SuperMill is SPINning!

Newzed

After hours and hours of struggling with a new language, a lot of help from Mike Green and Ssteve and 28 program revisions, SuperMill is finally on the Propeller. I used the keyboard and 15" LCD monitor from the shop computer and the LCD display is dazzling! Things worked out even better than I had hoped for. With the ability of the Prop to adjust the off time between pulses in the pulsetrain, I have doubled the travel speed of the X table and increased the Y speed about 10 percent. With the .020 cutters I’m using - $5.00 a whack - that is about as fast as I think I want to go. We’re doing about 2 inches per minute - when my cutter starts wearing aout and I can afford to break it, I may try increasing the speed a bit more. Etching accuracy appears to be much improved, and I can adjust the pulsetrain to whatever value I need – no more just "getting close" with the */ operator. I drilled holes for a 16-pin DIP with my "Drill DIP" method and the DIP dropped right in. Need to run some more tests with a more complicated board, but right now things are looking quite good. Storage of the current position in EEPROM is not working right, but I added an option at the beginning of the program that lets me reset the X and Y positions. Now if I have to shut down in the middle of a job, I jot down the current positions, then just reenter them when I start up again. I also have options that let me adjust the pulses per mil for the X and Y tables, and that let me adjust the off time in the pulsetrain. I think I shall promote myself to Second Class Junior Apprentice Propeller guru.

Thanks again to everyone one who helped me accomplish this seemingly impossible task.

Sid

SSteve

That's great, Sid! I'm glad to hear it's working so well.

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OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows

links:
My band's website
Our album on the iTunes Music Store

Graham Stabler

Great news, perhaps this calls for a screen shot.

Graham

Bean

Sid,
Where to you get 0.020" cutters for $5 ? Is it an end-mill or a V-bit ? I pay $10 each for a V-bit cutter.

Pictures, pictures, we want pictures...

Bean.

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Cheap 4-digit LED display with driver IC·www.hc4led.com

Low power SD Data Logger www.sddatalogger.com

"The meaning of life, is to give life meaning" Unknown.
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Newzed

Bean, they are routers from Drill Bit City - 5 for $24.70.· Their e-mail is
Drills2001@aol.com.· They are my single source for all my drill bits and routers.

Sid

Newzed

Bean, they also have .4mm routers - .0158 - five for $29.70.

Sid

Newzed

I've posted picures of SuperMill before -· here are two more.· one is the Propeller Demo board in place and the other the display on my 15" LCD.

Sid

Kaos Kidd

Awesome SID!!!
I take it you still want the 800X600 screen res, right? (IE More screen space...)

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Propeller + Hardware - extra bits for the bit bucket =· 1 Coffeeless KaosKidd

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Newzed

KK, I think 640x480 might be better.· However, if this can only be done with VGA_hires we can forget it.· Unless I am mistaken, display text with VGA_hires has to be done one byte at a time, whereas with vga_text they can be entered as strings.· Can you imagine how long it would take just to enter the menu in my picture, much less all the data I am displaying?

Thanks, anyway.

Sid

Kaos Kidd

SID:
Not so true...
I'll make it happen...
[noparse]:)[/noparse]

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Propeller + Hardware - extra bits for the bit bucket =· 1 Coffeeless KaosKidd

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Newzed

KK, I shall wait with breathless anticipation.

Sid

Newzed

Here is a picture of the first board made on SuperMill using the Propeller.· This is an actual board made for one of the forum members.· I think I can safely say it is the best board I have made to date.· I used the .020 cutter and there is no detectable widening of the etch lines, even though·many of them were retraced several times.·Backlash compensation has been adjusted to about .0005".· The board was made with the Autorun option, where etching instructions are read from a DAT list.· The ability of the Prop to adjust the pulsetrain by as little as one pulse at a time has given me an accuracy I never had with the BS2E.· I'm still playing around with the delay between pulses -· I just don't know yet how fast the table can travel without breaking the cutter, nor have I figured oiut yet just how fast the controllers can accept a pulse withiut deterioration of the stepper torque.· However, I think it is safe to say the performance of SuperMill has been substantially enhanced.· Everybody should have one!

Sid

Kaos Kidd

Slick Sid... Real slick....

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Propeller + Hardware - extra bits for the bit bucket =· 1 Coffeeless KaosKidd

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Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Sid,

Those copper gaps look pretty darn clean! I can't see any burrs. What is your tool RPM?

Thanks,
Phil

Newzed

Thanks, Phil.· I was using a new cutter and the board did not even require deburring.· Spindle speed is about 20,000 rpm - I think I had it cranked up all the way.· I'm working on a footprint for the Propeller LQFP now.· I will be using an .015 cutter so I may have to slow the table down a bit to get a nice clean cut.

Stay tuned!

Sid

Sawmiller

ahh my com2ser board.. rubs hands in anticipation
dan

Newzed

Dan, did you get the board already?

Sid

Sawmiller

not yet....

Newzed

Here is SuperMill's latest accomplishment.· The photo is a footprint of the LQFP chip, and shows a chip laying in place.· Chip's data sheet for the LQFP calls for .0157 wide pads with a center to center distance of .0315.· This equates to a distance of .0157 between pads.· I used my .40mm cutter, which has a diameter of .0158.· Expresspcb has a minimum resolution of .001, which is probably true of all layout programs, so I had to adjust the etch path about .001 every five or so pads, both horizontally and vertically.· All in all, not a bad effort.· That's why I call it SuperMill!!

This would be very tough to lay out on a board where everything is normally in increments of .025.· I would really have to be motivated to even try it, but I had to see if I could make the footprint.

Sid

El Paisa

Whats the narrowest trace and spacing width? you can cut ?

parsko

Hey sid,

Think you can offer a picture with a penny or dime in it for scale?

Thanks,

-Parsko

BTW- Looks awesome!

Newzed

The narrowest width I can cut is .0158 - call it .016.· That would make the narrowest trace I could cut the same width; however, I never trim the traces down.· They are just whatever copper remains after the milling is completed.

On the LQFP, I was wondering why the five or six pads at upper right and lower left appear to be a bit off while the horizontal pads appear to be right on.· The problem?· A typo in my DAT list -·I had written Left 123 instead of Left 126.· Done properly, that would move the problem pads .003 to the right which would make them line up almost perfectly.

Maybe I'll make another one.

Sid

Newzed

OK, Parsko, here it is with a dime.

Sid

cgracey

Wow! That looks great.

Something I've noticed with all our pick and place machines at Parallax (and the same would go for most PCB cutters) is that they are ALWAYS controlled by PC's (often by more than one). PC's are ever-engaged in the slow process of losing their minds. I keep thinking that such tools could be made more simply by using a Propeller. It's a real problem when you're stuck with software that only runs on an OS that you cannot buy anymore, like DOS or prior Windows, and hardware which is obscure and difficult to replace. I think a lot of these tools would function better, anyway, with a radically simplified user interface that could set up and store recipes. Our pick and place machine demands stock codes, even! Sometimes you just need something on the order of a hand tool to get a job done, albeit an automatic one.

Sid, make a PCB cutter that lots of people could use without the price and headaches of the big ones. Also, a simple pick and place needs to be made. The way systems are today, there's a ten-pound mass flying around on a gantry which is handling parts that weigh milligrams. It seems that with some simpler hardware in a feedback loop, this job could get done way more cheaply. How about a pick and place that feeds from stationary tape sections, is the size of a phone book, doesn't need a PC, and costs only $1000? You could set one up for a particular job and let it be dedicated.

Newzed said...

OK, Parsko, here it is with a dime.

Sid

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Chip Gracey
Parallax, Inc.

Newzed

Chip, I guess that is pretty close to what I have.· I use a PC in the office to load the Prop, but when it is attached to the mill there is no PC.· All necessary input is via the Prop keyboard and all cognizant data and prompts are displayed on my VGA monitor.· Right now I have five DAT lists loaded and I can make any one of five boards just by selecting it from the keyboard.· Runs start to finish all on its on.· I still do the drilling manually from the keyboard because that is easier than writing a program to do it.

I guess it would take about $1000 to duplicate what I have here - the MF70, 3 steppers at $20 each and three IB463 controllers at about $165 each, plus the Demo board.· The $1000 does not include the keyboard or the monitor, since most people have spares ones of those laying around.· The only drawback is the max size board I can make - 1.7 x 5.· So far I've been able to get all the boards I've needed within thiose limits.· Actually, most of the boards I've needed are usually much smaller.· And that's where SuperMill shines - imagine what you would have to pay for one board 1.80 x .70!· My cost is about 20 cents, excluding, of course, my labor.· It has taken me a long time to get to this point, but believe me, it was well worth it.

Sid
S.C.J.A.P.G

PLJack

Sid, Sid, Sid, every time I pop by this thread I am inspired get off my duff and build a CNC machine.
That would make you "Second Class Junior Apprentice Propeller guru Consultant ".
Really, thanks for carrying the flame.

Chip is right. the amateur electronics / robotics field is only going to grow. All of these people are going to need affordable tools.

Now, where is that bag of stepper motors that I have been collecting...... [noparse]:)[/noparse]

PS, sorry I dropped the ball with the software help I promised you. Life, you know..

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- - - PLJack - - -

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Perfection in design is not achieved when there is nothing left to add.
It is achieved when there is nothing left to take away.

hutdon

Sid, I've been drooling over this since you started. The only thing that has been holding me back from order an MF70 is the limiting Y-dimension. So one question. In your opinion, would it be possible, with access to a fairly modern CNC machine shop to 'adapt' the MF70 to say a 4-6 inch travel in the Y-axis?

Thanks - Don

Newzed

Don, the spindle center is about 2.25 inches from the column that supports the spindle.· Theoretically, you could get about 4.5 inches of Y travel but you would have to increase the length of the·Y table and increase the width of the X table.· If you were a good machinist, and had an MF70 so you could measure and duplicate the tables as required, yes, you could do it.· It would cost a bundle to have the tables made and the lead screws fabricated.· If you can do it yourself then it becomes feasible.· I don't think the work could be done on anything but a Bridgeport.

Sid

Newzed

Don, one thing I forgot to mention.· By drilling two sets of registration holes about 1 inch apart vertically, you could do the upper part of the board, shift the board to the other set of registration holes and get about another inch of effective Y travel.· I've only tried that once, but if your mill is accurately stepped and programmed, you can do it.

Maybe I'll make a board like that and post a picture.

Sid

Graham Stabler

Chip,

check out:

http://www.apsgold.com

Look at the "Benchtop LE20 and LE40 Auto Pick & Place"

Getting there!

video is cool too

Graham

Graham Stabler

Don, I'm currently converting a larger proxxon bed with 6"X6" travel to CNC, if you have a machine shop it would be really easy to do:

http://www.indoor.flyer.co.uk/kt150conversion.htm

You can buy a spindle with the same inners as the MF70 in a hand held format, you then just need to add a z-axis.

Graham