Layout for Spin Stamp board

Newzed · 2007-03-10 19:12

I have attached the preliminary layout for my Spin Stamp.· You must have Expresspcb to view it.· Expresspcb may be downloaded for free at Expresspcb.com.

The layout is a bit unorthodox but I think it provides maximum flexibility on a small board.· Board size is 4.000 x 1.950.· It has a 5V and a 3V regulator, both ported to a dual 3-pos header.· There is a red LED for 5V and a green LED for 3V.

It has holes and pads for the following, all of which are subject to optional installation:

PS/2 connector, with 5VDC for the keyboard.· Data and clock are pulled
··· up to 3VDC.· Uses Pins 8 and 9, requires two jumpers

24LC512 EEPROM with pullups on SCL and SDA.· Uses Pins 10 and 11.

VGA DB15 HD connector.· Uses pins 0 to 7.· If this option is installed,
··· the eight resistors are plugged into two horizontal headers below the
··· Spin Stamp.· Requires one jumper

RCA TV connector.· Uses Pin 0 to 2.· If this option is installed, the three
··· resistors are plugged vertically into a dual 3-pos header by the RCA
··· connector.

The board also has a Reset button between the DB15 and the Spin Stamp.· If you look at the layout, remember that you are looking at the BOTTOM of the board.· This is the way I have to do layouts in order to make them on my SuperMill.

Sid

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Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
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Newzed · 2007-03-10 23:23

There is a small error in the layout.· The tier of TV resistors needs to be moved .300 to the right.· Don't know how that happened.

Sid

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com
·

Newzed · 2007-03-19 21:30

I finally finished the Spin Stamp board.· I have attached two pictures, one of the board after it was etched with SuperMill and the other with the board populated.· The board picure is not the best - it is tough to take a picture of a shiny copper board.

Sid

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com

Max Wooden · 2007-03-19 22:31

Sweet looks quite handy to use with the spin stamp.

Newzed · 2007-03-19 23:00

Thanks for the comment, Max.· I put everything I could think of on the board.· You can't see it but there is a 24LC512 SMD soldered on the bottom of the board, along with two pullup SMD resistors.· All the "extras" are optional - the PS/2 connector, the DB15 VGA connector, the TV connector and the EEPROM.· You just install what you want, and of course, anything could be added later.· I used a piece of 4-inch wide scrap to make the prototype, which made one of the holes for the TV connector right on the edge of the board.· Future boards will be about 1/4" wider.

Sid

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com
·

Unsoundcode · 2007-03-19 23:46

Hi Sid, looks good but tell me what is the supermill, is it a hobby type milling machine?

Jeff T.

Newzed · 2007-03-19 23:52

SuperMill is a computer-controlled mill - not CNC - that I built up using a Proxxon MF70 mill as the starting point.· It is controlled by a Propeller with VGA display, and uses IB463 controllers for the stepping motors.· Very nice little setup, although it takes a bit of time to write the programs to do the various boards I make.· Board size is limited to 1.7 x 5 inches.

Sid

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com
·

Unsoundcode · 2007-03-19 23:59

Thank you Sid, I have seen the Proxon mill (one model anyway) and cosidered buying it at one time it,s a nice looking machine. It never occured to me to use it for Pcb manufacture now thats neat.

Jeff T.

Newzed · 2007-03-20 00:13

Jeff, here a some pictures of SuperMill.· They have oreviously been posted at

http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=15&m=76791

Sid

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Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com

bambino · 2007-03-20 12:52

Looks Good Sid,

You do turn them out pretty fast with that machine of yours.
How many bits did you go thru?

Newzed · 2007-03-20 13:59

Not many, Bambino.· I have been using the same .020 router and the same .035 drill for several months.· The router is starting to wear a little - the edges of the etched copper are starting to get a bit ragged and I have to deburr the board with 400 grit wet/dry.· I guess it is about time to change the router.· I have an .015 router I use for very fine work.· That is what I used to make the footpruint for the LQFP Propeller.· They are a bit expensive and I have already broken one, so I have to be very careful when I use them.

Sid

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com
·

Newzed · 2007-03-20 14:03

For Unsoundcode:

Jeff, here are a couple of more pictures to show you what I can do with SuperMill.· They have been posted before but maybe you missed them.· Didn't really have any use for the boards - I just wanted to see if I could make them.

Sid

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com

bambino · 2007-03-20 14:31

LQFP!!!!!
Well, you are full of surprises. I did not know the mill would go down to that level.

Newzed · 2007-03-20 14:50

You should get one, Bambino.· Just think how nice it would be to make a little board that you need for a project.· I can help you with the details, and I'll give you a copy of the program that runs the mill, and a copy of the special Stamp program I wrote to convert the X/Y coordinates to a format for the Propeller.

Sid

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Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com
·

bambino · 2007-03-20 16:54

I do have a project that could use such services, mainly because I'm not to good with things like PCB programs. However, when I talked my boss into switching from Microchip to Propeller I have not had, and probably will not have time for it, for quite a while.

Damien Allen · 2007-03-20 19:15

Newzed, regarding SuperMill, Milford Instruments here in the UK sell a little 3 axis machine that is homebuilt which is controlled by PC.

It is basic stamp based and the software for the PC side of things is freely available with source code! You could adapt this to your SuperMill giving you full CNC functionality. It accepts drill files, direct G-Code and there is also HPGL plotting software which you can use for engraving work.

The only problem is it cannot do circular interpolation, a problem which I think you have already solved.

Interested??

Newzed · 2007-03-20 20:23

Damian, the mill was originally controlled by a BS2E, then I switched over to the Propeller.· With the Prop I have exquisite control over the axes, and I can vary the pulse train for the steppers in any amount I want - from 1 on up.· In addition, because the Stamp was limited to 65535, I could only go so far in one operation.· With the Prop and its 32-bit long, I can travel as far as I want within the limits of the machine.· I wish the Y travel was greater than 1.7 inches, but I would not go through that building process again even if some one gave me a new mill.· It took months to build the handwheel adapters, install the steppers and their controllers, get everything wired together, then add the microprocessor and write the program for it.· Then when I changed to the Prop, it took another month to get the program working perfectly.· So........I'll just be content with what I have.· So far, I've been able to get all the layouts I need in a 1.7 inch width, and I can go up to 5 inches long.

Sid

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com
·

Damien Allen · 2007-03-20 21:22

I didn't mean reverting to the basic stamp, i just meant the PC side of things.
The link for reference is http://www.milinst.com/ go to robotics and scroll down to the 3 axis machinethere you will find screen shots of the software.

I only mentioned it because i'm sure i read somewhere that you have to manually work out your programs and enter them into the dat section of a spin file, is that not correct??

Damo

Newzed · 2007-03-20 21:38

That is true, Damo.· First, on a worksheet, I write the coordinate and the direction - X or Y - as I draw the etch paths.· Then I copy that into an Excell template which converts in to a DATA format for the Stamp.· I copy the Excel-formatted data into a special Stamp program I wrote, which converts the data to a DAT format for the Prop.· Then I copy and paste that data from the debug screen into the DAT block of my mill program.· It is quite a bit of work, but I have done it so many times it is a lot easier than it was at first.· And once it's done, it's done.· I have a file in my Propeller directory called PropStore, and that is where I store all the unused DAT files.· If I want to make a board that I have not made in a long time I just copy it in PropStore, then paste it into my current mill program.· If my current program gets too big, I just copy the DAT file into PropStore, then delete it from my program.

I'll take a look at the link you gave me.

Sid

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com
·

Newzed · 2007-03-20 21:51

Damo, I went to the link you gave me.· That machine has a resolution of only .004.· I would never be able to make a PC board or drill holes for a 40-pin DIP.· It looks like I could be off as much as .076 when drilling a 40-pin DIP.· As near as I can tell, SuperMill is accurate to within .0005 over a 4-inch travel.· If I drill the holes for a 40-pin DIP, or even a DB15 High Density connector, they drop right in.· And the footprint I made for the LQFP Propeller fits perfectly.

Sid

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That is why they call it the present.

Don't have VGA?
Newzed@aol.com
·

Damien Allen · 2007-03-21 20:05

Sorry it wasn't that helpful Sid, I am starting a project similar to your SuperMill. I am building everything from scratch, I am very interested in your prop code if you want to post it, although I totally understand if you don't wish to.

Damo

Layout for Spin Stamp board

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