Homebrew_PCBs

> Well I have won a new plotter on ebay, its a HP7475A, I have seen
> conversions on the web which just consist of cutting a slot in the
> plastic so a taller etch resist pen can be put into the pen carosel.
> Hopefully this will allow me to make quick and dirty lo-res pcb's for
> small circuits that just use to92 transistors 0.1''inch chips in DIP
> package etc.
> Hopefully printer drivers etc wont be such an issue, never had a
> plotter working so dont know how I am supposed to send a BMP to it to
> be plotted, do I need some form of conversion software?
> All being well by Thursday it should be with me, maybe the cable it
> somes with will work the calcomp...(which I think is by far the better
> machine by being a true x/y flatbed not a paper shuffler)

> heh.
> it is not true x/y flatbed.
> :)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lez" <lez.briddon@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 10:57 AM
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] won a plotter on ebay


Lol I can see I'm going to have fun over the next week or so with this
new plotter........

One idea that has just comeint my head was to cover the board with a
resist and build a scratching pen from one of the empty pens and a
diamond tip from one of those emergency window hammers you see in
busses / trains etc. can be bought very cheap from one of those $1/£1
shops that seem to spring up here and their.



Vector format, well I know diptrace can export in gerber and dxf, but
I am 'printing' it in bmp and then loading that into a hpgl
conversion, which is freeware with 15 runtimes so the first thing I
have outputted is the current board I am working with to a file, in
both normal and mirroed and outline/outline mirrored.

Odd thing, I also downloaded a hpgl viewer, and this 'file' of hpgl
commands looks just like the board (go figure) but all the other files
I have had from other software (winline etc) DONT view, maybe thats
why my calcomp never plotted, maybe the 'files' are still wrong

If you need a valid HPGL file, I can generate one for you for one of my PCBs
with the Pulsonix software I use.

Leon

>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Lez" <lez.briddon@...>
> To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 10:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] won a plotter on ebay
>
> Lol I can see I'm going to have fun over the next week or so with this
> new plotter........
>
> One idea that has just comeint my head was to cover the board with a
> resist and build a scratching pen from one of the empty pens and a
> diamond tip from one of those emergency window hammers you see in
> busses / trains etc. can be bought very cheap from one of those $1/£1
> shops that seem to spring up here and their.
>
> Vector format, well I know diptrace can export in gerber and dxf, but
> I am 'printing' it in bmp and then loading that into a hpgl
> conversion, which is freeware with 15 runtimes so the first thing I
> have outputted is the current board I am working with to a file, in
> both normal and mirroed and outline/outline mirrored.
>
> Odd thing, I also downloaded a hpgl viewer, and this 'file' of hpgl
> commands looks just like the board (go figure) but all the other files
> I have had from other software (winline etc) DONT view, maybe thats
> why my calcomp never plotted, maybe the 'files' are still wrong
>
> If you need a valid HPGL file, I can generate one for you for one of my PCBs
> with the Pulsonix software I use.
>
> Leon

>
> Lol I can see I'm going to have fun over the next week or so with this
> new plotter........
>
> One idea that has just comeint my head was to cover the board with a
> resist and build a scratching pen from one of the empty pens and a
> diamond tip from one of those emergency window hammers you see in
> busses / trains etc. can be bought very cheap from one of those $1/£1
> shops that seem to spring up here and their.

>
> I've also had the idea to coat a board with dykem and use a scratch pen to remove the dykem before etching. To make a long story short it didn't work. It was very hard to remove the dykem between DIP pads and the plotter scratch shows up as low resolution lines with dykem between them. The pens worked better... for me anyway. Good luck.
> Dan

> Did you get the plotter yet? Did you make sure it's the serial port
> version?
>
> Steve Greenfield

>
> I've had no luck with any Sharpie. The lumicolor pen you speek of is the
> best one I've ever used. It has superior holding strength in acid - but
> still fails (lifts off pcb) at the end of the etching process before all
> copper is removed. I haven't tried the lumicolor in FC yet, only sodium
> persulfate. I felt it would hold up better in persulfate but etching
> time is increased so it could be a draw(no pun). I'm also going to try
> the lumicolor in muratic/peroxide acid soon. I've never tried baking the
> lumicolor before etching. I feel it could help...
> Dan

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I wonder if you could mount a dremel tool or dentist's drill on it,
> and just carve away the unwanted copper...

>
> I've had no luck with any Sharpie. The lumicolor pen you speek of is the best one I've ever used. It has superior holding strength in acid - but still fails (lifts off pcb) at the end of

>
> > Did you make sure it's the serial port
> > version?

> Yes it said it was serial and had a cable, thats what sold me on it,
> no more cable problems......
>
> I bet its going to have a 25way cable not a 9 pin..
>
> Is it important that its serial ?

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Dan Pickard <dlpwebmail@...> wrote:
>
>
> I had thought I might experience 'drag' causing the plot(scratch) to
> be erratic so I had decided to get an etch resist pen in ready for
> when it comes, I found that I can buy (WHS uk) sharpie's but only in
> blue or black, or a twin pack of black and red.
>
> I bought a blue and a black.
>
> I have seen advertised that a staedtler lumocolor (permanent) will
> work, but could not find one.
>
>
> I've had no luck with any Sharpie. The lumicolor pen you speek of is
the best one I've ever used. It has superior holding strength in acid
- but still fails (lifts off pcb) at the end of the etching process
before all copper is removed. I haven't tried the lumicolor in FC yet,
only sodium persulfate. I felt it would hold up better in persulfate
but etching time is increased so it could be a draw(no pun). I'm also
going to try the lumicolor in muratic/peroxide acid soon. I've never
tried baking the lumicolor before etching. I feel it could help...
> Dan
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

> Yes, it'll be 25 pin. You will also need to wire up an adapter as the
> pins aren't quite standard.

>I am 'printing' it in bmp and then loading that into a hpgl
>conversion, which is freeware with 15 runtimes

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >I am 'printing' it in bmp and then loading that into a hpgl
> >conversion, which is freeware with 15 runtimes
>
> Let me know, please, where to find that free converter.
> Cristian
>

>
> On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 00:20:30 +0100, Steve <alienrelics@...> wrote:
>
> > Yes, it'll be 25 pin. You will also need to wire up an adapter as the
> > pins aren't quite standard.
>
>
> I took a DB25 plastic housing and fitted a DB9 conector into the

> with the odd wiring inside.
> The adapter was screwed to the plotter, and as far as i know must

> with it. This way i could connect normal cables with correct pinout.

> BTW i think i may have been mistaken about the long pens, there

> plastic bridge by the pen selector that must be taken out by force.

>Well I have won a new plotter on ebay, its a HP7475A, I have seen
>conversions on the web which just consist of cutting a slot in the
>plastic so a taller etch resist pen can be put into the pen carosel.
>
>Hopefully this will allow me to make quick and dirty lo-res pcb's for
>small circuits that just use to92 transistors 0.1''inch chips in DIP
>package etc.
>
>Hopefully printer drivers etc wont be such an issue, never had a
>plotter working so dont know how I am supposed to send a BMP to it to
>be plotted, do I need some form of conversion software?
>
>All being well by Thursday it should be with me, maybe the cable it
>somes with will work the calcomp...(which I think is by far the better
>machine by being a true x/y flatbed not a paper shuffler)
>
>
>
>

>
> http://www.raster-vector.com/
>

>
> cross connect TX and RX data lines and pin 7 signal ground.
>
> On both cable ends jump pin 4 to 5 and 6 to 8 to 20.
>
> Pin numbers are for 25 pin connctors Google a conversion chart if you
> are using a 9 pin.
>
> Hugh
>