Homebrew_PCBs

There is a commercial product designed to make PCB's with plotters; it
includes the copper. First you plot on the copper with the right ink,
then you stick the copper to substrate, then you etch. Jan Axelson's
book on PCB's has the address (I don't have the book or specifics)
for the materials.

Grant

--- grantfair2001 <grant.fair@...> wrote:

> There is a commercial product designed to make PCB's
> with plotters; it
> includes the copper. First you plot on the copper
> with the right ink,
> then you stick the copper to substrate, then you
> etch. Jan Axelson's
> book on PCB's has the address (I don't have the book
> or specifics)
> for the materials.

On a plotter? But you can plot directly onto a PCB
without that extra step.

Check out the Links I laboriously added for some on
using a plotter. They give specific part numbers for
the pen and ink to use.

Steve Greenfield


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--- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., Steve Greenfield <alienrelics@y...> wrote:

> --- grantfair2001 <grant.fair@s...> wrote:
> > There is a commercial product designed to make PCB's
> > with plotters; [snip]

> On a plotter? But you can plot directly onto a PCB
> without that extra step. [snip]

> Steve Greenfield

Hi Steve and list-

You are right, on a flat-bed plotter you can print direct to PCB, and
that is obviously much better than the system I mentioned in my post.
But, if someone does not have a flat-bed plotter, but does have the
kind where the paper moves back and forth between rollers, then that
method would be of value.

I haven't looked at the links you have provided but will do so with
thanks.

Grant

I did look at the links on direct plotting PCB's, and discovered that
it is possible with some non-flatbed plotters to stick a PCB on a
heavy piece of paper and plot right on the PCB. My previous post
missed that point. I don't know if all such plotters will do so, does
anyone else? Obviously the direct to PCB plot is the way to go
compared to the method Jan Axelson mentions (plot to copper, then
stick copper on PCB substrate).

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., "grantfair2001" <grant.fair@s...> wrote:

> But, if someone does not have a flat-bed plotter, but does have the
> kind where the paper moves back and forth between rollers, then that
> method would be of value.

Grant

you can also use the 'rolling paper' type plotters to plot directly onto
the board ,I used to do this on my old HP ColorPro

cut a piece of heavy paper (construction paper or Manila folder) to fit
the full width of the paper tray (a little over 8.5") and don't let the
plotter release it between the test plot and the board plot

I used Eagle to generate the HPGL code for the outline (dimension) layer
bottom traces and top silk (single sided boards)
then transfered the .plt files to a DOS boot floppy for an ancient
XT era laptop the plotter was hooked up to

use the mode command to configure the serial port
A:\>mode COM1:9600,N,8,1,P
and send the test file to the plotter with
A:\>type outline.plt > com1
this plots the board outline on the paper
use double stick tape to fix the board over the outline
and plot the traces with
A:\>type bottom.plt > com1
etch the board flip it over and plot the silk layer the same way

the plotter does not release the paper between plots so it
wont lose its position the way it would with the windoze drivers

you may also want to edit the .plt files so it only uses one pen
and set the speed (velocity) fairly slow say 4 cm/sec with
SP1;VS4:
this helps keep the pens from clogging and lays down a thicker
coat of ink
I used extra fine point Sharpies in a drilled out pen body

Brian

> Hi Steve and list-
>
> You are right, on a flat-bed plotter you can print direct to PCB, and
> that is obviously much better than the system I mentioned in my post.
> But, if someone does not have a flat-bed plotter, but does have the
> kind where the paper moves back and forth between rollers, then that
> method would be of value.
>
> I haven't looked at the links you have provided but will do so with
> thanks.
>
> Grant