[SequoiaHope]

I assembled my own PCBs for years and once I used JLC assembly I never went back. It costs more in shipping from Digikey to pay for assembly at JLC, so you’re literally not saving money. You’re also spending more time ordering parts, and the actual assembly is a pain even if you’re skilled. Hand placing components just sucks. Plus you end up with boxes of capacitors and resistors you will never use again.

I just don’t think this really is a better way of doing things.

[floxy]

Do you generally limit yourself to the parts that JLC stocks? Or do you send them reels with the parts you want to use? Or will they order the parts you want? Last I looked, I don't see that they have any Microchip microcontrollers available (plus plenty of other active components and connectors).

[SequoiaHope]

I do my best to use only JLC parts for convenience sake, but it is easy to order parts from global suppliers in to your parts cart at JLC. I’m not sure if you can send them parts but they have a “global parts” function in your “parts cart” that lets you search most global supply companies and they will buy the parts for you.

[floxy]

Thanks, I'll have to look into this more.

[antoniuschan99]

I think that has changed? You can now send components to them that don’t exist at lcsc?