Electronics production session was started off by Mr. Fransisco guiding us how to install the miller cutter machine (SRM-20) which we will be using it later to print our circuit boards. ## SRM-20 Settings After we had removed the machine from her package, we removed the cartoon pieces that has been placed within the machine to protect her parts during the shipment process. Then, we started installing the machine.
Firstly, we installed the head that will hold the milling bits.
Then we started preparing the base where the FR1 papers will be put down to be milled later for making electronic circuit boards. It is so important to align the base correctly.
after we finished the base settings, we put the FR1 paper down on the base by using double sided tape.Also, we had made sure that the FR1 papers are aligned with the base in order to get an accurate circuit boards. Mr. Fransisco told us that we can buy the FR1 Paper by accessing inventables.com. Mr. Fransisco told us that the FR1 papers could be one sided or double sided; the double sided papers are used if we want to print a circuit board with two layers.
While we inserting the base within the machine we aligned it with four holes located in the machine. and fix the base using screws.
Mr. Fransisco has told us that we will use the 1/64 milling bit for traces and the 1/32 milling bit for cutting the board. Then i ahve asked Mr. Fransisco what milling bit should I use for vias, and his answer was that I should use the 1/32 milling bit.
After the settings of the machine has been done, Mr. Fransisco started guiding us to use the machine for printing circuit boards. The steps we followed in order to git a functional circuit boards can be summarized as follow: * First of all we have to download the software which will run the machine. so, Access startup.rolanddg to download the software. we downloaded the software at windows operating system.
* Once you finishing the design of your circuit board, save it with .png extension then convert it to be with .rml extension by accessing fabmodules website. * we uploaded the first image (traces.png) which will be for traces. * Then we made the output format roland mill. (rml). * we chose from process PCB traces (1/64). * Mr. Fran told us to make the dpi at least 1500. we have printed a board with 600 dpi and there were some short circuits.
* Then we set the X0, Y0 and Z0 to be all of them zeros. * And finally we saved the image. * We did the same procedures for the cut image. but we changed the process to be PCB outline 1/32.
Because this the first time for us to print circuit boards and to test the machine, Mr. Fransisco asked us to download a pre-designed circuit board, it was for an ATtiny programmer. Also, we will use this circuit board to be our programmer during the pre-fab academy; it will be the interface between the computer and other circuit boards that need to be programmed.