--- In
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Putnam" <circuit@g...>
wrote:
> Someone was asking what types of software people use to manufacture
their boards. My machine is not setup for milling. I have only used
it for drilling holes in the boards and thus wrote my own program to
do so. At the time, I could not get any useable information regarding
excellon files or NC drill files, so I wrote the program to accept XY
coordinate files. This is very time consuming for complicated boards
to produce the original file, but if you are making several of the
same board, it is quite efficient. Actually, some CAD programs can
output the XY coordinate file and thus most of the work is already
done.
> Lately, I have given some thought to adding on a conversion program
so that the program will accept the NC drill files produced by the
standard CAD programs (still in the research stages).
>
> In my research I came across a webpage with a tutorial on what is
in a drill file (excellon). I thought others on this group would also
be interested in this. It is at
http://www.excellon.com/applicationengineering/manuals/program.htm > This site is packed with a lot of information.
>
> -Mike
>
Although I have not done it for PCB's. I spot points on my CAD
program and can save it as a text file, similar to a DXF, but
readable by a word processor.
I pull it in to Excel to make a G-code file out of it and run Turbo-
CNC to drill holes.
The neat thing is that you can use DIP outlines and just plop caps
and resistors and whatever package you want on the drawing, then just
save the layer with the points that represent the center of the
circle.
Dave
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]