Milling PCB's

v2

You will be milling the copper away. Soldering is done on the copper side. The components go on the other side, so in the PCB software, make the traces on the bottom layer!

Make circuit and PCB layout in Kicad

Export to SVG

• Go to the PCB editor, Fabrication outputs > Gerbers
• Set 'Plot format' to Gerber.
• Set the output folder location
• Only enable the B.Cu (back) layer and the Edge.Cuts layer
• General options
  • Enable: Check zone fills before plotting
  • Enable: Use drill/place file origin
• Gerber options:
  • Enable: use extended X2 format
  • Enable: Include netlist attributes
• Plot and generate the drill files (default settings)

Add the drill data to the svg files

• Go to https://tracespace.io
• Drag all the Gerber files onto the website and download the generated SVG file. (This is a good way to include the holes into the SVG file)
  • This generates 5 SVG files:
    1. bottom
    2. top
    3. back copper
    4. edge cuts
    5. holes

Combine the SVG data to a workable file

• Open the back-copper file in Inkscape

• edit > select all

Get rid of clones

• edit > clone > unlink clones recursively. The clone objects have now been changed to circle and rectangle objects

Change objects to paths

• path > objects to path

Stroke to path

• path > stroke to path

ungroup x times (until there are no folders anymore)

• path > union

Now there is only a single path - file > save as. (this is the prepared SVG file)

- open the Drill SVG file in inkscape - Align it by hand – an automatic way would be much nicer. This is doable for now.

- select the folder containing all the circles – * path > objects to path – combine – select the folder, and ungroup. Now there are only 2 paths – select the 2 paths – * path > difference

Option 1: create circuit in Kicad, export Gerber files and import in Fusion 360 for milling

Option 2: create circuit in Fusion 360: - In Fusion 360: File > new electronics design

Vaguely related

- Export a kicad PCB to fusion to create a cover