Insights

Don't aim for a perfect first version, but learn from the first version as fast as possible. A post by Bart van Arnhem (Orbisk) got me thinking about how electronics is making the same leap as software.

Some people see a technical problem and think: uh-oh. Jochem thinks: fun! Meet the new lab manager of our PCBAProtoLab at Kennispark Twente.

The real question isn't how to save €1000 on a protoPCBA, but what it costs if you can only test a week later. Why we look at the Total Cost of Development.

Misplacements out of nowhere — no software, no nozzle, no component changed. How two shiny stainless-steel bolts and bright summer light confused Buddy.

Drill holes floating off your board in a Gerber viewer? It is usually an Altium absolute-vs-relative origin mismatch. Here is how our actively maintained open-source Gerber/Excellon drill library detects and fixes it automatically.

Demand from AI is shifting laminate and copper-foil capacity. Lead times for special PCB materials are rising — and how split delivery keeps your development moving anyway.

In the OPZuid project, DeltaProto is working on a roadmap towards additively manufactured PCBs for prototypes and small series. Developing faster, wasting less and producing locally.

Sometimes improving a process isn't about a more complex machine, but about a simpler and more controllable one. How we get certain prototypes spotlessly clean.

A prototype isn't a phase but an umbrella term. Which risk are you trying to remove in which TRL stage? An overview of the types of prototypes in electronics and PCBA development.

A small series with a low yield and a request to x-ray it. Why a second opinion sometimes confirms your first hunch — and sometimes proves an engineer's gut feeling right.

A prototype has only one goal: to learn as fast as possible. Why a parallel track saves hardware teams weeks.

A single proto says "it works". A proto series says "it keeps working". Why we expanded our process with extra pick & place capacity.

One-sided NDAs — we sign them regularly. But collaboration goes both ways, and that's why we prefer working with a mutual NDA.

No vacancy, no recruiter, no process — and yet we sometimes match engineers with companies. Because a substantive match beats a CV match.

A CEO with a €100k monthly burn rate asked me what a week of waiting costs him. The answer changes the entire cost equation of prototyping.

A follow-up to the pin-1 story: the same datasheet marking, but a different mechanical reference. How a silent change from the manufacturer still caused a fault.

The biggest costs in hardware development aren't in the PCBA, but in the time between iterations.

A creative trick: use an extra PCB as an alignment and pressing tool for press-fit prototypes.

How a mold mark almost caused a wrongly placed IC, and why ProtoPhotos are essential.

Test structures, mask outlines and local fiducials for reliable fine-pitch BGA assembly.

When components are designed for conductive adhesive instead of standard soldering.

If sample 1 or 2 already tells you enough, it's a waste to assemble the rest.

For components, a second source is obvious. For PCBs, almost nobody arranges it.

Reliable and vibration-resistant, but often impractical in the prototype phase. Practical tips.

When 1 oz copper is not enough: benefits, lead time and a smart prototyping strategy.

How DeltaProto's iteration approach combines speed and cost savings, and why green PCBs are better for AOI.

Looking back on a year full of lessons, iterations and improvements.

What goes wrong (and how to fix it) when making interposers for fine-pitch BGAs.

The challenges of PCBs thinner than 0.8 mm with Hot Air Solder Leveling.

DeltaProto launches Delta Gerber — an open-source library for viewing Gerber files directly in the browser.

How a small adapter board can save your prototype when dealing with end-of-life components or design issues.

A recurring phenomenon: the standard LED orientation in the tape vs. the marking on the component.

The high melting temperature of SAC solder and when alternatives like tin-bismuth make sense.

From 455x460mm boards that didn't fit to a custom-built VaporPhase oven.

Did you know that PCB lead time often determines 90% of the total turnaround time of a ProtoPCBA project?

Research into optimal pad diameter and via placement for straight pogo pins on ProtoPCBA's.

The new ProtoMemo with PreCheck, PostCheck, and EMS advice for better prototypes.

How the Delft Solar Team drove to first place with last-minute iterations at DeltaProto.

When metal atoms migrate through thin traces under high current density.

Inspired by Het Klokhuis: how we use solder flux to remove super glue from ProtoPCBA's.

Microscopically small metal hairs that grow spontaneously and can cause short circuits.

Sometimes the best choice is not either buying or making it yourself, but a combination of both.

One mistake in the measurement system and your component doesn't fit the footprint. A very common pitfall.

With BGA's or fine-pitch components, vias in a pad are unavoidable. How we shorten lead time by filling vias ourselves.

How we build our own TestJigs to program and test PCBA's, and what we learned through iteration.

80% of all ProtoPCBA's need at least one extra iteration. This one required a creative soldering solution.

A handy trick we came across on a ProtoPCBA for fast testing and programming.

At DeltaProto you can now also indicate online where we should have your PCB's produced.

How we make special PCBA's that operate at 20 milliKelvin, with more than 16,000 vias for heat distribution.

DeltaProto B.V. produces PCBA prototypes within one week and is now also located at Kennispark Twente.