I recently spoke with Tony Breglio and Tony Garramone of Advanced Circuits about their FreeDFM service. I haven't created many (any?) pc boards myself lately, but if you do, it sounds like a service that would be worth your time to check out and may save you lots of time to boot. The company notes that 20-25% of pc board orders go on hold due to a variety of errors—costing much in the way of time—and this service is meant to alleviate the problem. Just point your browser at https://www.freedfm.com/!freedfmstep1.asp for a look. Basically, after you design your pc board, you upload the design files to the FreeDFM site. In about 10 minutes, you'll receive a report that tells you if you've made any mistakes and what to do about them. The service also tells you whether or not your layout can be fabricated without breaking the bank, so to speak. Along with the report, you receive a quote for the fabrication of your board, which you can take or leave. If you decide to go with Advanced Circuits you'll be happy to know that the company prides itself on a 99+% on-time record for pc board delivery and around 50% of the time finishing early. It's certainly not an airline you're dealing with here. If you want, you can send the files to them multiple times until you're satisfied—there's no penalty for doing this. If you need help, Advanced Circuits offers 24-hour tech service. Of course, if you do try FreeDFM, your comments are welcome here.