Practical guide · Purchasing and engineering
PCB and PCBA: differences and quotation documents
Before requesting a price, define the supply scope and identify the data already available. This checklist helps prepare the technical and commercial discussion.
By Roberto Cesarini ·
What is the difference?
PCB: printed circuit board
The bare board without mounted components. The enquiry covers board fabrication.
PCBA: printed circuit board assembly
The board with components mounted. Clarify whether you also need the PCB and components supplied or assembly only.
PCB checklist
- Board and drilling data, for example Gerber and drill files, for the revision to be quoted. Agree accepted formats with the manufacturer.
- Available drawing and fabrication requirements: dimensions, layer count, material, thickness and finish. Flag any information still to be defined.
- Batch quantity, any samples and required delivery schedule. Separate forecast demand from the current order.
For PCBA, also prepare
- Bill of materials (BOM): full manufacturer part numbers, board reference designators and quantity per board. Identify parts not fitted and permitted substitutions.
- Placement data (pick & place / CPL): references, coordinates, rotation and mounting side. They must match the BOM and PCB revision.
- Available assembly drawing and instructions. State who supplies components and which inspections, programming or tests you want to agree.
Check the revision before sending
Use the same board identifier and revision across files, BOM and message. Clearly identify which package replaces the previous one and any outstanding changes. If information is missing, request an initial discussion: the final assessment will require the agreed data package.
TECHBOARD GROUP
TECHBOARD GROUP is the manufacturing reference for PCB and PCBA presented on this website. My role is consultancy and commercial coordination. Specifications, feasibility, material availability and lead times are checked for each project.
Explore the PCB and PCBA product family →Prepare a PCB or PCBA enquiry
State quantity, revision and the required service. The form accepts up to 3 attachments, 2 MB each and 3 MB in total; production files can be packaged in ZIP. Agree a sharing channel first for larger or confidential documentation.
Request a PCB / PCBA quotation →General enquiry template →Technical references
Indicative checklist, not the manufacturer’s acceptance specification. References consulted on 11 November 2026: