Edit Project: Ant PCB Maker

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Hardware completed. Documentation work in progress == Characeristics == * Maximum size of PCB designs: 120mm x 80mm * Smallest isolation routing achieved at this point: 0.3mm (with 30 degrees engraving bit) * DC power supply: 12V 10A * Maximum RPM spindle: 24000 (Modded from original 12000) == Software used == * Flatcam 8.97 Beta * bCNC == Software installation == The instructions below were tested on Debian 10 with contrib, non-free and backports repositories enabled. <br/> First, install the following required packages using the following command <br/> <code>sudo apt update</code><br/> <code>sudo apt instal git python-pip python3-pip</code> === Flatcam === Clone the flatcam git repository<br/> <code>git clone https://bitbucket.org/jpcgt/flatcam.git</code><br/> Enter the flatcam dir and switch to the beta branch<br/> <code>cd flatcam</code><br/> <code>git fetch && git checkout Beta</code> (At time of writing, we were using commit 2907a73)<br/> Install the needed dependencies<br/> <code>chmod +x setup_ubuntu.sh</code><br/> <code>sudo ./setup_ubuntu.sh</code><br/> Might be enough, but I aint installing my VM to make sure :-). So install the packages below as well:<br/> <code>sudo apt install python3-opengl python3-tk python3-fonttools libspatialindex-dev</code><br/> <code>pip3 install rasterio simplejson ezdxf svg.path freetype-py ortools vispy shapely</code><br/> You are now able to start flatcam like so:<br/> <code>python3 FlatCAM.py</code><br/> Go to Edit -> Preferences and set your units to mm. === bCNC === Run the following commands:<br/> <code>sudo apt install python-tk</code><br/> <code>pip2 install --upgrade bCNC</code><br/> From now on, you can launch bCNC by running:<br/> <code>python2 -m bCNC</code> == Generating gcode from gerber files == This guide assumes you have generated a gerber file from you design which is compatible with Flatcam.<br/> Each CAD program is different in this regard, and is beyond the scope for the documentation of this page.<br/> === Generate isolation routing gcode === * Start Flatcam * File -> Open -> Open Gerber * Select your gerber file On the right side, you will see a preview of your gerber file<br/> Verify that the dimension are correct and the bottom left corner is located at coordinate 0,0<br/> If something is wrong, go back to your CAD program and fix the problem with your gerber file<br/> * On the left side, on the Project tab, Select your gerber file * Switch to the Selected tab We're assuming that a 30 degrees engraving bit will be used. If you're using something else, you'll need to tweak the below values. * Set Tool Dia to 0.3 * Click FULL Geo On the right side, you will now see red lines where you will be milling.<br/> Verify that all traces are actually being isolated. If not, your clearance is <0.3mm at this point.<br/> Fix your design and try again (or try your luck and use a smaller tool diameter) * Configure the values as shown below: ** Cut Z: -0.08 ** Travel Z: 2 ** Feed Rate X-Y: 150 ** Feed Rate Z: 150 ** Spindle speed: 12000 * Scroll down and hit Generate * After generation finished, click save CNC Code * Save as <yourfilename>.gcode This file can later be used by bCNC to mill out your traces === Generate drilling gcode === TODO == Milling the PCB == === Mounting the PCB === Grab the wooden plate with the attached PCB clamps<br/> Slide a blank PCB underneath the clamps<br/> Tighten 5 out of 6 clamps<br/> Grab a male to female jumper cable Jam the male end of the jumper cable underneath the 6th clamps<br/> Tighten the 6th clamp<br/> Slide the wooden plate into the ant<br/> Tighten down the 2 thumbscrews<br/> Attach the female end of the jumper cable to the blue jumper cable coming from the Ant<br/> === Mill the PCB === Connect your Ant to your PC using a Micro USB cable<br/> Connect your Ant to the 12V power supply and the powersupply to mains power<br/> Flip the switch to the ON position on the Ant<br/> Start bCNC<br/> Click File, and configure as follows: * Port: /dev/yourdevicehere (usually /dev/ttyACM0) * Baud 115200 * Controller: GRBL0 Click Open and select your gcode file<br/> Click Control<br/> Click Connection (if you get a resource busy error, wait a few seconds and try again. The Ant is still booting in that case)<br/> Click unlock<br/> Now you can control the machine using the arrow buttons in the control section<br/> The number value represents the distance it will travel each click in mm<br/> Make sure the drill bit is not touching the PCB and move your XY coordinates to where you want the bottom left of your PCB to be<br/> Click the XY=0 button<br/> To make sure that you have enough space, click the Move Gantry button and click in the opposite corner<br> If the gantry can move there without issues, proceed. If not, reposition you XY zero position or adjust your PCB design and start again<br/> Grab a cable with 2 alligator clips<br/> Attach one and to the purple jumper cable coming from the ant<br/> Attach the other end to the engraving bit. Make sure to route the cable through the front of the machine, or else it might get caught on the PCB clamps.<br/> Click on probe and open the probe menu<br/> Set the values as follows: * Fast Probe Feed: 100 * Probe feed: 60 * TLO: 0.0 * Pos: <blank> <blank> -20 Click on probe<br/> Click Z=0 to zero out the Z axis<br/> Go to control, lift Z with 1 mm and go back to probe<br/> Click autolevel<br/> Click the Margins button at the top<br/> Adjust the N values until the Step values are +- 7mm<br/> Set Z Min to -11.0 and Z Max to 1.0<br/> Click Scan at the top. The ant will now start moving to all over the PCB and create a height map<br/> After this has finished, click the Move Gantry button and click roughtly in the middle of the PCB design<br> Go back to Probe -> Probe and do another single manual probe<br/> Click Z=0<br/> Go back to Autolevel and click Zero (with the blue crosshair icon) at the top<br/> Remove the alligator clip from drill bit<br/> Check again that you remove the alligator clip<br/> Seriously, I mean it. CHECK AGAIN!<br/> Go back to Control<br/> Click start<br/> Congratulations! your PCB is now being milled<br/> Manual tool change procedure still to be documented.

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