• PickAndPlace

Neoden 4 Pick and Place machine manual

Turimų komponentų sąrašas

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nrDaGwPTG5wT5-IUKg1ptU2Yj2PXjbIhoCFbI2_zF1U/edit?usp=sharing

EEVBlog megathread'as apie Neoden4

http://www.eevblog.com/forum/manufacture/neoden-4-pick-and-place/

Labai daug info apie mašinos vidurius ir moddinimą

• https://charliex2.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/neoden-4-pick-and-place/

Manual

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13fL_xAab_6nhkomI6jaCVJouLPu5tbtRRXNHiyPnCj4

Exporting files from KiCad

1. Place origin at the lower left corner because neoden does not like negative coordinates. It works, but accidently clicking on any of the negative coords, resets them to zero.
2. Place fiducials. Manual alignment is bugged and if machine does not detect any visual target, it starts placing components randomly (event after the manual alignment prompt and saving).

3. File -> Fabrication Outputs -> Footprint Position -> Generate Position File

4. Format: CSV b. Units: Millimeters c. Files: Separate files for front and back

5. Use script to convert CSV to neoden format. https://github.com/Technariumas/Neoden4KicadConverter/blob/master/kicad_neoden4.sh

6. Save to USB stick

Importing to Neoden

1. Insert USB stick

2. File Operation -> New File, then Edit

3. In PCB feed settings
4. Select Tray fixed
5. In Panelized PCB first chip setup

6. Click Left Bottom -> Align

   b. Manually select location of the PCB origin as set in KiCad (lower left corner of the PCB) c. Click Create panelized list

7. In PCB mark settings
8. Select Single b. Add your PCB fiducials and set their coordinates (coordinates are based on the PCB origin location). Either find them in the exported CSV file (because they are already based on the origin), or write down footprint coordinates from the kicad and subtract origin coordinates, inverting Y (X = footprint.X - origin.X, Y = origin.Y - footprint.Y).
9. Add new chip and set it to Skip. First component is used as an offset for all other components. Leave it at (0, 0).
10. Untick manual in chip list
11. Import positions from USB stick
12. Set feeder numbers for the components
13. Save

Note When assembling bottom layer your X coordinates will be negative. That's fine taking in account caveats above. To successfully assemble bottom layer you have to specify bottom right PCB corner in Left Bottom panelization setup of Neoden. Don't use mirror when importing bottom layer of Neoden.

Assembling PCB

1. Select appropriate file and click Mount
2. Start continuous assembly with Continue or step through the assembly with Step (Enter)
3. If automatic fiducial detection fails, click yes on the prompt to do a manual one. You still need fiducials for the manual alignment, because it does not save coordinates until visual alignment succeeds. For hacking purposes, you need bright circle, surrounded by a dark area (sticking white tape under PCB holes works).
   1. Manually jog to fiducial b. Click Mark align c. Click Save
4. Tada!

Loading components into feeders

1. Make sure feeder is attached securely and does not move.

2. Go to System Setup -> Feeder configuration

3. Click Click to test on the appropriate feeder and ensure that it works and is not stuck.
4. Load reel into the feeder
5. Click Click to align and select center of the tape cutout (not the component center).
6. Click Save

Configuring a piece of cut tape or a tray as a feeder

1. File operation -> Select your file -> Edit

2. Go to Feeder settings
3. Click on special feeder and select a footprint of your component
4. Check Apply
5. In "Tray feeder information" enter Columns - how many columns you parts are in (1 for cut tape), Rows - how many components in tape

6. Click Align and find the center of the Right Top component

7. In Feeder basic information click Align and find the center of the Bottom Left component.

Neoden 4 will compute centers for all the rest of the parts using two corner component coordinates and number of rows and columns

Errata (might be machine-specific)

Manual alignment does not work. Event though machine lets you manually select fiducial location and updates coordinates, it will not save them unless Mark Align detects a proper fiducial. If PCB does not have fiducials, you can use white tape or paper under PCB holes and it works OK. Component pads are unreliable and machine often jumps around different pads when trying to align. Solder paste makes it even worse.

Nozzle #2 fails often. Either it is not properly aligned or something is wrong with vacuum system. It is a small nozzle, so it could be that 0603 components are too heavy for it.

Negative coordinates are evil. Machine works with negative coordinates OK, but as soon as you accidentally click on any of the coordinate fields, they are reset to zero and you have to reimport the whole file.