DIY CNC PCB Milling Machine
Vaati
Posts: 712
I have decided to take on the enormous project of making my own CNC pcb milling machine.· I've been doing some research all day, and I found a number of guides for the non-CNC construction, but not very much on the CNC hardware.
So, is the Propeller able to act as a computer interface for three stepper motors via serial (or, if possible, USB) interface?
If I actually get to the point where I have everything ready and start building this, I will be sure to make an Instructable on it.·
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
So, is the Propeller able to act as a computer interface for three stepper motors via serial (or, if possible, USB) interface?
If I actually get to the point where I have everything ready and start building this, I will be sure to make an Instructable on it.·
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
Comments
www.8020.net/
For a small tabletop like CNC one idea would be to have a pdf with all the frame parts, print out on paper and glue it to plywood,plastic or whatever and cut out the parts.
The hardest part I think would getting the prop to turn the G-code into a psychical part..
It would be cool if you could do it using all parallax electronics.
It will be interesting to see what you come up with.
-dan
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Arguing with myself--sometimes me, myself, and I don't always agree.
(Former) Caterpillar product support technician
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
-MH
They also have a 7x7 inch version that is half the price. I was able to put the thing together in a few hours, and it's a really solid machine. It's a smallish machine, but it fits my current needs. In the future, I think I could use this machine to help me make a bigger one.
Anyway, I also bought a set of driver boards and stuff from probotix.com to let me drive the machine from a PC parallel port using ECM2(free/linux) or Mach3($175/windows) software. I'm still waiting on this stuff, but I should have it in a few days. I bought this kit so I could get the machine up and running right away.
I do eventually want to build something using the Propeller and some stepper drivers to control the machine. I want to be able to just put a g-code file on an SDCard and have the prop board read that and drive the machine to cut parts. Of course, my skill level with building circuits and so forth is lacking so it's going to take me a long time to get to this goal. I'm also distracted by a couple of robot projects and another few things I am trying...
Anyway, I'll be following this thread also, and if I can contribute, I will.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Check out the Propeller Wiki·and contribute if you can.
I suspect the Propeller can do the control for the system. Of course in order to proceed there needs to be some further research and system definition. Not too long ago I was noting on the forum that many of the CNC program such as the ones that Roy mentioned use the Parallel Port for control. You may have a challenge finding a program or making your own program to spit commands out via a serial/USB port. Getting the prop to interpret G-code sounds easier to me, but I don't have experience with g-code myself, however maybe a community project could be started to work on such an object.
Be sure to look into the spindle speeds and types. For CNC on PCBs you need really fine resolution in stepping, a flat, sturdy surface for milling and the right kind of spindle head.
Keep us updated.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Timothy D. Swieter, E.I.
www.brilldea.com - Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, 3.0" LCD Composite video display, eProto for SunSPOT
www.tdswieter.com
One of my other hobbies is machining. I've subscribed to "Home Shop Machinist" and "Machinist Workshop" and they are both excellent magazines. They have carried articles on various CNC conversions and a year or two ago launched the "Digital Machinist" magazine. I haven't read it as I'm not currently interested in CNC, but judging by the quality of the two other magazines it should be worth reading. Barnes and Noble carries these magazines, but you have to dig around a bit to find them as they don't carry many copies and the easily get hidden behind other magazines.
I think the above would be a good place to start. Back issues are available.
https://secure.villagepress.com/store
and
https://secure.villagepress.com/store/items/list/group/177
I think there is a forum also.
Alex
I've just started working on a similar project (I hope to have some pics and web pages up shorlty). I'm "repurposing" a "micro lab" with an XYZ gantry, and will be using a prop(s) for control. This machine uses servo motors with encoders rather than stepper motors. The good news on this is that I can have a "closed loop" system with position feedback. The bad news on this is that I have to have a "closed loop" system with position feedback (I can't just send pulses to the motors, I have to send a signal, and change the signal based on the position feedback).
I hope to head toward a G Code interpreter. This would open up a number of possibilities for CAM software. Initially, I may bypass the G Code. I anticiapte that I'll be feeding the prop G Code through a serial connection. The prop will have an onboard buffer, but I don't think I'll worry about program storage. (Although an SD card could do the trick...)
The purpose of the G Code is to control the movement, and if you have another way to get from “geometry to movement” there is nothing wrong with that. In it's simplest form, G Codes are just a series of "go to" instructions. The real power comes interms of of things like tool offset, circular interpolation, etc.
Initially, I’m working on getting “manual” control with a digital position readout, and we’ll automate from there. I also need to get a spindle mounted, and may look at the unit from Zen. Before I delve too far, I need to make sure the system has enough rigidity and “oomph” to do something more than a bread sculpture. I’m reasonably certain I could do insulation foam, and am hoping for plastic and/or wood. Aluminum and/or brass would be “hog heaven”, but I’m not counting on that. If I'm limited to foam, I'm not sure how far I'll take this project. If I can at least drill PC Boards (even if I can't mill them), I'll at least get that much working.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
John R.
Click here to see my Nomad Build Log
To show you some of the stuff I have found in my research, here's some links:
http://hacknmod.com/hack/build-your-own-diy-cnc-milling-machine/
I particularly like the hexapod miller video... I can't imagine the coding that took to pull off.
http://www.lirtex.com/robotics/diy-cnc-machine
This is probably the one I am going to use as a base guide. It has the parts list in detail and HQ pictures...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-Build-Desk-Top-3-Axis-CNC-Milling-Machine/
This one is the same machine shown at the top of the Hack'n'Mod link. It doesn't seem to have much about the PC interface though...
Also, I did email LPKF USA for pricing on their smallest milling machine, and they said it would be around $10,000 for everything needed to get going. My goal is to make a PCB milling machine with almost as much accuracy for under $150, buying everything new.
That one on amazon looks pretty cool, but I have only $70.... Note the absence of a second zero.
www.ctrsurplus.com
Oh--their website is absolutely nothing compared to the place. They have no time to put 12 highly used oscilloscopes on the website...
Once I get all of my pre-calculus homework done, I'll start gathering all the materials and get this project moving over the weekend.
EDIT: http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=g-code·
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
Post Edited (Vaati) : 3/3/2010 3:12:27 PM GMT
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
-MH
Post Edited (Shmoopy) : 3/3/2010 8:39:42 PM GMT
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
Vaati: Building an accurate CNC for under $150 is probably going to be tough. I think $250-300 is more possible. I hope you can proove me wrong though. [noparse]:)[/noparse]
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Check out the Propeller Wiki·and contribute if you can.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
I think you're right--probably $200 is a reasonable goal, but since I already have a lot of the materials, I will probably only spend around $70. (perfect match for my budget!)
Leon,
What accuracy should I be aiming for then? I would like this to be able to mill most all boards with good accuracy...
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
I work in a plating shop and I've played around with nickel electroforming. Even if you can only machine plastic, it's possible to machine mandrels for electroforming, metalize the desired surfaces and electroform parts. That's on my eventual to do list.
It depends what sort of PCBs you are making, but I'd have thought something like 0.1 mm for ordinary boards. I use photo-etch at home and can manage 8/8 mil design rules and 0.5 mm pitch QFPs, but you won't do anything like that unless you spend a great deal of money. 8 mil is 0.20 mm, so 0.05 mm accuracy might be needed for the sort of boards I make. I've never really seen the point of using CNC milling for making PCBs at home, it's just too expensive and slow. I can make a board in under 30 minutes with my process, for the cost of the pre-coated laminate and film for the transparency.
CNC milling often gets discussed on the Homebrew PCB forum, but not many people there use it.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
Post Edited (Leon) : 3/3/2010 8:52:55 PM GMT
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
-MH
Shmoopy: I had a similar initial reaction.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Check out the Propeller Wiki·and contribute if you can.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
Post Edited (Leon) : 3/4/2010 10:56:54 AM GMT
This link should take you to a post about my most recent machine...
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=883458
It might serve you well as a guide, especially the linked videos as that walks you through the control and hardware of the machine.·
Chris
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
As for what I can get on trace width / spacing, I am not sure yet.· This is primarily controlled by spindle run-out and height consistancy of the material.· My spindle is fairly accurate but I have not yet addressed the height issues regarding the work material.· I have a couple of ideas on how to handle that but have not had time to try anything yet.
My intentions for building the machine and control·have much less to do with trying to find a better or faster method of PCB manufacturing.· Rather, I have fun learning about electronics and building things mechanical.· The machine has the potential to allow for much more than PCB isolation milling and drilling.· I have some experiments planned with the use of·a laser and also pick-n-place functionality as I tinker more and more with surface mount components.
Chris
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbxNDoSo86g&feature=player_embedded
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
Post Edited (Leon) : 3/5/2010 12:33:10 PM GMT
-dan
makezine.com/21/
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Arguing with myself--sometimes me, myself, and I don't always agree.
(Former) Caterpillar product support technician
My plan is to build my own stepper controller(s) and parallel breakout boards, but that of course is only part of the CNC equation.
I plan to leave the heavy lifting to the control software like Mach3 (www.machsupport.com/) to take the GCODE and talk to the stepper controllers.
And there are a number of different methods for generating the GCODE from the CAD / art bits.
Of course like any of these undertakings, the more I learn, the more I realize what I don't know.
Good luck! ^_^
There are more newer version of that Ripstep unit made using the iron pipe base. Uses more bearings and slick slider plates.
Here are the two links I was think of.
http://objects.reprap.org/wiki/Development:McWire
http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/McWire_Cartesian_Bot_1_2
And a pretty nifty one with ball bearing tracks.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31697990@N00/4146433132/in/set-72157622883593604/
Been bitten by the 3D printer bug and want to use a propeller(s) to get it done. Looking at both the inkjet and the extruder system.
Have been following the concept of direct inkjet to a PC board then cooking both. Looking interesting. Also been thinking on using toner and maybe fuse it to a pc board via a laser.
For this 3D printer/CNC project(S) I have horded old impact printers and scanner for the raw material for years. ^_^
Post Edited (nightwing) : 3/13/2010 6:54:58 PM GMT
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
24 bit LCD Breakout Board now in. $24.99 has backlight driver and touch sensitive decoder.
If you have not already. Add yourself to the prophead map
You'll see a DIY extrusion system amongst my Maker Faire photos (Propeller forum).
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
For the control board, I'm considering using the Gadget Gangster Propeller Platform and making a custom module board that includes a power supply, computer communication, and the terminals for the steppers. There's already a board with the terminal spots, so I may just base it off of that and modify in the power supply...
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
What do you think of it?
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
You are speaking to the hearts and minds when you talk about CNC. And when you talk about using it to make PCB's you are getting close to Propeller nirvana. Just to expand on your initial question a little.
The Prop isn't the problem... it is the mechanics and the cost that stop people. I've started taking everything I don't use apart ... and I am finding gear sets and mechanics that do almost what I want but not quite.
For example, we had electric typewriters and almost unused printers that were bought for one computer platform and then we moved to a different computer.... which had it's own printer...We have these kinds of things laying in piles all over our office.... So, one by one I have been taking them apart. I now have enough to do what I want... but I'm still hung up on mechanical issues. When you talk about pcb's... the footprint you need is really small... now if you could use readily available parts from the junkyard....my goodness!!!
We also have scanners that have linear arrays in them... but no general source of info, which would let me hack them without making it a full time job.
I have been in love with the idea of 3d printer forever. I am slowly inching toward a 3d Propeller scanner from 2 TSL1401s.... you really only need 1... but I am hooked on stereo. Hopefully by the time I get it done, we will have a public domain, 3d Propeller Printer.
Rich
Yes, I know that this is going to cost me a lot of money, but I am getting funding at the end of this school year.
What do you think will be the most expensive part used in making a PCB milling machine that can mill PCB's with good accuracy?
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!