Homemade PCB Plotter

[Jeremy Samuels]

I'm interested in building a PCB ink resist plotter. Photo resist is
expensive, and I have about 50 copper clad boards. What kind of CNC
plotting software is available for Linux? Will I be stuck writing my
own primitive software? Although not exactly dealing with electronics,
how should I move the pen? Linear gear/belt/wheel? I think the entire
workpiece will move down for the Z axis, and the pen will move for the
X and Y axis, but I'm not exactly sure how to cheaply move the
workpiece by motors.

 

[Leon Heller]

I'm interested in building a PCB ink resist plotter. Photo resist is
expensive, and I have about 50 copper clad boards. What kind of CNC
plotting software is available for Linux? Will I be stuck writing my
own primitive software? Although not exactly dealing with electronics,
how should I move the pen? Linear gear/belt/wheel? I think the entire
workpiece will move down for the Z axis, and the pen will move for the
X and Y axis, but I'm not exactly sure how to cheaply move the
workpiece by motors.

Join this Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/

Several people there have done that sort of thing.

Leon

 

[Roy Battell]

I'm interested in building a PCB ink resist plotter. Photo resist is
expensive, and I have about 50 copper clad boards. What kind of CNC
plotting software is available for Linux? Will I be stuck writing my
own primitive software? Although not exactly dealing with electronics,
how should I move the pen? Linear gear/belt/wheel? I think the entire
workpiece will move down for the Z axis, and the pen will move for the
X and Y axis, but I'm not exactly sure how to cheaply move the
workpiece by motors.

Re the software part ...

Vutrax for Linux (as well as Windows) can natively output
to many vector driven devices including
HPGL (Hewlett Packard Pen plotters),
Gerber 274X (automatic aperture allocation) or photoplot
with user specified apertures including construction
of all items from a single 'aperture',
Housten Instrument pen plotters,
'Excellon' CNC drilling and Milling assorted formats.
Full control of scaling and orientation (including mirroring)
can be applied.
Vutrax can be used for schematic entry, routing and PCB layout
or for simple manual layouts. Visit either of
http://www.vutrax.co.uk (Main UK site for Vutrax CAD)
http://www.protonique.com/vutrax (Central Europe Mirror)
to download the 256 pin evaluation/free version.

 

[mike]

I'm interested in building a PCB ink resist plotter. Photo resist is
expensive, and I have about 50 copper clad boards. What kind of CNC
plotting software is available for Linux? Will I be stuck writing my
own primitive software? Although not exactly dealing with electronics,
how should I move the pen? Linear gear/belt/wheel? I think the entire
workpiece will move down for the Z axis, and the pen will move for the
X and Y axis, but I'm not exactly sure how to cheaply move the
workpiece by motors.

First thing to decide is what accuracy and precision you need.
Well funded design teams spent decades constructing mechanical
systems with the required accuracy, lack of backlash, lack of
system mechanical resonances etc. Sounds simple, but there's
a lot of magic in there.

Find yourself a surplus flat-bed plotter.
I use a TEK 4662. Any software will output gerber. You can easily
write a gerber translator that drives the plotter.
My 4662 has served me well until recently when I tried to do a
TQFP64-1001 chip. Can't seem to corece the software to route on the
5mil grid that is the best the plotter can do. Roundoff error is
killing me.

mike

--
Return address is VALID.
500MHz Tek DSOscilloscope TDS540 $2200
http://nm7u.tripod.com/homepage/te.html
Wanted, 12.1" LCD for Gateway Solo 5300. Samsung LT121SU-121
Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below.
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/

 

[John Nagle]

Unless you want to do it for fun, don't. You won't
save money. You can get files converted to films
cheaply, and even board making is rather cheap. Board
stock isn't a significant component of the cost.

John Nagle