Does a passed BOM check mean the build is ready?
No. The browser checker identifies formatting and reference inconsistencies. Parts availability, substitutions, orientation, file revisions and design correctness still need review.
Is functional testing included?
Only when its procedure, equipment, limits, coverage and records are agreed in the quotation. Inspection, programming and functional validation are different activities.
Can the bare-board plan carry into assembly?
Use the transfer link in the PCB prototype planner in the same tab. Only common board construction specifications are retained for 30 minutes; apply them explicitly and enter the assembly quantity separately. Review your brief to carry a summary to Contact; attach the files there.
Prepare the inquiry around the next engineering decision
Summarize the decisions from the build route, file review and acceptance sections in one inquiry: board revision, quantity, procurement split, the engineering question the prototypes must answer, and any unresolved items. Attach the available files and label incomplete ones so the reviewer can separate essential build scope from later validation work.
State the first-article hold, if required, and identify special handling, coating, programming or test work that is not already defined in the release package. Keep safety-critical and interface requirements explicit even for a small prototype lot.
After quotation, reconcile exceptions before authorizing the build. Confirm approved alternatives, open files, and any work excluded from the quoted scope. Save the accepted package so that engineering can compare the delivered units with the exact build instruction. If a late design change occurs, issue a controlled revision and obtain a clear impact assessment rather than sending an unmarked replacement file.
The worksheet below helps organize this discussion. It is a preparation document and does not submit an order. Use the contact route to request review, even if some parameters are undecided; label those items clearly. For self-assembly, follow the bare-board prototype route. For populated boards, provide the BOM and assembly scope. The most useful prototype service is the one that delivers a known build and the evidence needed to decide what to do next.
Next step: Request a project-specific review.
Ask for the quality records relevant to your order; review quality and acceptance topics.
Engineering references
Read the for fabrication data, and for device-specific reference designs. Follow the exact component datasheets and approved test procedures.
Project worksheet and supporting references
Download the project review worksheet (CSV). Record evidence and open questions before submitting files. This download does not send information to 吃瓜tv.
Technical references: . References support the stated scope, not blanket manufacturing approval.