WEEK 4 | Electronic Production
Initiation
I started this week assignment with Zenna and Stuart. Stuart introduced electronic components and showed us how to desolder with a heat gun and how to solder. We decided to train for a while before soldering our precious PCB boards. That was a GREAT thing to do, my first solders were a disaster.
Fab ISP - Milling
To produce our PCB, we used a Roland Modela MDX-20, FR1 paper based copper plate and the fab modules.
Download the Board Files on your Desktop: Circuit Board Traces, Board Outside
Use fab modules through the Terminal to set the parameters of the machine:
- Select your machine and the type of files, here Roland MDX-20 and png.
- Load your traces png. File.
- Click on "make path"
- Set the type of cut to mill your board: "mill traces (1/64)". It means that the machine will offset every line 4 times.
- Check the parameters: xmin=0, ymin=0 and make sure the position is correct by clicking on "move to xmin/ymin"
Parameters : Speed = 4.4mm/s, jog = 1.0 mm.
To set up the machine:
- Click on "View"
- If you need to replace the bit. Release the endmill by using an allen key. Don't forget to put the "hat" on the bit and the bit in its box. Then, you can replace it with the 1/64 endmill and lock it.- Set up the z-axis: on your computer, select "move to xmin/ymin" then hold the bit make it go down until it touches the material.
Start printing : Click on "make rml" and press "send it".
Press "View" if you want to pause.
Good to know: if the view mode is activated, you cannot start printing. We've tried and nothing happened until we press "View" once again.
Repeat the same process for the board outline with the outline.png file and the 1/32 endmill.
My board outline wasn't cut all the way through. It means that the z-axis wasn't well initialized, the 1/32 endmill was probably not touching the material.Fab ISP - Soldering
Okay, let's solder! I started with 2 resistors. It took a while because I had to desolder and solder one of them twice. I knew my soldering was wrong because the multimeter (on ohm) indicated "1" instead of 100. I made another mistake by soldering the micro-controller just after those resistors. Apparently it's better not to heat it too much, Craig gave me the advice to solder it at the end next time. However, I was proud of my micro-controller soldering. So was more confident that I made my other solders. It was not so bad finally, I enjoyed soldering!
Once I was done with my solders, I had to check the voltage. With a mini USB cable, I plugged my PCB board into my computer. I used the multimeter (on 20V). I connected the red side with the VCC of my micro-controller, the black side with the ground and... 5.0V! It was working. Then I tried to program my board.
Fab ISP - Programming
I followed the Fab Academy tutorial consciously. I downloaded the software for Mac OSX and started to enter the commands on the terminal. But when came the time to enter "make hex", it wasn't working. It took me about 20 minute to figure out that I needed to connect Craig's board and my board to my computer. I wasn't expected to make and program my board so quickly and in just ONE time. It is so rewarding! I began the week imagining myself making boards after boards. Instead, I had time to show off and ask my Academician colleagues: "how can I help you?"