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DownStream's Fabstream.com and Electro-Labs.com Combine Resources to Launch Solo-Labs.com
April 27, 2016 | DownStream TechnologiesEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Two leading online resources targeted to the electronic engineering professional and enthusiast combined resources today and launched Solo-Labs.com. The new resource brings together the assets of DownStream Technologies’ DIY Maker initiative Fabstream.com and Electro-Labs.com to create a community-based portal where users can find electronic design tools, resources, project tutorials and knowledge to create PCB-based electronics.
“This move makes complete sense on many fronts,” said Rick Almeida, Managing Director of Fabstream and Founder of Fabstream’s parent company, DownStream Technologies, LLC. “Electro-Labs.com has been a longtime strategic partner of FabStream.com by providing value added content like DIY projects, and electronics tutorials that complement our SoloPCB Designer software application. As that relationship deepened, it became clear that strategically we should join forces and allow customers to get all the information and tools they need to build PCB-based electronics in one location,” he added.
Solo-Labs.com will be a resource for PCB-based electronic project development. The site is comprised of free electronic design software, as well as dozens of project tutorials to help users’ jumpstart a project, including step-by-step tutorials, videos, PCB schematic and library reference files, industry articles and more. Additional projects and tutorials will be added regularly, and the community of users will be able to share files, designs, tips and techniques through the community feature on the site. The team from Electro-Labs.com will continue to develop new projects and add new content to Solo-Labs.com going forward.
“We are excited to combine the resources and content of Electro-Labs.com with Fabstream.com,” noted Abdulgafur Mujdeci, publisher of Electro-Labs.com. “The SoloPCB Designer software is unmatched in its capability within the Maker community. It allows us to create PCB designs without compromising electronic performance because of design tools that lack functionality. This new venture will allow us to concentrate on creating and delivering more engaging content to our audience using SoloPCB Designer as the catalyst to bring our ideas to reality,” he added.
New Free PCB Software
With the launch of Solo-Labs.com also comes the new release of SoloPCB Designer 2.0™, the portal’s free PCB design software. SoloPCB Designer is a Windows-based PCB design software, consisting of powerful schematic capture and PCB layout modules. SoloPCB Designer provides all the capability to meet the most challenging design requirements, with the features and functionality of high-end commercial systems blended into an easy-to-use system. With the launch of Solo-Labs.com, SoloPCB Designer has discontinued the requirement that users purchase physical PCBs from a set manufacturer. With version 2.0, the software is still free to download and use. Customers now only pay for Gerber and Drill files based on their design content. This allows users to purchase their PCBs from the manufacturer of choice anywhere in the world and as often as they wish.
Beginning today Fabstream.com and Electro-labs.com will be discontinued and all web visits will be re-directed to Solo-Labs.com. Fabstream’s free PCB design software will also be retired. Users are encouraged to visit Solo-Labs.com to download the new SoloPCB Designer software.
Availability and Cost
Solo-Labs.com is live and SoloPCB Designer is available free to download and use. The user pays only for the output of CAM files when they are ready to manufacture their printed circuit boards. Ordering is easy from within the software and pricing starts at $49 (US) for 2 layer board CAM file sets, $99 (US) for 4 layer CAM file sets, and $149 (US) for 6+ layers.
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