4. Electronics Production
assignment
group assignment: characterize the design rules for your in-house PCB production process individual assignment: make and test a microcontroller development board extra credit: personalize the board extra credit: make it with another process 👋 This week of love 💕 I worked on two tasks 🤖 👩💻:
1- group assignment at ENERGY LAB ###😊
- characterize the design rules for your in-house PCB production process and send a PCB out to a board house
2- Individual Assignement ### 😍
- make and test a microcontroller development board 👀
Link to group assignment page
The group assignment page can be found on the Energylab 2024 website here
it is also embedded directly in the webpage below.
STEPS 👣
👣 ELECTRONIC DESIGN
For this week assignment, We have to use a designs in Adrian Torres repository and realise his famous Quentorres.swd+uart adapter +hello board -xiao rp2040. So for first!!! we go to Adrain Repository to look at 👁 the project his made and download files we will use.
The amazing …
In his uploaded files we need to download essentially 3 files, for works with FlatCAM to genarate CNC CODE:
- quentorres-PTH. drl for the HOLE
- quentorres-F_Cu.gbr for the PATH
- quentorres-Edge_Cuts.gbr for the OUTLINE
So in the next steps, We downloaded the Open source PCB prototyping software Flatcam version 8.994 and set it up for the generation of the cut files
👣👣 FLATCAM for GENERATION CNC CODE FOR PCB MILLING
1- Open flatcam and go to open gerber files we download: (.grb)
2- Next open Excellon files : (.drl)
3- 😁😁😁 Resolve a position trouble 😎
Correct the positioning problem before performing any manipulation. With the experience I’ve gained now 😎, it’s really important to change the offset in the files for a better positioning of the zero of the toolhead before switching the gcode to grlb and getting into trouble
Double click on each imported file, to see the properties, position the mouse pointer near the outline of the circuit drawing, and read the X and Y positions to change the value of the offset at the bottom left in the properties. You will have to give negative values to the coordinates found. For my case x = 122 and y = -75 so offset x = -122 and offset y = -75. You will have to keep the same value for each offset of the other 2 files
All objects have been repositioned close to the coordinate axis
So Data in FlatCAM is in the form of 4 different kinds of objects: Gerber, Excellon, Geometry and CNC Job.
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Gerber: Typically define copper layers in a circuit board.
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Excellon: (drill file): Contain drill specifications, size, and coordinates.
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G-Code: CNC machine instructions for cutting and/or drilling.
for the next setp we need for every files to configure tools to create a geometry and after a CNC JOB which can be save and send to GRBL CANDLE
4- for(edge_Cut) EDGE CUT Isolation Routing and create CNC JOB configuration
Isolation Routing:
Tool diameter: 0.8mm
With(pass): 1
pass overlap: 0
Create CNC Job
Cut Z: -1.6 mm
Travel Z: 0.1 mm
Feed rate: 90mm/min
spindle speed: 1000 mm/min
Depth/pass: 0.4
Afer that we have CNC code we save. and we do same thing for the other 2 files with their appropiate configuration.
5- for ( F-Cu) TRACE TRACKS FILES Isolation routine and create CNC JOB configuration
Isolation Routing:
Tool diameter: 0.33 mm
With(pass): 5
pass overlap: 0,3
Create CNC Job
Cut Z: -0.08 mm
Travel Z: 5 mm
Feed rate: 90mm/min
Tool diameter: 0.3 mm
spindle speed: 1000 mm/min
6- for (PTH.drt) settings for Holes FILES Mill Holes and create CNC JOB configuration
Mill Holes:
Tool diameter: 0.6 mm
Create CNC Job
Cut Z: -1.6 mm
Travel Z: 5 mm
Feed rate: 90mm/min
Tool diameter: 0.6 mm
spindle speed: 1000 mm/min
After all thoses steps we have CNC code to open in GRBL CANDLE to mill our PCB
exciting