Category Archives: tECHNOLOGY

PCB production

After making hunreds of boards with PCB Express…. we grew out of them. They offer a very easy to use interface, walled garden approach. expensive boards.  Something like 5 x the industry average.

 

I finally found EasyEDA.  It is simple enough for my pea brain to operate.  Lots of libraries built in.  3D view. Direct to JLCPCB to fab  boards.

 

 

We shall see how the quality works out.

Online G-Code editor, JSCUT

New recommendation as of spring 2022, untested.

 

https://mkrabset.github.io/krabzcam/krabzcam/index.html

 

MakerCam was the easiest to deal with.
It is dead with the death of flash.

 

http://jscut.org/jscut.html# seems pretty easy to use.
Starts from SVG, watch the upper right corner for promts….
Gcodes that are added to the output file.

S100 ;set spindle speed
M3 ;turn on spindle
M5 ;turn off spindle

For 7X Coupling, the set up is:
turn cutter DIA up to .126
.2 pass width, gcode units inch, Xoffset – Y offset =0.
create operation pocket .125
cut the last block of code and put it at the end

December  2020 steps for face cut:
use OODraw to generate svg
JSCUT has difficulty “Picking” objects with no FILL.
so solid fill all objects with black, and line black
ARRANGE order seems to matter,
so if there is a bounding box, send to back

intuWiz software was used for some other cut files with simple shapes

Lion battery repair

 

brand new fancy “drop in” lion battery intended to be used for home generator start battery.

 

Failed out of the box, with no support from the manufacturer.

 

out comes the dremel.

 

 

 

These look bigger than the 18650 cells.  Could these be the newer tesla cels? 21700 or even 26650?

 

 

 

Panel planner output to Visio to DXF Cut file.

ToolChain for Terry:

 

Use Panelplaner,

     Choose Template view on icons above panel.

     >File>Export DXF,

            “turn paths into polylines” is selected

            Name it _FilenameDXF_Draft

Open Visio

     File>Open>  Dropdown “Open File Types” so you can see the DXF

      Double click “Cad Object” Right Click >convert,    …….

      Assure there are no duplicate objects

 

      Create new outline objects with >FreeForm> drag curved shape,

      Use <CTL> click to Edit . Delete unused nodes, move end points and handles

 

      <CTL>A Assign to Lay, >NEW    Name layer “CutFileLayer”

      Paste standard objects (Red)  on top of Imported DXF object.

       Use “layer properties” select layers on and off to see 

 

File>Save>     …..SVG for future edit

>File>SaveAs>  Drop down .dxf..,     Name file correctly, place it in correct folder

This produces a useable DXF file for Laser, or Water, Or Mill

 

 

 

……….

 

 

 

How do I generate  G-code from simple shapes.

   use http://maslowmakercam.000webhostapp.com/

 

 

Use Inskape or Impress to generate and layout shapes.
File>Export> Filetype .SVG

use http://maslowmakercam.000webhostapp.com/

>Open .SVG

Touch a tool path highlight red then: CAM> Profile Operation.

Set parameters.

 


     Tool diameter, inside/outside cut


Calculate all

Next, go to ToolPaths. Select each one and check parameters.

Next, Export Gcode>select all>Export. Save NCFile

Rename .txt or .ngc

open in editor

find the following codes:

T codes which are tool change. delete them

add M1 at the top

Add S100 in the header for dummy spindle speed

file save as .ngc

 

Load to Linuxcnc

 

 

 

>>>>>>