Happy 2026 from team DeltaProto!

Happy 2026 from team DeltaProto B.V.!

Last year -- just like with real ProtoPCBA's -- quite a few things went wrong on our end too.

Our internal nomination for the DeltaProtoIdioto went to one project where virtually everything that could go wrong actually did.

A short reconstruction: Iteration 1: PCB ordered too thick -> mechanically incompatible Iteration 2: Correct thickness, but solder mask in the wrong places Iteration 3: As a gesture of goodwill, we offered to solder the cables onto the 3rd PCB for the customer, unfortunately: -> drill holes = diameter cable (stranded wire) -> no tolerance, doesn't fit Iteration 4: LEDs positioned too close together -> increased placement risk and unwanted "domino effect" Iteration 5: Files adjusted... and sure enough: yet another PCB ordered too thick

The good news?

The final version was assembled in 5 minutes!

Conclusion: If making mistakes means learning, then we learned an extreme amount from this project -- especially about manufacturability, tolerances and the importance of checklists during rapid iterations.

What was your most painful ProtoPCBA lesson of 2025?