There once was suggested on the Parallax support forum The Sandbox that a group effort might be put forth to craft an SX controlled 2.5 or 3 axis PCB mill.
The idea caught my attention, and I lurked on the thread for a while. I entered active participation when the subject of the communications protocol between the PC-based application and the SX-based motion controller came up. This participation took the form of volunteering to provide an Introduction to G-Codes and related subjects. I also experimented a bit with a Basic Stamp 2 interpreting a quite limited G-Code syntax for the purpose of seeing how much memory required for doing interpolated motion.
In the event that I actually do build an instance of this mill, I'll document that effort here too.
My contributions to the project. | |
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Introduction to G-Codes
| A brief introduction to the various buzzwords related to G-Code processing, especially as related to PCB milling is presented. The Gerber files for the Basic Stamp 1 OEM are used to provide concrete examples of some of the concepts. |
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Basic Stamp G-Code Interpreter
| As a proof of concept, the Basic Stamp 2 implementation of a 3-axis, 1-spindle, limited G-Code interpreter is described. |
An annotated list of references that I find interesting and germane to this project. | |
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Parallax
SX SX/B | Links to Parallax, and to their SX microcontroller and the SX/B compiler. This is the central core of the motion processor of this PCB Mill project. |
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Interactive
Printable | The thread in the Parallax The Sandbox support forum that documents the development of the idea of the SX Community PCB Mill. |
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$200 CNC
PCB alignment | David McNab shows how he built a CNC drill for small PCBs in the sub $200 range. He also describes a simple method of assuring proper alignment of drill holes with the PCB traces/pads. |
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Target 3001
| A PCB CAD package that claims to do PCB milling output. Also has a front-panel layout tool that emits a DXF. Free limited version. |
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Machn Manuals
| Manual for Mach1, Mach2, & Mach3 software. Provides broad-ranging coverage of machining and G-Codes in the context of using the product. |
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TurboCNC Manual
| Manual for TurboCNC by DAK Engineering. Provides coverage of machining and G-Codes in the context of using the product. |
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Drillcon 100
| Nicholas Redgrave describes his buildup of a CNC Drill. His controller reads the Excellon drill files directly. |
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CNC Drill
| Derek Hawkins photodocuments his recently completed CNC drill. |