Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] PCB routing with CNC milling machine....

I know what you mean, point to point is a pain!

I used Eagle to design some boards. The problem is, there is no tool
diameter compensation,
so I designed my own library of symbols with big fat pads, and used
wide traces to link them.
After milling with a 0.015 in endmill, they came out pretty good. I
used my point-to-point wired controller (unipolar with MOSFETs) to mill
the new controller boards I'm using (L297/L298).
I made a jig out of a 1/2 in X 6 in pine board. I milled out an area
just big enough for a RadioShack
double-sided board to fit into. Tiny wood screws in the corners held
the boards down. Using
Eagle, I was able to export the traces for the top layer, the bottom
layer, and the drill holes.
I flipped one layer in the X direction. This allowed me to mill both
sides of the board. As I
recall, the sequence was: drill top, mill top, flip, mill bottom. Eagle
sometimes likes to offset
a plot, so look for that too. In case you're Googling for info, the
process of milling traces is
called trace isolation by some folks. I also had a program to convert
the Eagle exported drill file to
gcode, with tool changes for each diameter drill. You create a drill
file for Eagle and tell it
what diameter bits you have, and a tolerance. If the symbol in your
schematic calls for a
0.030 in hole, and you have a 0.032 in drill listed, and it's within
tolerance, it will select
that drill for that particular hole.

Eagle is really cool, and free too. It's hard to believe.

I'll look around and see if I can find my old code, including a couple
of macros for Eagle.
Unfortunately, thanks to Windows I experienced a few catastrophic
failures on that PC,
so I'm not sure what I have backed up. I switched over to a Mac in
August, but still have
to have the PC to run TurboCAD. Since it was bad, it sleeps in the
garage now :-)

Regards,
JJ

On Sunday, Oct 26, 2003, at 13:04 US/Eastern, Kim Lux wrote:

> I'm sick of wiring circuits by hand !
>
> I've got a circuit board layout package that will generate a Gerber or
> PostScript file. How does one get the Gerber file into GCode ?
>
> Has anyone produced one off PCB boards on a CNC mill ? How satisfied
> were you with the result ? I'm not talking about surface mount stuff
> here, just DIPs, T0220s, TO3s, etc. I'm just sick of point to point
> wiring !
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
> --
> Kim Lux <lux@...>
>
>
> Addresses:
> FAQ: http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html
> FILES: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO/files/
> Post Messages: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
>
> Subscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> Unsubscribe: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> List owner: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-owner@yahoogroups.com, wanliker@...,
> timg@...
> Moderator: pentam@... indigo_red@... [Moderators]
> URL to this group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO
>
> OFF Topic POSTS: General Machining
> If you wish to post on unlimited OT subjects goto:
> aol://5863:126/rec.crafts.metalworking or go thru Google.com to reach
> it if you have trouble.
> http://www.metalworking.com/news_servers.html
>
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jobshophomeshop I consider this to be
> a sister site to the CCED group, as many of the same members are
> there, for OT subjects, that are not allowed on the CCED list.
>
> NOTICE: ALL POSTINGS TO THIS GROUP BECOME PUBLIC DOMAIN BY POSTING
> THEM. DON'T POST IF YOU CAN NOT ACCEPT THIS.....NO EXCEPTIONS........
> bill
> List Mom
> List Owner
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>