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PCB process fails!

PCB process fails!

2006-03-29 by Leon Heller

My usually very reliable PCB process (printing onto Jetstar film using an
inkjet printer) failed me yesterday, the transparencies weren't dense enough
and the tracks and pads had little 'cracks' in them. After experimenting
with different settings I gave up and used my laser printer with LaserStar
film. This afternoon I went out and bought a genuine Epson black cartridge,
and found that everything was back to normal. The clone cartridge I've been
using must have become faulty in some way, although it works OK printing on
paper.

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
leon.heller@...
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] PCB process fails!

2006-03-29 by Stefan Trethan

Is the printhead on the cartridge? Maybe some nozzles failed?


ST


On Wed, 29 Mar 2006 23:33:24 +0200, Leon Heller
<leon.heller@...> wrote:

Show quoted textHide quoted text
> My usually very reliable PCB process (printing onto Jetstar film using an
>
> inkjet printer) failed me yesterday, the transparencies weren't dense
> enough
>
> and the tracks and pads had little 'cracks' in them. After experimenting
>
> with different settings I gave up and used my laser printer with
> LaserStar
>
> film. This afternoon I went out and bought a genuine Epson black
> cartridge,
>
> and found that everything was back to normal. The clone cartridge I've
> been
>
> using must have become faulty in some way, although it works OK printing
> on
>
> paper.
>
>
> Leon
>
> --

Re: PCB process fails!

2006-03-29 by Steve

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Leon Heller" <leon.heller@...>
wrote:
Show quoted textHide quoted text
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Stefan Trethan" <stefan_trethan@...>

> > Is the printhead on the cartridge? Maybe some nozzles failed?
>
> No. it's an Epson. That's what I find strange about it.

That's no guarantee of anything.

It was probably a clog on a couple of nozzles, or you may have simply
been running out of ink. Nozzles actually failing is extremely rare.

When a new cartridge is inserted, inkjet printers run a cleaning cycle.

With one clogged nozzle, black text and large black areas will look
fine on paper, as the ink spreads a little. The only way to be sure is
to run a nozzle check and inspect it. Lots of people run non-Epson
inks in their Epsons, including me, with few problems.

Steve Greenfield

Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: PCB process fails!

2006-03-29 by Leon Heller

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve" <alienrelics@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 11:31 PM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: PCB process fails!


> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Leon Heller" <leon.heller@...>
> wrote:
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Stefan Trethan" <stefan_trethan@...>
>
>> > Is the printhead on the cartridge? Maybe some nozzles failed?
>>
>> No. it's an Epson. That's what I find strange about it.
>
> That's no guarantee of anything.
>
> It was probably a clog on a couple of nozzles, or you may have simply
> been running out of ink. Nozzles actually failing is extremely rare.
>
> When a new cartridge is inserted, inkjet printers run a cleaning cycle.
>
> With one clogged nozzle, black text and large black areas will look
> fine on paper, as the ink spreads a little. The only way to be sure is
> to run a nozzle check and inspect it. Lots of people run non-Epson
> inks in their Epsons, including me, with few problems.

The nozzle check was OK. Anyway, the new cartridge fixed it.

The PCB is for the u-blox LEA-4A GPS module. I'm interfacing it to a PIC
16F88 and a Siemens MC55 GSM module. The client wants a very small vehicle
tracking system on three stacked PCBs. I think I can get it down to about 3
cm x 3 cm for the production version.

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
leon.heller@...
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller