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Hello,

I hope this post may be useful to those interested in another method of milling PCB's.

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This is a suggestion and no way to slight the hard work in developing or the use of PCB GCode in anyway, but here is how I have done one off PCB for?test fixtures and such:

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I use the PCB program SprintLayout 6.0 which can in addition to the usual 274X Gerber and drill files can also do isolation path files. Then I use the free 3rd party tool called SL2M3 (SprintLayout to Mach3) to process the files into G Code that will work with LinuxCNC or the commercial Mach3 CNC program. There is a checkbox within the SL2M3 program that formats the G Code file for LinuxCNC input. The SL2M3 program inserts tool change code into the G Code file to prompt for tool changes as required.

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I have one of the Chinese CNC 6040 machines that I carefully tweaked and used with the LinuxCNC program. IIRC LinuxCNC used to be called EMC2. I believe that full source code?is available for LinuxCNC should?one want to venture on their own. LinuxCNC can drive the usual parallel port interfaced CNC machines or can be configured to drive Ethernet to parallel port converter cards. Very slick.

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It's a really low cost solution that otherwise would require a LPKF machine.

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If you are interested in this, below are the links for SprintLayout6.0 and also the SL2M3 program by Bernd Pahl.

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I really like SprintLayout in conjunction with SL2M3 for?knocking out designs really?quickly as the?learning curve is very short.

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Herr Pahl regularly updates the SL2M3 program with improvements. It has been a while since I used it, but it works really well. There is also a manual for it on his website. If you have a PCB program that can output HPGL isolation paths then it possibly could be used with SL2M3 as well.

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SprintLayout6.0:

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SL2M3:

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LinuxCNC:

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The usual?disclaimer: I have no financial interest?in the SprintLayout product at present. I just like their?products and the quality of support they provide, even though in 15 years I have rarely?needed?it.?

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I have been using the Sprint layout product for over 15 years (since version 5) and have personally layed out probably more than 1000 pcbs using it. It remains to be an easy PCB layout program to learn and use, and I have tried them all. It also amazes me that the installed footprint of the program is under 10MB. When one uses the program you are immediately?aware that the program's designers are also PCB designers and that it was not a program developed by programmers that have never built a PCB in real life.?

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It's not fancy but it quickly gets the job done and has the best graphics and easy to?use interface I have ever seen in a PCB layout program. This product replaced my commercial Accel Tango II PCB+?DOS program when I could no longer get it to run on modern operating systems.?

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There is a free SprintLayout6.0 demo you can download that does everything but save. The cost for a full version is about what dinner for 4 costs at McDonalds. A lot of bang for the buck! Quite a few Eagle users have moved to it. It does have a point to point router but I never use it. I have never had the need for an autorouter as most of my designs are for RF or of mixed signal. I can have most boards manually routed in probably the time needed to set up a router.

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If you do happen to have an older LPKF machine and the Boardmaster software, Sprint's 274X Gerber output also plays well with those machines. I do have an older 91s machine that I also use in addition to the Chinese CNC 6040. The front to back registration is better on the 91s so if I have a finer pitch layout I use that machine.

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If you you have further interest there are files on my SprintLayout??site that show you how to convert layout files from Protel AutoTrax & EasyTrax DOS and other Protel and Tango formats into SprintLayout6.0 to make editable PCB's. Quite handy for converting 274X gerber and drill files into editable PCB's. This works with the 274X gerber input feature of SprintLayout6.0.

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Best regards,

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Sam

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