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From:	"Gene Heskett (gheskett AT shentel DOT net) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com]" <geda-user AT delorie DOT com>
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To:	geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Subject:	[geda-user] pcb vs gcode export
Date:	Mon, 18 Jan 2016 21:53:15 -0500
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Reply-To:	geda-user AT delorie DOT com

Greetings;

Since I have a milling machine capable of doing PCB's, albeit slow as 
molasses since the spindle's tongue is hanging out and dripping on the 
floor at 2650 rpm's.  But it works.

Which is ATM more than I can say for the gcode exporter.

It leaves out thru holes, or makes them the wrong size, as in too big, 
destroying the pad itself.  This missing holes also affects the bottom 
etching file, skipping the peck with the engraving tool in the center of 
the pad, and despite being told to peck that about 5 thou deeper, it 
doesn't even make it thru the copper.

But I am fairly decent, not a guru, but capable of fixing a line of code 
here and there, so I was able to add the peck the hold in the pad 
without a lot of hacking around. So that did cut what was a usable 
bottom(solder) side of the board.  Then, attacking the drillmill file, I 
found the bit of code that needed help by mouse clicking on the line in 
the LCNC backplot to locate it in the code, first adding the missing 
holes with a straight drill of 0.03125 diameter.  But some holes were 
still either too big or tool small. Using the point and click, I found 
it in the code, and except for the original placement move, I ripped out 
the octagonal carving code and did a straight drill.  Checking the 
sizes, I added a global var to the gcode file which served as the 
additional radius the hole needed to be the right size. Setting it for 3 
to 6 thousandths, and calling a circle cutter subroutine, I was able to 
fine tune the hole sizes.

So then I coded up a step & repeat, and made the circuit 4 up. I 
populated the first one last night but ran out of giddyup, so it got 
tested today, works great.

So today, I had pcb make some Gerber's that I could look at with gerbv.  
No missing holes, but since it was working with the .pcb file, the holes 
were still mostly too small.

So, my  wish list is:

1. Make a library pad patterns adjustable in the editor, both for 
interlead spacing, and the pad OD and hole size, using a unit of measure 
we are familiar with.  Maybe it can be done to the copy in memory, but 
its not obvious from the current screen the device editor menu shows a 
new bee.

2. Fix the gcode export menu so it saves the last set of "makeit" 
settings even if I don't load pcb again for a month, and reloads them 
when next called.  Continuity would be very handy, almost on a par with 
sliced bread and bottled beer.

3. Fix the missing drill holes in the gcode exporter.  Not everyone is as 
familiar with LinuxCNC and gcode as I am, and I am by no means a guru.  
For probably 75% of the people who might use that code to directly 
generate the gcode files, and who often depend on a CAM program to 
generate the code they run, this is for those people, an absolute show 
stopper.

4. I have no facilities to lay down a solder mask, and being able to do 
that would be a huge help, but I haven't the foggiest where to start.  
Hints about that gleefully read and noted to see if its practical when I 
haven't had a working chemical darkroom set up since about 1977 when I 
moved to a new office where the door said Chief Engineer, at a tv 
station that is no more. That was also the title on the door for the 
last 18 years of my working carrear which ended 13.5 years ago. I am now 
81 and counting.

Any help that can be put into PCB in these areas will be appreciated, a 
lot.

Thank you.

Cheers, Gene Heskett
-- 
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>

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