Why order double-sided boards from Communica?
When your project needs denser routing, smaller footprints or mixed-signal layouts, a double-sided PCB is the practical step up from single-sided prototypes. Communica gives South African makers, students and technicians access to quick-turn double-sided boards with locally relevant benefits: immediate stock checks, Samrand branch pickup, VAT invoicing for procurement and preferential lead-times for education labs.
Local availability and speed
We maintain relationships with fabrication partners and carry commonly used board materials and prefab options so you can reduce import delays. Check central stock and branch collection times directly on our Branches & Trading Hours page. For a broader glance at components and assembly supplies that pair with PCBs, browse our Collections.
A practical checklist before you order
- Board size and thickness (e.g., 100 x 80 mm, 1.6 mm)
- Copper weight per layer (standard 1 oz vs 2 oz for power traces)
- Surface finish (HASL, ENIG) and solder mask colour
- Drill tolerances and minimum trace/space for your chosen process
- Solder paste stencil requirements if you plan reflow assembly
Specification snapshot (common options)
| Spec | Typical Option | When to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Substrate | FR4 (1.6 mm) | General-purpose electronics and student projects |
| Copper | 1 oz | Most digital/analogue boards |
| Min trace/space | 6/6 mil | SMT parts and fine-pitch ICs |
| Finish | HASL (lead-free) | Cost-effective soldering environments |
Compatibility guidance and accessories
Design for parts that are stocked locally to avoid procurement delays - for example, select standard 0805 or 0603 passives and DIP or SOIC footprints that Communica carries in bulk. For breakout and prototyping, consider ordering small accessory bundles: headers, female sockets, standoffs and a stencil if you intend to reflow. See matched components in our All Products index.
Typical student and maker scenarios
If you’re delivering a lab batch of five identical boards for an undergraduate course, opt for common finishes and 1.6 mm thickness to keep yield predictable. For a robotics sensor hat or compact IoT module, specify 0.8-1.2 mm boards with 1 oz copper and 6/6 mil traces to fit SMT packages without excessive cost.
