For users:
The newest software release (Latest update 01.11.2022)
Notes about changes during last couple of months or so:
Notes for 01.11.2022 version
New features
- F1 now opens web help page about the item under mouse cursor
- Camera delay measurement now does measurements using 0 to 15 frame delay and reports results
Bug fixes
- ‘After placement’ -operations (park, camera switch etc) are now always done before
error/OK message is shown - No “ding” sound when pressing enter on the text to send box
- Pixel to mm now calculated correctly, regardless of aspect ratio
- Control board recognition is redone (should be more tolerant and nicer with other serial devices on the computer)
Known issues
- If you change camera resolution, you need to re-set pixel size
- The application does not automatically restart when loading new settings from file. (there is now a dialog, though)
- Place fast sometimes uses last hole (which might not be whole), not the second to last as expected
Notes for14.10.2022 version
This is a small bug fix release from the bigger 09.09.2022 release, so I’ll leave the notes of that version too below. For this version:
New features
- Added “Save All Settings” button
- Vision results are now color coded: Red= wrong size; yellow= right size, wrong distance; green= OK
Bug fixes
- Manually editing CAD position data now invalidates measurements
- Jogging and test operations are now disabled during homing and startup
- Failed measurements now always restart cameras
- Clearer measurement results
Known issues
- If you change camera resolution, you need to re-set pixel size
- The application does not automatically restart when loading new settings from file. (there is now a dialog, though)
- Place fast sometimes uses last hole (which might not be whole), not the second to last as expected
This is a small bug fix release from the bigger 09.09.2022 release, so I’ll leave the notes of that version too below. For this version:
New features
- Added “Save All Settings” button
- Vision results are now color coded: Red= wrong size; yellow= right size, wrong distance; green= OK
Bug fixes
- Manually editing CAD position data now invalidates measurements
- Jogging and test operations are now disabled during homing and startup
- Failed measurements now always restart cameras
- Clearer measurement results
Known issues
- If you change camera resolution, you need to re-set pixel size
- The application does not automatically restart when loading new settings from file. (there is now a dialog, though)
- Place fast sometimes uses last hole (which might not be whole), not the second to last as expected
Notes for 09.09.2022 release
New features
- Up camera assisted placement. Details here.
- Video to UI is scaled down to UI resolution (much better performance), measurements and visual processing use full resolution image for precision.
- Cameras have properties button , and can now use fixed exposure. Details here.
- Variable delay (in frames) for camera measurements
Minor changes
- Multiple rows can be deleted from tapes data table
- Negative move guard sizes are now user settable
- Added +10 and -10 buttons on vision algorithm int parameter (greatly helps setting the contrast)
- Data file backups now go to dated directories
- Nozzle calibration from nozzle setup page depreciated (much easier done on vision processing page)
bug fixes and improvements
- Setting machine size now sets the limits on control board, too
- Better tooltip and error messages text in multiple places
- Delete tape button now correctly labeled to refer on all selected tapes
- Homing from cameras or vision algorithms setup pages now correctly shows down camera in use
- Homing from nozzles setup page switches to basic setup page to restore z switch settings
- Setting pixel size now works correctly regardless of zoom and show pixel setting
- Changing zoom and show pixels status now recalculates the box size. Note, that this makes box size dynamic, it changes with zoom. The mm/pixel value is the important one.
- Box size is not shown if it is not valid
- No crash if nozzle correction is asked when no nozzle is loaded
- Screen resolution settings did not always clear red error color
- You can now click the image to move the machine even if it is not homed
- Tape type drop box was not always filled with vision algorithm names
- Job data value and footprint columns are narrower, so that nozzle number is visible
- Deleting the first tape is now possible
- Basic setup tab now shows pump and vacuum statuses correctly
Known issues
- If you change camera resolution, you need to re-set pixel size
Major changes introduced June 2021:
This is a much rewritten version.The main improvement is the vision processing system, which is completely rewritten. There is now unlimited number of vision algorithms, you can set limits for acceptable result size and distance etc. There are numerous small improvements and bug fixes as well.
Breaking changes
The old vision algorithms are not imported. Please take a screenshot of your existing setups (or just redo them, it is easy).
The Z height calibration needs to be redone.
Other links for users
Release notes and old revisions
For machines delivered before June 2021: Details of the machine footprint. For current model with updated camera module, the mechanical dimensions are accurate, but the camera vision area is shifted about 20mm down.
Example project (“Hello World”) files
Example of expected startup message and a settings dump (For now: Please note that this is from an earlier software revision, and the startup messages details are different. I will update this file soon.)
The supported TinyG firmware versions are 438.02 and 440.20. The upgrade instructions are here, although you should not need to update the firmware. The older version (438.02) is available here. Right-click the link and select Save as.
For developers:
Software source code is here.
The software needs AForge.NET framework, downloadable here, as well as Math.NET Numerics.
The hardware design files (Geomagic Design package) are here (6.6Mb, last updated 19.2.2015). A customer created .OBJ conversion is here (4.2MB 7z archive). I don’t have software to open it, so I haven’t reviewed this and don’t know how much of the original assembly data was preserved.
The parts list (BOM) is here (last updated 28.9.2017).
Licenses
The hardware is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The Creative Commons licenses don’t apply well to software, so the software license is here.
To summarize the license contents and clarify my intentions:
You are free to make modifications and add-ons to the hardware and software. I don’t require you to share these, although in cases where they might be useful in broader audience, it would be nice. As an example, adding support to other PCB CAD packages is likely usable by others, while adapting the software to your obscure machine / in-house pick and place files that nobody else uses, likely not.
You are free to build your own machine from the instructions. You are free to hire somebody to do the build for you. Please see the following chapter if you intend to sell your new machine.
The licenses restrict commercial use. By “commercial use”, I only mean selling pick and place machines or software as a business. Selling boards made by the LitePlacer is perfectly ok. Selling add-ons to LitePlacer is fine. Selling your LitePlacer or other pick and place machine using LitePlacer software is ok when liquidating assets, getting rid of unused equipment and so on. But if you want to clone the LitePlacer hardware to sell it, use the software on your company’s pick and place product or sell your modifications to the software, talk to me! I’m sure my commercial license terms will be reasonable.
There are no warranties, and you bear the consequences. You did the electrical connections and you assembled the machine. The responsibility of assembling and operating a moving machine is on you.