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User Manual?

Posted: Tue 22 Sep , 2009 15:05 pm
by nicksmrvil
Is there a user guide supplied with this machine? There is only a quick start guide and a tutorial available as pdf documents but some aspects of the software are not explained.

Nick

Re: User Manual?

Posted: Thu 24 Sep , 2009 11:20 am
by Denford Admin
Not as yet :(

I see what you mean about some of the features though - things like sorting batch jobs is not really gone into.

Let us know what you think is missing and we'll get working on a more advanced tutorial...

Re: User Manual?

Posted: Thu 24 Sep , 2009 16:09 pm
by nicksmrvil
I was expecting you to be telling me that it had been left out or I was and idiot for not knowing where to look.... I would not have expected a hardware or software product like this to be shipped without any effective instructions.

However...moving on:

1. The tutorial refers to using a pan/tilt/zoom facility to see where the cutter is too wide for the space between the tracks or pads. It does not tell you how to do this.
2. The written Quick Start guide does not match the photo-guide insofar that when setting the cutter depth, you have to switch on the spindle - result is one broken cutter.
3. Flipping the board to display the track side correctly for machining seems to do so by turning it on the edge rather than the centre line, thereby moving it across. Can this be adjusted?
4. Even with a 0.25mm diameter cutter fitted, it appears not to be able to cut between the pads of an i.c. or transistor (the design was imported from Circuit Wizard). I find this hard to believe - is there a way overiding the minimum setting?
5. Could there not be contextual help available for the software?

Regards,

Nick

Re: User Manual?

Posted: Thu 24 Sep , 2009 17:00 pm
by Denford Admin
Hi thanks for the feedback - I'll make sure the right people get to action them
4. Even with a 0.25mm diameter cutter fitted, it appears not to be able to cut between the pads of an i.c. or transistor (the design was imported from Circuit Wizard). I find this hard to believe - is there a way overiding the minimum setting?
I've just run the Gerber wizard here and am able to set the cutter diameter as small as 0.050mm which would create a track offset of 0.025mm (25Microns) - I doubt if you could find a cutter that small !
So, I'm not sure why it would be different on your machine - have ou updated to the latest version from here:
http://www.website.denford.ltd.uk/suppo ... -downloads

Re: User Manual?

Posted: Mon 28 Sep , 2009 16:48 pm
by nicksmrvil
Thanks for that. The cutter issue has been resolved by setting the size as you suggest. Any ideas about my points 1 and 3?

I am also unsure about setting the feed rate. When I used the default setting it moved far too quickly. By using the manual overide I could slow things down but it was more by luck and guesswork that what I ended up with seemed to work. Is there a table of feed rates recommended for the various cutters and drill sizes?

Regards,

Nick

Re: User Manual?

Posted: Tue 29 Sep , 2009 9:30 am
by Denford Admin
Because the PCB engraver was designed to be a simple control system, it has a fixed feedrate. Obviously you can alter the feed override to slow things down, but if you are doing much the same kind of jobs, and always need to reduce the feed, then you can change the default in parameters:
Goto menu Options > Setup Parameters enter denny as the password.
pcb-engraver1.jpg
pcb-engraver1.jpg (19.68 KiB) Viewed 12051 times
Click on Parameters and change the value for programfeed from 1000mm/min to something that works for you...
pcb-engraver2.jpg
pcb-engraver2.jpg (72.43 KiB) Viewed 12051 times

Re: User Manual?

Posted: Tue 29 Sep , 2009 9:43 am
by Denford Admin
1. The tutorial refers to using a pan/tilt/zoom facility to see where the cutter is too wide for the space between the tracks or pads. It does not tell you how to do this.
All our software works by utilising combinations of mouse movement, buttons and sometimes the scroll wheel. I guess its second nature to us here that we've forgotten to mention it in the tutorial.
Zoom: Hold down Right Mouse Button and move mouse up/down
Rotate: Hold down Left Mouse Button and move mouse up/down/left/right
Pan: Hold down Both Mouse Buttons and move up/down/left/right

3. Flipping the board to display the track side correctly for machining seems to do so by turning it on the edge rather than the centre line, thereby moving it across. Can this be adjusted?
I think I understand what you mean by this...do you mean the mirroring of tracks should not move the position of them relative to the board ? see attached screenshots...

Re: User Manual?

Posted: Tue 29 Sep , 2009 11:20 am
by nicksmrvil
Thanks for the further information. I am now the master of pan, zoom and tilt!

The screen shots do show what I mean by my question in point 3. My concern is that it leaves an inaccessible margin on the left hand side of the board although it may be that when the design is loaded for maching this blank area is ignored when it comes to positioning.

Regards,

Nick

Re: User Manual?

Posted: Tue 29 Sep , 2009 11:32 am
by Denford Admin
You can see the datum symbol on the board - at it's very bottom left corner. That is the same position that you set the datum in the software, so the board would be machined too far to the right. In my screenshot, the problem is exaggerated because I've increased the width of the board.

I'm trying to think of a reason why it mirrors this way...I do get the feeling that it is correct though, because if you wanted to machine the top side, then things wouldn't line up with the bottom machining :?
eg, if your board is 100mm wide and you put a hole 5mm in from the left and flip the board, then it must appear 95mm across from the left ....

Re: User Manual?

Posted: Tue 29 Sep , 2009 12:37 pm
by Steve
I believe it has to mirror in the way shown as the board could be double sided and the image has to mirror to line up with the top side.

To do this the board size would have to be accuratly measured and positioned.

If your only cutting single sided then set the board size automatically or manually to suround the tracks. Then flipping will be around the centre.