First PCB
This guide covers how to make a single sided printed circuit board (PCB) with the LPKF S104 Protomat.
Starting up the machine
Make sure the machine is turned on by pressing the on switch behind the machine on the back left.
Start by opening the software called LPKF CircuitPro PM 2.7. This is the software used to operate the LPKF ProtoMat machine. The program will go through a series of "Connection steps".
If any maintenance windows pop up, select "Not performed yet".
Example of maintenance:
Choosing the correct template
A "New Document" window will pop up. This is where you will choose a project or a template. Head over to the "Templates" section.
For a single-sided board you can either use the SingleSided_Top or SingleSided_Bottom templates depending on how you designed your board.
The template we will be using is called the "SingleSided_Bottom".
If you are interested in making a double-sided board, check out our Double Sided PCB guide.
Load the gerber files in this window by choosing your files. Select the Import Data button.
The red circle shows the import button
In your unziped CAMOutputs folder, go to the GerberFiles folder and select the files that you will need to make this board.
If you have a single sided board on the bottom, you will only need copper_bottom.gbr and profile.gbr. The other files will not be useful to us on this machine.
If you are doing a Single_Sided_Top file, select the copper_top.gbr instead of copper_bottom.gbr.
If you have through holes in your board you will need to import the drill file as well. Select the Import Data button again.
In your unziped CAMOutputs folder, go to the DrillFiles folder and select the drill_1_16.xln file. If you don't have holes, then importing a drill file will not make any changes.
Now we should have something that looks like this. The green represents the copper_bottom.gbr or Bottom Layer copper traces. The yellow is the profile.gbr or Board Outline that it will cut out to separate it from the board. The blue is the drill_1_16.xln file that represents the holes it will drill out for through hole components.
If you are doing a Single_Sided_Top file, you will see red, representing the Top Layer copper traces instead of green.
Generate toolpath
Head to the Technology Dialog menu, which is shown in the top left with the logo with the green arrow.
At the top of this window we will change our Material Type and Copper layer thickness. Typically we will not change it from the default FR4 material that we use in the lab and we will use either 1/2oz Copper (18um) or 1oz Copper (35um).
If you are using a scrap, double check if it is labeled. If it doesn't say, it is likely 1/2oz.
In the Isolate tab, we will choose how much copper to remove. Since we will not be using a solder mask, we want to remove more copper to prevent use from accidentally shorting our board.
Select Process 4/4 on left image to remove all copper.
Additionally, to save time, uncheck Micro Cutter 0.1mm and End Mill 0.8mm from the available tools unless you have a very highly detailed board.
The Contour routing tab chooses how to cut out the Board Outline. When cutting our PCB out of the stock FR4 board, we do not want to cut it out all the way because it can move around during the cutting process. Instead it leaves to hold the board in place. You can select what tab arrangement you want on the left image. Typically we use 2 tabs, or Process 3/6 or 2/6.
Typically you do not need to change anything in the Drills, Fiducials, Pockets, or Blind Vias tabs.
Once you select the Start button on the Technology Dialog box, you will get a popup that says Computation Results. You can ignore any warning for Fiducials or Pockets. (If you are doing a double sided board you should not ignore Fiducial warnings).
Once you have generated the toolpath, you should see many different colors on your board representing the different paths that our tools will take.
If everything looks good, change to the Machining View tab near the top of the window.
Tool Magazine
This machine uses many different cutting tools to remove the copper from the board. To save time, the machine uses automatic tool changing which means all tools needed for a job are stored in the tool magazine (shown in the photo) in the machine and are changed automatically without the need for operator assistance.
This machine uses several different types of tools to remove copper and cut the entire board:
Universal Milling Tool: This is a tapered pointy tool that is used the most to remove copper. It is used to accurately isolate all of the traces by cutting around the paths for your board.
End Mill: This is a wider, flat tool that is used to remove all extra unneeded copper after the Universal Milling Tool.
Drill Bit: This is used to drill the holes through the entire board. These holes are used to mount components or create vias.
Contour Router: This tool is used to cut out our board outline and separate it from the rest of the board.
Each tool can come in many different sizes (diameters) and that is why there are so many spots in the tool magazine.
The Universal Milling Tools and End Mills are used to only remove the thin layer of copper on top of the board while the Drill Bits and Contour Routers cut all the way through the board.
Underneath the FR4 circuit board material is a Spoilboard which is a soft material that can be cut into and replaced when well used.
To check what tools are needed for your job, select the Tool Magazine button, circled in red. Here we will see all the tools loaded in the machine. This window will list all tools needed for this job on the left. If any tools are not in the tool magazine already, it will have a red X next to it.
Here we can see a 1.7mm Spiral Drill is missing from the tool magazine. If a tool is missing or the Tool life spent bar is in red, please let a staff member know to change it.
If everything looks good, select OK.
If you want to delete a certain part of the tool path, go to the toolpath tab on the left sidebar and select which section you want and hit delete.
Board Prep
Before placing the board in the machine, it is helpful to clean the copper with scotch brite then isopropyl alcohol in the area that you are going to make the board.
Always measure the board with calipers before securing in the machine.
Placement
Place your FR4 board on the bed of the machine. Make sure it is aligned with the front left corner and tape down the corners of the board.
If there are already holes in the board, cover them up with tape. The machine uses a vacuum table to keep the board down and too many holes will reduce the suction.
On the computer, right click the image of your board and select Placement.
With the Placement window, you can move or rotate your design.
While the Placement window is open, you can drag the design to move it to your desired location on the board. Please try to be space efficient with your placement.
Avoid cutting over tape if you are on a corner or near a hole. You can move the tape if it is the way.
To check the location of your design on the physical board, use the Mouse cursor tool.
Then click outside the corner of your board to move the head of the machine to that location.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell where exactly the head is above on the board. It's location is represented approximately by the blue dot.
You can approximate the location of the head to ensure it is avoiding any holes by looking directly in front of it and to the side.
From the front view, the center of the head is aligned with the small notch. On the side view it is aligned with the dot.
Processing
Once you find a suitable place for the board, double check all the previous settings to make sure that everything is correct. Head over to the operate window and select the green arrow selecting "Process All" for the drop down menu. If you don't see "Process All" select it from the drop down before starting.
If the Processing Phase: MountMaterial window pops up, click OK.
A Material settings window will pop up. Most settings you can leave as is, however please input the Material thickness you measured with calipers.
A placement window will pop up. Confirm rotation and center. Select continue.
Once you have gone through all of the popup windows your job will start. If it the first job of the day, there will be an automatic spindle warmup.
The first process that will be completed is hole drilling which will involve several tool changes.
Once the drilling process has finished (if applicable), you will get this popup that say Definition of machine area. DO NOT CLICK OK IMMEDIATELY!
This process is only necessary for the Universal Milling Tool and must be done every time to ensure a properly made board.
First zoom out and look for this yellow box on the screen somewhere. It is usually in the bottom left corner of the board.
The yellow box indicates the location that the machine will cut a line into the board to calibrate the cutting height.
We want to make sure the yellow box is not on our design or on top of a hole in the board.
Click somewhere else on the board to place the yellow box. It is recommended to place it very close to the outside of your design because you know that space should be clear.
Please don't place it out in the middle of the board because it can affect placement for future jobs. Additionally try not to place it along the top inch of the board because it can cause issues.
Once you have selected a location, then click OK.
The machine will then cut a small line and then focus the small camera in front of the cutting head. Once it finishes focusing, confirm that the image in the Camera window is not blurry and then select Yes. Check the "Save focus position for current process" box to save time.
The software will then attempt to measure the size of the cut using the yellow lines.
If the yellow lines don't align well with the edge of the cut (like in this example), we will have to scratch up the board.
Use the scotchbrite pad to scratch up the area around the cut.
This will help create a better contrast for the camera to detect the cut width.
Select Measure again for it to recalculate the yellow lines. If they look better (like in this example) then select Store correction.
If it still looks bad you may have to repeat or reach out to a staff member.
After this point, the machine should run through the rest of the toolpaths without stopping.
When finished, you can twist your PCB out of the large FR4 board with the two tabs.
Below is what the process would look like for a single sided top board with out any drill holes.
