[Konstantin]

Hello.
I am finishing building a small cnc pcb milling machine and I dont know the basic things about PCB milling, software wise. How do I create the gcode from the pdf files I see around with copper image on them?
Please be as specific as you can.
Thanks.

[acondit]

I believe that the pdf files are designed for people who are printing (iron on, print on, photo exposure, etc) the image on the bare pcb as "resist" and then chemically etching the pcb.

Alan

[Konstantin]

That is correct. And I have done pcbs with toner-iron technology quite a few times. Now I would like to do isolation routing.
So thats basically my question, how to go from the pdf to gcode.
Some people work hard on their pcb designs in Eagle and are generous enough to put copper side artwork, I dont think no one gives out the Eagle brd files anymore. I read that there is a ulp for gcode but thats another topic.

[bill south]

Try the PDF to DXF converter from aidecad.com (i think). I've used it for conversions (trial version only) and it's quite impressive.
Good Luck.
Bill

[Konstantin]

What do I do with the resulting DXF then?

[acondit]

Convert the dxf to gcode. That is what a lot of people do with their CAD files. There are a number of programs to convert DXF files to gcode.

Alan

[tra]

Anyone have progress on this? I have a lot of PDF files with toner transfer images for PCBs. When using a PDF to DXF conversion program you end up with a cutting path that engravers the circuit traces into the board rather than the isolation routes.

There has to be a way to pull the PDF image into Photoshop and manipulate the image in a way that the PDF to DXF converter provides the code for the isolation routes instead of the shape of the circuit. I'm not nearly smart enough to figure this one out.

[keebler303]

You can use EAGLE free for PCB design. Then you can use a plugin for EAGLE called PCB-GCODE or something like that. you tell it your cutter and speed and whatnot and it automatically creates the G code for you directly from the board layout file. No BS with converting files, pdfs or anything else.

I have used it many times and it works as it should.

Matt

[Zig]

Depends on which PCB design program You use....


PDF files are really useless in most instances iwhen considering millling.

There are probably two main approaches ...


EAGLE PCB ( windows and Linux) has a ULP ( user language program ) plugin which generates G code directly from the PCB design.

Search for Yahoo groups PCB to Gcode group and they will help You.

IF you use Ki Cad ( linux ) also has a solution as follows..
KICAD -> Gerber files _> Linegrinder which outptus G code

The above mentioned group has some experienced users with both approaches and they will help You.


I use a Gerber CAM package called GRAPHICODE POWERSTATION and generate cutting paths and G code within this package from Gerber data.

[tra]

I've made a little bit of progress with this. Using img2cad you can have it "trace" the outside of the PCB layout. When I import the DXF file into CamBam I can then have it cut the outside profile of what was traced by img2cad. Voila!

The problem? The resolution sucks! It's a really choppy trace around the circuit.

[keebler303]

What design software are you using? I have already suggested a solution which is both free and accurate.

Matt

[tra]

What design software are you using? I have already suggested a solution which is both free and accurate.

Matt

Your solution was for me to redesign a PCB in Eagle. That is time prohibitive. I have tons of PDF files of PCB layouts meant for toner transfer that I'd like to make on my CNC.

I use Eagle and Diptrace for my own designs, but that doesn't help me make PCBs from other people's layouts that are in PDF format.

[keebler303]

Your solution was for me to redesign a PCB in Eagle. That is time prohibitive. I have tons of PDF files of PCB layouts meant for toner transfer that I'd like to make on my CNC.

I use Eagle and Diptrace for my own designs, but that doesn't help me make PCBs from other people's layouts that are in PDF format.

Ok, you never made that clear.

It is tough to get a good trace. I normally get the crappy trace into cad and then redraw over the top of it. Obviously that would be quite tedious on a copper layout. The higher your image resolution is, the better it should trace. You could also play around with threshholding or other image modification before the trace.

Matt