PCB Mill software

[nophead00]

Hi, I am building a PCB mill (see hydraraptor.blogspot.com) and have got to the stage where I need to put together the software. I will need to convert PCB gerber files, which I understand to be G codes plus apperture data, into an outline tool path. Does anybody know of any opensource solution to this. I will be able to write it myself but there is no point in re-inventing the wheel.

Thanks, Chris

[waleed alhadidi]

Hi , you can try KCam Software it's free and it can do this job
Good Luck

[nophead00]

Thanks Waleed but its not open source and not free ($95 USD). I need it to be open source so that I can modify it to interface with my machine. I am using an Ethernet link to a micro rather than driving steppers from a printer port.

[Fifty_ohm]

Try http://sourceforge.net/projects/gerbertogcode. Not sure if it will do what you need but it is opensource.

[epineh]

I use Eagle, it has a free version that is basically only limited to a board size of 3 by 4 inches and two layer, it has a good component library, autorouter isn't the best but does an OK job, makes it easy to clean up the tracks to suit your needs.

Don't know about importing gerber files though, are you making your own boards or using someone else's gerbers ?

There are also scripts to convert to g-code directly from Eagle.

Russell.

[epineh]

Just re-read your initial post, just ignore me...

[nophead00]

Thanks Fifty_ohm, that looks like something I may be able to modify for my purpose.