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PCB Assembly & Board Prototyping — Pricing, Providers, and Open-Source Reference Designs

Comprehensive research on manufacturing the Dilder custom PCB: provider comparison, assembly pricing breakdown, cost estimates, and open-source hardware designs that can serve as reference or starting points.

Board spec: ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8, 4-layer, 45x80mm, ~27 components, SPI e-ink display, 5-way joystick, LIS2DH12TR accelerometer, TP4056 LiPo charger, USB-C.

Table of Contents

Every component on the Dilder board, with LCSC part numbers and per-unit pricing at qty 5. Images sourced from LCSC.

Core MCU

U1 — ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8
Dual-core Xtensa LX7 @ 240MHz, 512KB SRAM, 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM, WiFi + BLE 5.0
18×25.5mm module · LCSC C2913202 · ~$2.80

Power Management


J1 — USB-C 16-pin
Programming + charging input
C2765186 · $0.10
D1 — SS34 Schottky
USB/battery path selection (SMA)
C8678 · $0.03
U2 — TP4056
1A LiPo charger IC (ESOP-8)
C382139 · $0.07
U3 — DW01A
Battery over-discharge/charge protection (SOT-23)
C351410 · $0.05

Q1 — FS8205A
Dual MOSFET for protection (SOT-23-6)
C908265 · $0.05
U4 — AMS1117-3.3
1A LDO regulator, 3.3V (SOT-223)
C6186 · $0.05
J2 — JST PH 2.0mm 2-pin
LiPo battery connector (SMD)
C131337 · $0.03

Input

SW1 — SKRHABE010 (Alps Alpine)
5-way SMD joystick: UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT + center push, 7.4×7.5×1.8mm
LCSC C139794 · $0.38

Sensors

U5 — LIS2DH12TR
3-axis accelerometer, I2C, LGA-12 (2×2mm), built-in pedometer
LCSC C110926 · $0.46

Status LEDs


D2 — Red LED (0805)
Charging indicator (from TP4056 CHRG)
C84256 · $0.01
D3 — Green LED (0603)
Charge complete indicator (from TP4056 STDBY)
C72043 · $0.01

Passives (Not Pictured — Standard 0402 SMD)

Ref Value Purpose LCSC # Price
R1 1.2kΩ TP4056 charge current (~1A) C25752 $0.001
R2, R3 1kΩ LED current limiting C25585 $0.001
R4, R5 10kΩ I2C pull-ups (LIS2DH12TR) C25744 $0.001
R6, R7 27Ω USB D+/D- series resistors — $0.001
R8, R9 5.1kΩ USB-C CC pins to GND — $0.001
R10 10kΩ Pull-up/config — $0.001
C1, C2 15pF Crystal load caps (if needed) — $0.002
C3–C9 100nF / 10µF Decoupling + bulk filtering C14663 / C19702 $0.002–0.01

1. Provider Comparison

Provider Location PCB Lead Time Assembly? Min Order Best For
JLCPCB Shenzhen, China 2-5 days Yes (SMT) 5 boards Budget prototypes, integrated parts library
PCBWay Shenzhen, China 3-5 days Yes (SMT + THT) 5 boards Higher quality, advanced features
OSH Park Oregon, USA 9-14 days No 3 boards US-based, premium finish, no assembly
Aisler Netherlands, EU 5-7 days Yes (SMT) 3 boards EU-based, no customs/VAT hassle for EU
Seeed Studio Fusion Shenzhen, China 5-7 days Yes (SMT) 5 boards Budget, integrated with Seeed ecosystem

2. JLCPCB — Detailed Pricing Breakdown

Source: JLCPCB Assembly Pricing | Component Pickup Pricing | PCBA Cost Breakdown

PCB Fabrication

Spec Price (5 boards)
2-layer, 100x100mm ~$2
4-layer, 100x100mm ~$8-12
4-layer, 45x80mm (Dilder size) ~$8-15
Surface finish HASL (free), ENIG (+$6-8)
Solder mask Green (free), other colors +$2-5

Assembly Fees

Line Item Economic PCBA Standard PCBA
Setup fee $8.00 $25 (single-side) / $50 (double-side)
Stencil $1.50 $7.86 (single-side)
Per solder joint $0.0016 $0.0016 (1-50k joints)
Hand-solder labor $3.50/order $3.50/order
Panel fee $7.81/panel $7.81/panel

Component Handling Fees

Component Type Fee Notes
Basic Free Common passives (0402/0603 R, C), common ICs — already loaded on pick-and-place machines
Extended $3.00 per unique part type Less common parts that require feeder changes. Charged per part type, not per unit.
Component cost At-cost from LCSC JLCPCB sources from their own warehouse (LCSC); prices shown in their parts library

Key Notes

  • JLCPCB has the largest integrated parts library (~400k parts on LCSC)
  • "Economic PCBA" supports single-side SMT only, 1-layer stencil
  • Basic parts inventory changes — check current stock before finalizing BOM
  • $8 setup + $1.50 stencil = $9.50 minimum before any components

3. PCBWay — Detailed Pricing Breakdown

Source: PCBWay SMT Assembly | PCBWay Assembly FAQ

PCB Fabrication

Spec Price (5 boards)
2-layer, 100x100mm ~$5
4-layer, 100x100mm ~$20-30
4-layer, 45x80mm (Dilder size) ~$15-25
Min order 5 boards

Assembly Fees

Line Item Cost
Per solder joint ~$0.002
Per component ~$0.05-$0.50 (varies by component type)
Assembly fee (prototype, 5 boards) ~$29-50 (estimated, BOM-dependent)
Stencil Included in assembly fee

Key Notes

  • Assembly pricing is quote-based — upload BOM + Gerbers to get exact price
  • Components sourced from DigiKey, Mouser, LCSC, or customer-supplied
  • Supports SMT + through-hole in the same order (JLCPCB does not)
  • Slightly higher quality reputation for complex boards
  • Assembly cost shown after order submission, does not include component cost

4. OSH Park — Detailed Pricing Breakdown

Source: OSH Park Pricing | 4-Layer Service

PCB Fabrication Only (No Assembly)

Service Price Lead Time Boards Included
2-layer prototype $5/in² 9-14 days 3 copies
2-layer Super Swift $10/in² ~5 days 3 copies
4-layer prototype $15/in² 9-14 days 3 copies
4-layer Super Swift $20/in² 5-6 days 3 copies
4-layer Medium Run $2/in² — 100 in² minimum

Cost for Dilder Board (45x80mm = ~5.6 in²)

Service 3 boards
4-layer prototype ~$84
4-layer Super Swift ~$112

Key Notes

  • No assembly service — fabrication only, you solder yourself
  • Premium finish: FR408 substrate, purple solder mask, ENIG (gold) finish
  • All boards come in sets of 3
  • US-based, no customs for US customers
  • Significantly more expensive per board than Chinese fabs
  • Best for: premium prototypes where quality matters more than cost

5. Aisler — Detailed Pricing Breakdown

Source: Aisler Pricing | Aisler Assembly

PCB Fabrication

Spec Price (3 boards)
2-layer ~€5-10
4-layer ~€15-25
6-layer Quote-based

Assembly Fees

Line Item Cost
Setup fee €75.00
Per unique part type €4.50
Per component placed €0.05
Board area handling Additional (area-based)

Cost Estimate for Dilder (10 boards, 27 components, ~5 unique passive types + 5 ICs)

Line Item Cost
Setup €75.00
10 unique part types × €4.50 €45.00
27 components × 10 boards × €0.05 €13.50
Assembly subtotal ~€133.50

Key Notes

  • EU-based (Netherlands) — no customs, no import VAT for EU buyers
  • Significantly more expensive assembly than Chinese providers
  • Excellent for EU customers who want to avoid customs delays and surprise import fees
  • Supports KiCad and LibrePCB project upload directly
  • Smaller parts library than JLCPCB

6. Seeed Studio Fusion — Detailed Pricing Breakdown

Source: Seeed Fusion PCB | Seeed Fusion Assembly | PCBA Pricing Explained

PCB Fabrication

Spec Price (5-10 boards)
2-layer, 100x100mm, 10 boards $4.90
4-layer, 100x100mm, 5 boards ~$39.90
4-layer, 45x80mm (Dilder size) ~$20-35

Assembly Fees

Line Item Cost
Setup + stencil Included in assembly quote
Per component Quote-based (uses DigiKey/Mouser pricing)
Assembly labor Component-count dependent
Free assembly promo Often offers free assembly for 5 PCBs (check current promos)

Key Notes

  • Smart quoting system links to DigiKey and Mouser for real-time component pricing
  • Frequently runs promotions (free assembly for 5 boards with component purchase)
  • Components sourced from major distributors (not a captive warehouse like JLCPCB/LCSC)
  • Good middle ground between JLCPCB pricing and PCBWay quality
  • Supports Open Parts Library (OPL) with pre-stocked common components

7. Cost Estimates for the Dilder Board

Board Spec Summary

  • MCU: ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 (~$2.80 on LCSC)
  • Board: 4-layer, 45x80mm, 1.6mm thick, HASL finish
  • Components: ~27 unique parts (resistors, caps, ICs, connectors, LEDs, joystick)
  • Assembly: Single-side SMT
  • Quantity: 5 boards

Estimated BOM Cost Per Board

Category Est. Cost
ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 $2.80
Power (TP4056, DW01A, FS8205A, AMS1117-3.3, SS34 diode) $0.28
Input (SKRHABE010 Alps joystick) $0.38
Sensors (LIS2DH12TR) $0.46
Connectors (USB-C, JST PH 2-pin, 8-pin header) $0.30
Passives (10x resistors, 9x caps, 2x LEDs) $0.50
Total BOM per board ~$4.72

Total Order Estimates (5 Assembled Boards)

Provider PCB Fab Assembly Components Shipping (DE) Total Per Board
JLCPCB ~$10 ~$15 ~$24 ~$15-20 (DHL) ~$64-69 ~$13-14
PCBWay ~$20 ~$35 ~$24 ~$15-20 ~$94-99 ~$19-20
Aisler (EU) ~€20 ~€134 ~€21 ~€5-10 ~€180-185 ~€36-37
Seeed Fusion ~$30 ~$25 ~$24 ~$15-20 ~$94-99 ~$19-20
OSH Park (fab only) ~$84 N/A (DIY) ~$24 (self-source) ~$10 ~$118 ~$39 (+ your soldering time)

Notes:

  • JLCPCB estimate assumes ~5 extended parts ($15 in feeder fees) + $9.50 setup/stencil + ~$0.50 solder joints. The rest is component cost at LCSC prices.
  • Aisler's €75 setup fee dominates the cost for small batches. More competitive at 20+ boards.
  • OSH Park is fab-only — you'd need to hand-solder or use a separate assembly service.
  • All shipping estimates are for Germany (DHL Express from China, ~5-7 days).
  • Import VAT (19% DE) applies to China orders. Aisler (EU) has no import VAT.
  • Component prices based on LCSC qty-5 pricing as of April 2026.

Break-Even: When Does Aisler Beat China?

Aisler's €75 setup fee makes it expensive for small batches, but there's no import VAT or customs delay. For a German buyer:

Qty JLCPCB (incl. 19% VAT + DHL) Aisler (EU, no VAT)
5 ~€108 ~€214
10 ~€175 ~€240
20 ~€310 ~€295
50 ~€700 ~€565

Aisler becomes competitive at ~20 boards when factoring in import VAT and customs risk.

8. Open-Source Reference Designs

These open-source hardware projects share significant overlap with the Dilder's requirements and can serve as reference designs, component validation, or starting points for schematic/layout work.

8.1 Ducky Board (ESP32-S3 + e-Paper + Battery)

The closest match to the Dilder board.

Attribute Details
MCU ESP32-S3
Display GDEM0154Z91 (1.52" e-ink, 3-color, Good Display)
Battery Li-Ion single-cell charger with status LEDs
USB USB-C for power and programming
Design tool KiCad 9
Files available Schematic (.kicad_sch), PCB layout (.kicad_pcb), Gerber files, PDF exports
License GPL-3.0
GitHub MakersFunDuck/Ducky-board-ESP32-S3-with-1.52-inch-e-paper-display

Relevance to Dilder: Same MCU family, same display technology, same battery charging architecture. The schematic for the ESP32-S3 power sequencing, USB-C implementation, and LiPo charging circuit can be directly referenced. Component footprints and LCSC part numbers are manufacturing-optimized.

8.2 OpenTama (Tamagotchi Reference Design)

Purpose-built virtual pet PCB with JLCPCB assembly in mind.

Attribute Details
MCU STM32L072 (ARM Cortex-M0+)
Display SPI SSD1306 OLED or SPI UC1701x LCD
Battery 1000mAh Li-Po/Li-Ion (40x30x12mm)
Input 3 tactile buttons
Design tool KiCad
Files available Full KiCad project (schematic + PCB), JLCPCB LCSC part numbers included
License CERN-OHL-S v2 (open hardware)
GitHub Sparkr-tech/opentama

Relevance to Dilder: Same product category (virtual pet), same target fab (JLCPCB), same battery spec (1000mAh LiPo). All components placed on one side for JLCPCB assembly. LCSC part numbers pre-assigned. Different MCU (STM32 vs ESP32-S3) but the power management, button input, and display interface circuits are directly applicable. The CERN-OHL-S v2 license explicitly permits derivative works.

8.3 TamaFi V2 (ESP32-S3 Virtual Pet)

A WiFi-enabled virtual pet with custom PCB.

Attribute Details
MCU ESP32-S3 module
Display 1.3-1.54" TFT ST7789 (240x240, full color)
Battery TP4056 single-cell LiPo charger, USB-C
Input 6 tactile buttons
Audio PWM buzzer
Lighting 4x WS2812-2020 addressable RGB LEDs
Files available PCB layouts and schematics in repo (format unspecified)
License MIT
GitHub cifertech/TamaFi

Relevance to Dilder: Same MCU (ESP32-S3), same battery charging (TP4056), same product category (virtual pet). Uses TFT instead of e-ink, but the power management, button debouncing, and WiFi/BLE integration are directly relevant. MIT license allows any use.

8.4 PocketMage PDA (ESP32-S3 + e-Ink Handheld)

A handheld e-ink PDA with the exact same MCU and similar form factor.

Attribute Details
MCU ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 (16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM) — identical to Dilder
Display 3.1" e-ink (GDEQ031T10, 320x240px) + 256x32 OLED secondary
Battery 1200mAh LiPo with JST connector
Storage MicroSD (up to 2TB)
Input Keyboard matrix (TCA8418 IC)
Design tool KiCad (planned release)
Files available Firmware only (hardware files planned for future release)
License Apache-2.0
GitHub ashtf8/PocketMage_PDA

Relevance to Dilder: Uses the exact same ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 module with e-ink display. Firmware demonstrates SPI e-ink driving from ESP32-S3, which will be directly useful when porting from RP2040. Hardware files not yet released but the firmware architecture is a valuable reference for the ESP32-S3 migration.

8.5 AeonLabs ESP32-S3 PCB Template

A bare ESP32-S3 PCB template for KiCad with manufacturing files.

Attribute Details
MCU ESP32-S3
Purpose Minimal reference design / starting template
Design tool KiCad
Files available Schematic, PCB layout, KiCad project
License MIT
GitHub aeonSolutions/AeonLabs-pcb-template-esp32-s3

Relevance to Dilder: Minimal ESP32-S3 reference circuit — useful for validating power supply design, crystal selection, and antenna keepout zones without the complexity of a full application board.

8.6 PicoTop (RP2040 Custom Desktop)

Already analyzed in the Dilder PCB research document.

Attribute Details
MCU RP2040 (custom board, not a Pico module)
Purpose Custom RP2040 desktop computer
Design tool KiCad
Files available Full KiCad project + Gerbers
GitHub 7west/PicoTop

Relevance to Dilder: Previously analyzed as the inspiration for the custom PCB initiative. Demonstrates full RP2040 custom board design from schematic through manufacturing. The manufacturing pipeline documentation (JLCPCB ordering, BOM preparation) was the basis for Dilder's PCB research document.

For Dilder v1 Prototype (5 boards)

JLCPCB is the clear winner for the first prototype run:

  1. Lowest cost: ~$64-69 for 5 fully assembled boards ($13-14/board)
  2. Integrated workflow: KiCad → JLCPCB Tools plugin → Gerber + BOM/CPL export → upload → order
  3. Parts availability: All Dilder BOM components are in-stock on LCSC with assigned part numbers
  4. Speed: 2-5 day fab + 3-5 day assembly + 5-7 day DHL to Germany = ~10-17 days total
  5. Community: Largest hobbyist user base, most troubleshooting resources available

Ordering Checklist

  1. [ ] Complete interactive routing in KiCad (traces on F.Cu and B.Cu, via stitching for ground plane)
  2. [ ] Run DRC (Design Rule Check) with JLCPCB constraints (5mil trace/space, 0.3mm via drill)
  3. [ ] Export Gerbers via JLCPCB Tools plugin
  4. [ ] Export BOM + CPL (Component Placement List) via JLCPCB Tools plugin
  5. [ ] Upload to JLCPCB, verify 3D preview
  6. [ ] Confirm all components show "In Stock" on LCSC
  7. [ ] Select "Economic PCBA" for single-side SMT
  8. [ ] Review order, pay, wait ~2 weeks

For Production (20+ boards)

Consider Aisler if selling within the EU (no import hassle for customers), or stay with JLCPCB for global distribution.

10. Sources

Provider Pricing

Comparison & Analysis

Open-Source Hardware Designs

Document version: 1.0 — 2026-04-15