Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

Well, I finally got around to updating the laser photoplotter I built in 1996.  it was still

running on the creaky Cyrix-CPU ISA-bus PC with a DMA card.  I was worried about

how much longer that PC would still run.

I replaced it with a Beagle Bone, and used the PRU component of that processor

to emulate the DMA card in the PC.  I had a few software bugs that were

embarrassingly hard to find, but it now works just fine.

It does 1000 x 1000 DPI and is VERY accurate, I have made solder stencils

with it that match within a couple thousandths of an inch over an entire 

8 x 12" PC board fabbed in China.  (I use it mostly for making the master

artwork to etch solder paste stencils, now that PC boards are so cheap

from China.)  Plotting speed is 0.6" per minute, and it can do up to

20 x 20" films.

See

Homemade Laser Photoplotter   for more info.

			Homemade Laser Photoplotter General view of the Photoplotter. Drum drive motor and encoderare at upper right. Stepper motor is at lower right. Opticalcarriage is now about 1/3rd of the way t...
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Jon