[Systems Engineering Teachers' Mailing List] PCB router

[Mark Tory]

Hi Alex,
Sharing some experiences on the more expensive Roland  MDX20 that was
around $5K, a few years ago. Just in case you are able to wrangle a
budget increase.

I have been using the Roland MDX 20 with some good results for a few
years now. It outlines tracks and pads and marks the centre of each pad
to be drilled later. It is capable of much more, but the time spent
recalibrating the machine if you change milling bits is just not worth
it.

I do have some reservations, because the tracks are only thinly
outlined, students often bridge their soldering but even more
frustrating is the odd microscopic piece of metal that lodges between
the track and the rest of the copper board, if this is on the common
ground it can take 20 minutes to find the offending piece of metal, this
has led me close to despair on several occasions.

With those reservations it is a safe and accurate way of creating PCBs
and students can be trained in its use quite quickly.

I use Circuit Wizard to simulate circuits and create the PCB, this PCB
is copied into PCB Design and Make which then 'prints' or mills the
outline of the PCB.

Regards,

Mark Tory
Beaconhills College

> Dear colleagues
> 
> I teach SE at Penola Catholic College and I have around $2-3K to spend
on PCB computerised router and I am asking for your advice.
> 
> What sort of router and from whom/where can I buy for such modest
budget?
> Ebay is full of different offers for type of routers but which one and
what are cons?
> 
> Please advise by return email.
> 
> Regards, Alex Roujnikov.
> 
> P.S. Roland's product is robust, versatile but too expensive.
> 
> ________________________________