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CPL (Pick and Place) File Request for PCB Assembly - HamMessenger Shield

Open miguel835 opened this issue 1 month ago • 4 comments

Hello Dale Thomas,

I'm trying to fabricate the HamMessenger Shield using the Gerber files you provided in the repository. I want to use an assembly service (PCBA) like JLCPCB to solder the components.

I have the Gerber files and the BOM (Bill of Materials), but I need the Component Placement (CPL) file, also known as a Pick and Place or Centroid file.

I downloaded the native Fusion 360 design (Shield-Electronic-Design.zip), but when I open the .fbrd (Board) file, the components appear stacked outside the board outline.

Would you be so kind as to provide me with the generated CPL (in CSV or TXT format)? This would allow me to complete my assembly order.

Thank you for your great work on this project!

Best regards, miguel835

miguel835 avatar Nov 24 '25 03:11 miguel835

Hey @miguel835 - I have never used this feature. I am manually placing the parts and soldering. Can you provide a screenshot of the issue? Or can you teach me how to give you what you need? I will be more than happy to.

dalethomas81 avatar Nov 24 '25 07:11 dalethomas81

I prefer to show you how to obtain the CPL file.

  1. Open Fusion 360 and open your HamMessenger project.

  2. Open the .fbrd file (which is the PCB design). You'll see the PCB components already in place on the PCB, and you may even have the traces routed.

  3. Go to the "Fabrication" page.

  4. Select "CAM Processor."

  5. Switch to the "Assembly" tab.

  6. Select "Pick and Place."

  7. Export the .csv file.

This CPL file is what I need because it contains the X/Y coordinates and the correct rotation of the components on the PCB to fulfill my JLCPCB order. It's the final piece of the puzzle.

miguel835 avatar Nov 24 '25 20:11 miguel835

Got it - thank you for the clear instructions! Give me till this afternoon to do that for you. I will add it to the report so that others have it as well.

dalethomas81 avatar Nov 24 '25 20:11 dalethomas81

Hey @miguel835 - I followed your instructions and exported the CSV files. There is one for the front and one for the back. I committed them in the develop branch here https://github.com/dalethomas81/HamMessenger/commit/622913d90d8024af21ae5bd4bf1f5c5a36566645

Please let me know if this works for you and I will merge the commit into the master branch.

dalethomas81 avatar Nov 25 '25 16:11 dalethomas81