Re: Levelling before machining - OR not
#mill
I am not sure of your question.? Not having a smoothstepper, I have
no idea of how it would be connected there.
I use TurboCnc and there is a port pin dedicated to the probe. It has a
pullup resistor on it and when shorted to ground, completes the circuit.
I move to the XY coordinate that I want to probe and issue a G31 Z-.5 and
it will lower the probe until it contacts the surface or reaches -.5
whichever occurs first. The probe coordiates (X,Y,Z) are then added to
the file for later use.
Has this helped any???
Country
?
At 1/3/2021 05:14 PM, keith3125 via groups.io wrote:
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I have a smoothstepper with a
probe i/o so I'll try something like that but where is your circuit
attached?
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 05:07:24 PM EST, Art Eckstein
<art.eckstein@...> wrote:
My "Probe" for this purpose is my 'engraving' tool.? I
chuck it up in the spindle and alligator clip one side of the probe cable
to it and the other side to the pcb stock *which is insulated from the
frame as it is held in a piece of derlin.
When the 'probe' touches the board, it completes the electrical circuit.
When originally testing this method, I kinda crumpled up a piece of
aluminum foil and proceded to probe the surface to see what would
happen.? To my surprise, the foil never moved except in one place
that it had a spot of epoxy glue on it.
Hope this helps.
Country
At 1/3/2021 04:46 PM, keith3125 via groups.io wrote:
Art, what do you use for a
probe?
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 11:40:52 AM EST, Art Eckstein
<art.eckstein@...> wrote:
When you say "because the software and controller don't cater for
that" do you mean you can't do probing or what??
I find leveling software such as
<> in
valuable because even though I use a vacuum chuck that has been
milled flat, the cheap boards that I get from the usual suspect are
still quite 'wavy' and again as you say it makes a difference between
success and failure.
Country
At 1/3/2021 11:12 AM, falconeti6969 wrote:
>Hey guys,
>
>So I have basically shyed away from milling boards and just buy perf
>board and this is why;
>I can't do a levelling pass with my machine because the software and
>controller don't cater for that. Its an industrial 1200x1200 machine
>I bought in 2012. I have toyed with moving to mach3 BUT no real
>reason to for any other reason and it just works.
>So I am getting more and more to the point of milling my boards and
>wonder what do you guys, those with my dilemma, what do you do? At
>the margins the boards are machined at .2 deviation can mean the
>difference between success and failure
|
Re: Levelling before machining - OR not
#mill
Hi,
I have used Autoleveller for five/six years and could not realistically do the work I do with the machine without it.
With the PCB blank double sided taped down to the spoil board the uppermost copper should be insulated from the machine frame.
I solder a small lug or wire to a corner of the blank and attach one leg of the probe circuit to that. The other leg is
connected by an alligator clip to the engraving tool in the chuck of the spindle. When the spindle lowers to the extent that the tip
of the tool touches the copper of the board the circuit between the two legs of the probe circuit is made. The control software,
Mach4 in my case, detects the circuit closure, records the Z coordinate at the instant of contact and Autoleveller uses that data to
manipulate the Gcode.
Pretty easy really.
Craig
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I have a smoothstepper with a probe i/o so I'll try something like that but where is your circuit attached?
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 05:07:24 PM EST, Art Eckstein <art.eckstein@...> wrote:
My "Probe" for this purpose is my 'engraving' tool.? I chuck it up in the spindle and alligator clip one side of the probe cable to it and the other side to the pcb stock *which is insulated from the frame as it is held in a piece of derlin.
When the 'probe' touches the board, it completes the electrical circuit.
When originally testing this method, I kinda crumpled up a piece of aluminum foil and proceded to probe the surface to see what would happen.? To my surprise, the foil never moved except in one place that it had a spot of epoxy glue on it.
Hope this helps.
Country
At 1/3/2021 04:46 PM, keith3125 via groups.io wrote:
Art, what do you use for a probe?
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 11:40:52 AM EST, Art Eckstein <art.eckstein@...> wrote:
When you say "because the software and controller don't cater for
that" do you mean you can't do probing or what??
I find leveling software such as <> in
valuable because even though I use a vacuum chuck that has been
milled flat, the cheap boards that I get from the usual suspect are
still quite 'wavy' and again as you say it makes a difference between
success and failure.
Country
At 1/3/2021 11:12 AM, falconeti6969 wrote:
>Hey guys,
>
>So I have basically shyed away from milling boards and just buy perf
>board and this is why;
>I can't do a levelling pass with my machine because the software and
>controller don't cater for that. Its an industrial 1200x1200 machine
>I bought in 2012. I have toyed with moving to mach3 BUT no real
>reason to for any other reason and it just works.
>So I am getting more and more to the point of milling my boards and
>wonder what do you guys, those with my dilemma, what do you do? At
>the margins the boards are machined at .2 deviation can mean the
>difference between success and failure
|
Re: Levelling before machining - OR not
#mill
I have a smoothstepper with a probe i/o so I'll try something like that but where is your circuit attached?
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 05:07:24 PM EST, Art Eckstein <art.eckstein@...> wrote:
My "Probe" for this purpose is my 'engraving' tool.? I
chuck it up in the spindle and alligator clip one side of the probe cable
to it and the other side to the pcb stock *which is insulated from the
frame as it is held in a piece of derlin.
When the 'probe' touches the board, it completes the electrical circuit.
When originally testing this method, I kinda crumpled up a piece of
aluminum foil and proceded to probe the surface to see what would
happen.? To my surprise, the foil never moved except in one place
that it had a spot of epoxy glue on it.
Hope this helps.
Country
At 1/3/2021 04:46 PM, keith3125 via groups.io wrote:
Art, what do you use for a
probe?
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 11:40:52 AM EST, Art Eckstein
<art.eckstein@...> wrote:
When you say "because the software and controller don't cater for
that" do you mean you can't do probing or what??
I find leveling software such as
<> in
valuable because even though I use a vacuum chuck that has been
milled flat, the cheap boards that I get from the usual suspect are
still quite 'wavy' and again as you say it makes a difference between
success and failure.
Country
At 1/3/2021 11:12 AM, falconeti6969 wrote:
>Hey guys,
>
>So I have basically shyed away from milling boards and just buy perf
>board and this is why;
>I can't do a levelling pass with my machine because the software and
>controller don't cater for that. Its an industrial 1200x1200 machine
>I bought in 2012. I have toyed with moving to mach3 BUT no real
>reason to for any other reason and it just works.
>So I am getting more and more to the point of milling my boards and
>wonder what do you guys, those with my dilemma, what do you do? At
>the margins the boards are machined at .2 deviation can mean the
>difference between success and failure
|
Re: Levelling before machining - OR not
#mill
My "Probe" for this purpose is my 'engraving' tool.? I
chuck it up in the spindle and alligator clip one side of the probe cable
to it and the other side to the pcb stock *which is insulated from the
frame as it is held in a piece of derlin.
When the 'probe' touches the board, it completes the electrical circuit.
When originally testing this method, I kinda crumpled up a piece of
aluminum foil and proceded to probe the surface to see what would
happen.? To my surprise, the foil never moved except in one place
that it had a spot of epoxy glue on it.
Hope this helps.
Country
At 1/3/2021 04:46 PM, keith3125 via groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Art, what do you use for a
probe?
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 11:40:52 AM EST, Art Eckstein
<art.eckstein@...> wrote:
When you say "because the software and controller don't cater for
that" do you mean you can't do probing or what??
I find leveling software such as
<> in
valuable because even though I use a vacuum chuck that has been
milled flat, the cheap boards that I get from the usual suspect are
still quite 'wavy' and again as you say it makes a difference between
success and failure.
Country
At 1/3/2021 11:12 AM, falconeti6969 wrote:
>Hey guys,
>
>So I have basically shyed away from milling boards and just buy perf
>board and this is why;
>I can't do a levelling pass with my machine because the software and
>controller don't cater for that. Its an industrial 1200x1200 machine
>I bought in 2012. I have toyed with moving to mach3 BUT no real
>reason to for any other reason and it just works.
>So I am getting more and more to the point of milling my boards and
>wonder what do you guys, those with my dilemma, what do you do? At
>the margins the boards are machined at .2 deviation can mean the
>difference between success and failure
|
Re: Levelling before machining - OR not
#mill
Art, what do you use for a probe?
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 11:40:52 AM EST, Art Eckstein <art.eckstein@...> wrote:
When you say "because the software and controller don't cater for
that" do you mean you can't do probing or what??
I find leveling software such as <> in
valuable because even though I use a vacuum chuck that has been
milled flat, the cheap boards that I get from the usual suspect are
still quite 'wavy' and again as you say it makes a difference between
success and failure.
Country
At 1/3/2021 11:12 AM, falconeti6969 wrote:
>Hey guys,
>
>So I have basically shyed away from milling boards and just buy perf
>board and this is why;
>I can't do a levelling pass with my machine because the software and
>controller don't cater for that. Its an industrial 1200x1200 machine
>I bought in 2012. I have toyed with moving to mach3 BUT no real
>reason to for any other reason and it just works.
>So I am getting more and more to the point of milling my boards and
>wonder what do you guys, those with my dilemma, what do you do? At
>the margins the boards are machined at .2 deviation can mean the
>difference between success and failure
|
Re: Levelling before machining - OR not
#mill
I use double-sided sticky tape to hold the boards down. As the boards are not too big, I usually don¡¯t have a problem with leveling. I can mill tracks down to 12 mils wide and usually get +/- 1mil Dan Staver Tave Tech Corp. 3130 Hollycrest Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920 +1-719-359-5352 - office +1-719-502-1675 - cell tavetech - Skype dan.staver@... www.tavetech.com W3QDO
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On Jan 3, 2021, at 9:12 AM, falconeti6969 <shearder@...> wrote:
?Hey guys,
So I have basically shyed away from milling boards and just buy perf board and this is why;?
I can't do a levelling pass with my machine because the software and controller don't cater for that. Its an industrial 1200x1200 machine I bought in 2012. I have toyed with moving to mach3 BUT no real reason to for any other reason and it just works.?
So I am getting more and more to the point of milling my boards and wonder what do you guys, those with my dilemma, what do you do? At the margins the boards are machined at .2 deviation can mean the difference between success and failure
|
Re: Levelling before machining - OR not
#mill
@Art,
Yes, my system doesn't cater for a leveling mesh or height probing, only one spot to zero Z and the rest based on the material being perfect. For wood and aluminium etc, it is fine but PCBs, no. Well indoubt it.
?My machine came with NC Studio, though I ordered it with Mach 3 as well, which was free as part of the deal, and they forgot to pack it and expected a stupid amount to post it separately so I just left it.
I have searched how I can use leveling with NC Studio and nothing is available. I have all the tooling, to do boards, I bought years ago when I first downloaded pcbgcode, when I joined the group, but never used it.
|
Re: Levelling before machining - OR not
#mill
When you say "because the software and controller don't cater for that" do you mean you can't do probing or what??
I find leveling software such as <> in valuable because even though I use a vacuum chuck that has been milled flat, the cheap boards that I get from the usual suspect are still quite 'wavy' and again as you say it makes a difference between success and failure.
Country
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
At 1/3/2021 11:12 AM, falconeti6969 wrote: Hey guys,
So I have basically shyed away from milling boards and just buy perf board and this is why;
I can't do a levelling pass with my machine because the software and controller don't cater for that. Its an industrial 1200x1200 machine I bought in 2012. I have toyed with moving to mach3 BUT no real reason to for any other reason and it just works.
So I am getting more and more to the point of milling my boards and wonder what do you guys, those with my dilemma, what do you do? At the margins the boards are machined at .2 deviation can mean the difference between success and failure
|
Levelling before machining - OR not
#mill
Hey guys,
So I have basically shyed away from milling boards and just buy perf board and this is why;?
I can't do a levelling pass with my machine because the software and controller don't cater for that. Its an industrial 1200x1200 machine I bought in 2012. I have toyed with moving to mach3 BUT no real reason to for any other reason and it just works.?
So I am getting more and more to the point of milling my boards and wonder what do you guys, those with my dilemma, what do you do? At the margins the boards are machined at .2 deviation can mean the difference between success and failure
|
Sorry that I forgott to mention that my directory listing is using o.s. environmental variables. I have used this configs successfully for a number versions(years) including on XP. I don't remember the forum where I read about the importance of the env variables,
since I am using a nas for my user? configs.
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I'm not sure about that. Personally I just open a finished file in Mach3 and check the files integrity, visually there.
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 09:07:58 AM EST, Luigi Bonansea <iw2mvs@...> wrote:
Thanks,
I used the modified version it said "keith3125" and it works.
I also set up the directories as you indicated.
Only a minor problem remains, within the setup screens the images are not displayed even if the path is correct, I cannot understand how to solve it.
I have simulated the code part in an html page (which the code looks like) and everything works fine.
Best regards
|
I'm not sure about that. Personally I just open a finished file in Mach3 and check the files integrity, visually there.
On Sunday, January 3, 2021, 09:07:58 AM EST, Luigi Bonansea <iw2mvs@...> wrote:
Thanks,
I used the modified version it said "keith3125" and it works.
I also set up the directories as you indicated.
Only a minor problem remains, within the setup screens the images are not displayed even if the path is correct, I cannot understand how to solve it.
I have simulated the code part in an html page (which the code looks like) and everything works fine.
Best regards 
|
Thanks,
I used the modified version it said "keith3125" and it works.
I also set up the directories as you indicated.
Only a minor problem remains, within the setup screens the images are not displayed even if the path is correct, I cannot understand how to solve it.
I have simulated the code part in an html page (which the code looks like) and everything works fine.
Best regards 
|
I had trouble with issues relating to using Win 10. I downloaded this modified version and worked beautifully with 9.6.2. Keep in mind that you need to make sure wherever you put this ULP is where you say it is in the ULP directory. Mine is on my desktop and it even worked telling that to the directory. Download is here:
On Saturday, January 2, 2021, 08:47:20 PM EST, Chipteck <chipteck@...> wrote:
Pcbgcode install folder should be in the ¡°User Language Programs¡± table which you can find in: ? Eaglex.xx > Options > Directories *** As it is highlighted on my system *** ? 
?
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Art Eckstein
Sent: January 2, 2021 6:12 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [pcbgcode] Problem running pcb-gcode with Eagle ver. 9.6.2 #pcbgcode #eagle ? Hi,
OK, flying blind here as I am not using Eagle V9.6.2 nor am I using 3.06.0.4 (which I don't even have a copy of), but will start off with asking a dumb question:
Have you configured Eagle directories as indicated in the manual:
![Emacs!]()
Somewhere in the foggy portion of my brain, I seem to remember at one time, that the PCB-gcode directories needed to be first in line on the various lines also.? But that was a long time ago and may not be necessarily true now.
Again, I am using version 6.x of Eagle so I may be way off base.?
Country
?
?At 1/2/2021 02:03 PM, IW2MVS wrote:
Inside Eagle ver. 9.6.2 when I run "pcb-gcode Setup" version 3.6.0.4 in the "GCode Style" window no style appears and if I click on the "Accept" button the system responds with an error "Can't open 'C: \ settings \ pcb-defaults.h '"
"No such file or directory"
Depends on what?
Did I do something wrong?
![]()
![]()
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Questo messaggio ed ogni file allegato sono confidenziali e si intendono riservati ai soli destinatari. Se ha ricevuto questo messaggio per errore, per cortesia avvisi subito il mittente e distrugga l'originale ed ogni copia della comunicazione. Grazie.
?
This email message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and is intended only for the named recipient(s). If you have received this message in error please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and destroy the original and all copies of the communication. Thank you.
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|
Pcbgcode install folder should be in the ¡°User Language Programs¡± table which you can find in: ? Eaglex.xx > Options > Directories *** As it is highlighted on my system *** ? 
?
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From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Art Eckstein
Sent: January 2, 2021 6:12 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [pcbgcode] Problem running pcb-gcode with Eagle ver. 9.6.2 #pcbgcode #eagle? Hi,
OK, flying blind here as I am not using Eagle V9.6.2 nor am I using 3.06.0.4 (which I don't even have a copy of), but will start off with asking a dumb question:
Have you configured Eagle directories as indicated in the manual:
Somewhere in the foggy portion of my brain, I seem to remember at one time, that the PCB-gcode directories needed to be first in line on the various lines also.? But that was a long time ago and may not be necessarily true now.
Again, I am using version 6.x of Eagle so I may be way off base.?
Country
?
?At 1/2/2021 02:03 PM, IW2MVS wrote:
Inside Eagle ver. 9.6.2 when I run "pcb-gcode Setup" version 3.6.0.4 in the "GCode Style" window no style appears and if I click on the "Accept" button the system responds with an error "Can't open 'C: \ settings \ pcb-defaults.h '"
"No such file or directory"
Depends on what?
Did I do something wrong?
--
Questo messaggio ed ogni file allegato sono confidenziali e si intendono riservati ai soli destinatari. Se ha ricevuto questo messaggio per errore, per cortesia avvisi subito il mittente e distrugga l'originale ed ogni copia della comunicazione. Grazie.
?
This email message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and is intended only for the named recipient(s). If you have received this message in error please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and destroy the original and all copies of the communication. Thank you.
Attachments: ¡¤???????? 2e086a67.jpg ¡¤???????? 2e086ab5.png ¡¤???????? 2e086ac5.png
|
Hi,
OK, flying blind here as I am not using Eagle V9.6.2 nor am I using
3.06.0.4 (which I don't even have a copy of), but will start off with
asking a dumb question:
Have you configured Eagle directories as indicated in the manual:
Somewhere in the foggy portion of my brain, I seem to remember at one
time, that the PCB-gcode directories needed to be first in line on the
various lines also.? But that was a long time ago and may not be
necessarily true now.
Again, I am using version 6.x of Eagle so I may be way off base.?
Country
?
?At 1/2/2021 02:03 PM, IW2MVS wrote:
Inside Eagle ver. 9.6.2 when I
run "pcb-gcode Setup" version 3.6.0.4 in the "GCode
Style" window no style appears and if I click on the
"Accept" button the system responds with an error "Can't
open 'C: \ settings \ pcb-defaults.h '"
"No such file or directory"
Depends on what?
Did I do something wrong?
--
Questo messaggio ed ogni file allegato sono
confidenziali e si intendono riservati ai soli destinatari. Se ha
ricevuto questo messaggio per errore, per cortesia avvisi subito il
mittente e distrugga l'originale ed ogni copia della comunicazione.
Grazie.
?
This email message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
is intended only for the named recipient(s). If you have received this
message in error please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and
destroy the original and all copies of the communication. Thank you.
|
Inside Eagle ver. 9.6.2 when I run "pcb-gcode Setup" version 3.6.0.4 in the "GCode Style" window no style appears and if I click on the "Accept" button the system responds with an error "Can't open 'C: \ settings \ pcb-defaults.h '" "No such file or directory" Depends on what? Did I do something wrong? --
Questo messaggio ed ogni file allegato sono confidenziali e si intendono
riservati ai soli destinatari. Se ha ricevuto questo messaggio per errore, per
cortesia avvisi subito il mittente e distrugga l'originale ed ogni copia della
comunicazione. Grazie.
?
This email message and any files transmitted with
it are confidential and is intended only for the named recipient(s). If you have
received this message in error please notify the sender immediately by e-mail
and destroy the original and all copies of the communication. Thank you.
|
Hi all-
I've had some nice results recently that I thought I'd upload pictures of, but...for the life of me I can't figure out how to create an album and/or upload photos!?
All I have been able to determine is that under certain circumstances, an 'Add Photos' button should appear.? ?Not seeing such a button, or any posts that mention how one goes about posting photos, I admit I am stumped!
tnx,
Patrick
|
Re: shorting traces - How I messed up & a question about spot-drill-holes
#eagle
#etch
I'm contributing to a discussion thread that's been dormant for almost a couple of years, so I'll start off by summarising the problem.
Some folks find that pcb-gcode doesn't spot drill on the etch layer to the required depth.? Instead, the bit gets driven in to the drilling depth, not what you would expect.? One fix that has been suggested is to alter the code in pcb-gcode.ulp so that every spot is treated as the first of a series.? The fix works, but it explains nothing.
My fix is this:? Go to the tab GCode Options in the pcb-gcode-setup screen, and add a check to "Use simple drill code".? That's all you need do.
You only need to read on if you have an overwhelming desire to know why there's a problem when "Use simple drill code" is unchecked.
In source/pcb-file-utils.h, the macro 'output_drill_first_hole' uses the specified SPOT_DRILL_DEPTH parameter correctly.? No problem.
But the macro 'output_drill_hole' is used for all subsequent spots.? This goes about it in a different way, and it calls another macro 'DRILL_HOLE'.? That's defined in settings/gcode-defaults.h using the value DRILL_DEPTH unconditionally.? The SPOT_DRILL_DEPTH parameter is lost or ignored in this process.
|
Trying to install PCB-GCODE in a legacy Eagle (6.6.0).
Getting attached error.
|
I'm beginning to do more double sided boards. Until now I was able to do everything with a single side with maybe one or two jumpers to clear interfering traces.
I still want to hold the number of vias down to a minimum, mostly because they take room and are a little tricky to solder.
Today I found a trace which descended to a bottom trace through a via ran about 1/2 inch and returned to the top through another via.? There was absolutely no reason for it to do this.? There may have been? reason for having it once, but whatever it was has been done some other way.
I took it out.? Saved to via soldering challenges.
this board will have a UBLOX M9N on it, which will be the most compact SMD I've used yet, everything else has been 0805's. I'm going to use a stencil for the paste.
fun.
|
