Feedback — SRM-CAM guide

Starting point

So we know who the guide worked for.

Before this, how much had you done with CNC or PCB milling?

Nothing at all Seen it done Done it once or twice Regularly

What did you try before the SRM-20? optional

The fiber laser Chemical etching Ordering from a fab Nothing, went straight to the mill

Which computer did you run SRM-CAM on?

Windows Linux macOS The lab's CNC PC

How did you install it?

Windows installer (.exe) Linux AppImage From source with pip Not sure

Did it start on the first try?

Yes After some fiddling Needed help Never worked, used something else

If installing was not smooth, what happened? optional

The guide

The web guide at madsrudolph.github.io/srm-cam, with the photos.

Was it obvious where to start and what order to do things in?

lostobvious

Did the photos match what was in front of you in the lab?

Yes, same machine, same screens Mostly, some differences No, the lab looked different Did not look at the photos

Where did the guide fall short? A step that was missing, wrong, out of date, or that you had to figure out yourself.

Did you look anywhere else for help? optional

The Roland manual YouTube An AI assistant Asked a person in the lab No, the guide was enough

The app

SRM-CAM opens in Novice and walks the job in order. Rate each step on how easy it was to understand what to do, not on how well the machine behaved.

Did you stay in Novice, or switch to Pro?

Stayed in Novice Switched to Pro Did not notice there were two Used the original interface (--original)

Each step explains itself on screen. Did you read those explanations, and did they help?

Read them, they helped Read them, still unclear Skimmed, mostly guessed Did not notice them

Which step took the longest, or where did you get stuck? What were you unsure about?

Did anything in the app surprise you, break, or behave differently than you expected? optional

At the machine

Everything between “export” and a cut board: laptop, USB, leveling, VPanel.

How did you connect to the machine?

My own laptop, both USB cables (the mill and the Arduino) The lab's CNC PC Both, at different steps Never connected from SRM-CAM, only used VPanel

Was getting the connection to work straightforward?

Yes, found the port and it just worked Took a few tries Could not get it to connect

Bed leveling: did the probe run work on the first attempt?

Yes, first try After re-running it I skipped leveling Never got it to work

Holding the copper: tape, sacrificial board, clamping. Was the guide's advice enough?

Enough, board stayed put The board moved or lifted I was not sure what to do and improvised

Running the files in VPanel: anything unclear?

Tool changes: did you know which bit to put in for each step, and how to set its height?

Yes, clear from the guide or the app Guessed and it worked Got it wrong at least once Someone showed me

The result

Whether the board was actually good, and what it cost you in time and copper.

Did you end up with a usable board?

Yes, on the first board Yes, but it took a second board Yes, after three or more Usable after fixing it by hand No

What went wrong on the boards that did not work? optional

Traces not separated (shorts) Broken or lifted traces Cut too deep or too shallow Drills not lined up with pads Cut-out wrong or board came loose Broke a bit Nothing, first one was fine

Roughly, from “I have the KiCad files” to “I am holding the board”, how long?

Under an hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 4 hours Half a day More than a day

About the design optional

Overall

The three answers here matter most.

Could you have done it without the guide and app, using only the Roland manual and VPanel?

No chance Probably, but much slower Yes, it did not change much

How likely are you to point another student at this guide and app?

would notalready have

If we could fix only one thing before the next student, what should it be? *

What worked well and should not be touched? optional

Anything else? optional

Name and email optional Only so we can ask a follow-up question. Leave blank to stay anonymous.

OK to email me one follow-up question OK to quote my answers, anonymously, when improving the guide

Sending did not work just now. Your answers are below. Copy them and send them to Mads by email or paste them into a GitHub issue, nothing is lost.