Electronics production

Learn by doing, doing mistakes, listen Neil, do it again, happy at the end. ;)

FABISP in the not so good way

This week i was invited to build an FABISP, a simple board that was very useful to program AVR microcontroller's from Atmel.

FABISP

Electronics is my thing, but...

I never produce a board like this, i always use electronic specific software like eagle, and i make my boards or by etching process or by ordering it from board houses.

So the big challenge is how a png image, can be a physical board. First i use fabmodules to vectorize it.

Than i try to import that svg to my SRM20 software.

Rolland SRM20

Ok first the SRM20 adventure ;)

My SRM20 have a lower bed so i must put some high to make the pcb reachable by the milling cutter.

I pick some wood, glue tape it to the bed.

After that i use the click mill software from the SRM20 to make it completely flat.

With a 3mm milling cutter i made a flat surface where i gonna put my pcb.

Leveling the bed

Well the first mistake was done ;) i use wood to be the bed, but i don't recommend it, because wood is random fiber material not so good or stable over time.

In Fablab Penela where i test it i don't have FR2 so i use a board from bakelite. Error 2, FR2 have a much much better behavior.

Error number 3 I chose the wrong collet. My milling cutter's are 3mm Shaft, but my collet are 1/8" or 3,175mm So i must use a conic milling cutter.

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But... My pcb work's ok, some off...

My first milled pcb

Build a FABISP 2.0

Well well well

Now with the help of fabMaster's in Fablab EDP i build a fabisp.

I name it fabispPenela, in gimp change the logo.

I mill it in MDX20.

Everything easy and smooth.

The challenge begin's in soldering it.

We at fablab try to adopt a new approach.

We are trying to solder all the component's via hot air.

So for this i use gimp to make a solder paste mask.

like this.

After that i apply it in pcb than i pass the solder paste

populate the board with the component's and applied the hot air to it. And voilá the board was ready :)

Double check the connections and it was in did great.

Tip's and trick's i use an android app as microscope.

aTools

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Here is the link to this week files. :)