Richard Shan - Fab Academy Documentation

PCB Production

Richard Shan - Fab Academy Documentation

Home
About
Final Project
Documentation
Documentation
- Pre-Fab
  Pre-Fab
- Week 1: Principles and Practices, Project Management
  Week 1: Principles and Practices, Project Management
- Week 2: Computer-Aided Design
  Week 2: Computer-Aided Design
- Week 3: Computer-Controlled Cutting
  Week 3: Computer-Controlled Cutting
- Week 4: Electronics Design
  Week 4: Electronics Design
- Week 5: 3D Scanning and Printing
  Week 5: 3D Scanning and Printing
- Week 6: Embedded Programming
  Week 6: Embedded Programming
- Week 7: Computer-Controlled Machining
  Week 7: Computer-Controlled Machining
- Week 8: Electronics Design
  Week 8: Electronics Design
  - PCB Design
  - PCB Production PCB Production
    Table of contents
    
    Milling
  - PCB Soldering
  - PCB Programming
  - Group Project
  - Reflection
  - File Downloads
- Week 9: Output Devices
  Week 9: Output Devices
- Week 10: Mechanical Design and Machine Design
  Week 10: Mechanical Design and Machine Design
- Week 11: Input Devices
  Week 11: Input Devices
- Week 12: Molding and Casting
  Week 12: Molding and Casting
- Week 13: Networking and Communications
  Week 13: Networking and Communications
- Week 14: Interface and Application Programming
  Week 14: Interface and Application Programming
- Week 15: Wildcard Week
  Week 15: Wildcard Week

PCB Production

Milling

I sent the GBR job of my PCB to the milling machine and ran it.

However, after I ran the job, I saw that the traces were incredibly thin and the clearance was as well. To fix this, I went back into KiCAD's PCB Editor and changed the trace size from 0.2mm to 0.5mm. Additionally, I changed the trace clearance in Bantam Tools from 0.15mm to 1.5mm.

The render in Bantam looked good.

I then cut the board. Although this job took longer, the traces look a lot better. However, I happened to choose a bad bit and as such, the edge cutout was a little rough but everything overall looks good.

One of my connector headers had a bridge between two trace pads that I had to manually fix with a razor blade. After I manually separated the traces, the board is ready for soldering.