week5

This week’s task: make an in-circuit programmer by milling and stuffing the PCB, test it, then optionally try other PCB processes

PCB fabrication requirements

  • components
  • Designing the schematic and board
  • milling

    • Steps I followed to make the pcb

    • Downloaded the traces and outline from fabacademy website
    • Open fab modules and edit the setting for both traces and outline
    • Then click on Roland mill because it is the provided machine in our Fablab
    • I changed some setting according to what our instructor gave us, and kept the rest as it was in default
    • click on save then save as rml

    for engraving:

    • i inserted my usb to the laptop connected to the milling machine
    • click on the Vpanel for SRM20 icon to launch the software
    • edit the setting and move the arrows xy and z for accurate placement
    • i chose the shorted needle 1/32 for the outline and longer needle 1/64 for the traces
  • i started with the design because i dont want the plate to move and ruin placement
  • to prepare the surface, first i took the metal place and taped it with strong adhesive to a square mdf board

    • for soldering:

    • collect all the components together
    • these are the components i used and i got the list from fabacademy website page
    • first use an iron to heat pcb's pad
    • while it heated, add abit of solder
    • hold the components with a tweezer because the pad and the iron is hot and can get dangerous
    • add solder to the top of each components but make sure you dint overlap the areas because it could cause a short circuit
    • remove this part of the pcb
    • this is the final look of the PCB
    • before starting to program,check for any short circuit by using a multimeter

      • programming:

    • for this step i followed fatma's programming page
    • i started by downloading homebrew to downlaoad the other softwares i needed

      • brew tap osx-cross/avr
      brew install binutils
      brew install gcc
      brew tap osx-cross/avr && brew install avr-gcc
      brew install avrdude

    • lastly restart terminal, then check if the programs are installed correctly

      • avr-gcc --version
      make -v

    • next i opened firmware folder after downloading it
    • then type "make" in the terminal to get the hex file

      • open terminal

    • get in desktop > fts_firmware_bdm_v1

      • make flash make fuses

    • check if the fabisp is connected by clicking on about this mac > system report > usb
    • if the isp showed in the usb tap it means it was successfully connected

      • make rstdisbl

    • the isp's light is working and the laptop recognised it

      • group task:

      i made a flexible pcb using vinyl cutter machine

      steps:

    • i printed using sara's design


    • i cut out the design and removed the exrra carefully using an xacto knife and a tweezer
    • then i sticked the pcb to a transfer sheet
    • then cut out a piece of acrlyic using the lasercut machine and placed it underneath the pcb