> From what Tom was once explaining about the manual Excellon PCB
> drilling machines he suggested the video camera is the way to go
> for this. I priced some of those cheapy B&W CCD camera modules
> and they retail for about AUD$60. They connect directly to any
The problem with a camera below the print is that it will be blind
after a few drills. Well maybe one could use a piece of glass to
shield it and a air pump to keep the surface clean.
Some people actually reverse their drill, so the drill comes up
through the PCB. That way, the lens of the camera can point down.
It also needs a special strong directional light arrangement.
Still, for very fine work, the essential problem is that good drills
in 0.5-0.8mm are expensive and break just too easily.
- Carsten