Homebrew PCBs

Dave,
     In TurboCad you can set layers and different
colors. Put alignment Crosses or holes in each corner
of the drawings. I just got the hang of the layers the
last month or so. I use single sided boards to keep 
cost down. I use crossover jumpers.

                                  John



--- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., "ph4appl" <ph4appl@y...> wrote:
> John, 
> All of my boards have been 2-sided so far. I haven't tried a single 
> sided board yet. So, you can imagine the work that I had to do in 
> TurboCad getting the layers to line up correctly. What a nightmare. 
> That is what spawned the work on a tool path generator. So far, I 
> only have one of my axis running on a 2sided board that my mill 
> etched and drilled. There are many issues getting the layers to 
line 
> up, so I've only been successful once.
> 
> I'll put up a pic so you can check it out.
> 
> Dave
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
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> 
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., "crankorgan" <john@k...> wrote:
> > Hi,
> >    So you did a two sided board? Or one side of
> > the board got messed up?
> > 
> >                              John
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., "ph4appl" <ph4appl@y...> wrote:
> > > John, I now know how you feel.
> > > I spent hours and hours drawing a board in TurboCAD only to 
find 
> > out 
> > > that when I milled the board, I had inverted one of the layers. 
> So, 
> > > all of the holes and traces on the other side were off. So, it 
is 
> a 
> > > pain. I agree. Hopefully this code we are working on will ease 
> the 
> > > pain until one of the comercial packages can save in GCode.
> > > 
> > > Dave
> > > 
> > > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., "crankorgan" <john@k...> wrote:
> > > > Hi Dave,
> > > >         I ment the guys who make Eagle or Target. Make a 
drawing
> > > > program that saves the pad outlines as Gcode or PLT. Running 
a 
> > post
> > > > processor is after the fact. You have to put up with all 
kinds 
> of
> > > > garbage. I do beleive a program is comming! Lots of people 
> talking
> > > > about milling circuit boards at the hobby level. I would even
> > > > go for a Gcode save in Turbocad at this point. I left out two
> > > > holes on my last circuit board. Now I have two or more hours
> > > > of work to fix it. Adding the holes is easy. Then I have to 
> rotate
> > > > the drawing. Convert it to Gcode. Take out some junk. Add some
> > > > other stuff. Then center the Gcode, then offset it for the 
> machine
> > > > I mill it on. All because I left two hole out. Now if I could 
> draw
> > > > in GCode. We are talking minutes.  
> > > > 
> > > >                                         John 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., "ph4appl" <ph4appl@y...> wrote:
> > > > > Not easy by any stretch of the imagination. If anyone 
doesn't 
> > > > believe 
> > > > > me, take a look at 
> > > > > 
> > > > > http://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/studentwork/CESCG99/SKrivograd/
> > > > > 
> > > > > This page describes some of the math involved with 
generating 
> > an 
> > > > > outline or tool path.
> > > > > 
> > > > > On a side note, I got ToolPathPro to compile this 
afternoon. 
> I 
> > > ran 
> > > > a 
> > > > > sample DXF file through it and generated some rather 
> > interesting 
> > > > > GCodes. I'll have some pics on my website shortly. The good 
> > news 
> > > is 
> > > > > that Alan has inspired me to keep on working on this thing. 
> It 
> > > can 
> > > > > currently handle direct DXF export from TraxMakerPro and 
> > convert 
> > > to 
> > > > > GCode. I still need to work on the optimization algorithm, 
> and 
> > > > forsee 
> > > > > several weeks of coding, but it is in the works.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Dave
> > > > > 
> > > > > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., Alan Marconett KM6VV 
<KM6VV@a...> 
> > > wrote:
> > > > > > Hi John,
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Well, I wouldn't say it's a "very simple program to 
write", 
> > > right 
> > > > > Dave? 
> > > > > > I've seen the three Gerber files from TCi.  Silk, 
> component, 
> > and
> > > > > > solder.  Both component (green) and solder (red) have 
> traces 
> > > and 
> > > > > pads. 
> > > > > > The silk (yellow) is component outline. 
> > > > > > I only saw a few random blue and red lines when I loaded 
a 
> > TCi 
> > > > > gerber
> > > > > > file into KCam.  I suspect I have an old version.  As 
long 
> as 
> > I 
> > > > can
> > > > > > convert the files, I'll just run them through my 
> > own "process".
> > > > > >  
> > > > > > Hay!  If the cost is high, maybe I can sell an 
inexpensive 
> > > > converter
> > > > > > program!
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Alan  KM6VV
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > crankorgan wrote:
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Hi Alan,
> > > > > > >         TCI makes three Gerber files. One of them has 
the
> > > > > > > pads and traces. When I plot the Gerber I get lots of
> > > > > > > BLUE lines. Red is cut and blue is travel. When I see
> > > > > > > more BLUE than Red I quit. I like my machine to spend
> > > > > > > it's time cutting not traveling all over. Most program
> > > > > > > that do outlines of traces are bogus. There are several
> > > > > > > new ones coming out. Big money! A very simple program 
to 
> > > write. 
> > > > I
> > > > > > > think the cost is high because there are so few 
PCBMills 
> in
> > > > > > > use. They are very expensive to buy. I got laughed at 
last
> > > > > > > year when I came out with my plans. Now there are 
several
> > > > > > > people with homemade PCBMills. Here is your chance to 
get
> > > > > > > in on the fun!
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > >                                                  John
> > > > > > >