PCB Prototyping Machine

Eleven Lab

Setup Guide
MITS Electronics
CONTENTS:

Setup Guide

● Precautions
● Connect Boardmaker
● Installation of Software(mdp)
● Registration(mdp)
● Start Up the System
● Change Application to CAM
● Port Settings
● Trouble Shooting-RS232C
● Trouble Shooting-USB
● USB Root Hub
●
Precautions

DO NOT get close to the board maker during milling.

Be especially careful around the area of the head.

Be sure not to get your face injured or your hand caught in the mechanism.
Also, please wear protective goggles or similar protective equipment while the
board maker is operating.

Attach the dummy tool not in use

While the board maker is not used, attach the dummy tool bit to the chuck of the
spindle motor.
It is useful to expand the lifetime of the chuck of the spindle moter.

Recovery from the hard limit error

If the head passes outside the maximum milling range, the message "Hard limit
detected" will appear on the screen.
In such an event, you need to recover the board maker's home point.
Click "To Initial" on the Manual Operation screen.
Another way is to shut down the board maker and Flashwin and then restart
both of them.

SHIFT+ESC key to cancel waiting

If you click the icon to start the communication to the board maker which is still
turned off, the mouse pointer changed to the timer icon and keep waiting for the
reply from the board maker.
In this event, press SHIFT+ESC key to cancel waiting for the reply. Ctrl+Alt+Del
is not necessary.
 Connect Board Maker

Board Maker
PC

*Please read PDF Manual “CAM-Lab Instruction Manual” for the detail.

1. Connect the board maker and PC with RS232C Cable (9-9 pins STRAIGHT) or USB cable.

2. Insert the AC plug of vacuum cleaner into AC OUT of the board maker. Leave the switch of vacuum
cleaner “ON”. The vacuum cleaner automatically turns on and sucks milled dust while the spindle motor
works.

When you use Vacuum Table (VT-ABS):

See “Vacuum Table Setup for Lab Series (VT-ABS)” for correct set up.
(Install Disk – PDF_manual – Options – Lab Series VT-ABS_en.pdf)
 Installation of Software

(1)System Requirements

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 32bit or 64 bit（EXCEPT Windows XP 64 bit）

CPU & RAM: CPU & RAM: Sufficient as long as your OS operates comfortably

PCB Prototyping Machines are connected to your PC by RS-232C cable or USB cable. Your PC
has to have either RS-232C serial port or USB port. Do not use any nonstandard cables or connection
port.

ATTENTION: USB Drivers of PCB Prototyping Machines are not recognized on Windows XP which is
downgraded from later OS operating with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 CPU.

ATTENTION: <Power & Sleep mode settings>

Some settings regarding Power Saving mode or Sleep mode (such as “Turn off hard disk after”) may
prevent correct operations of PCB Prototyping Machines. Turn off these settings when you notice the
incorrect operation.
(2) Installation of Software
Run “designpro_en_setup.exe” which is included in software CD-ROM.

Follow the instruction on installation window.

Click “Next” to continue.

Choose a location where you want to install the software, then click “Next” to continue.
 Here, select applications which suite to your prototyping machine. (See the list below)

Prototyping Machine Application

All Machines Common Components*

FP-7A / FP-21A CAM-21RS

Seven mini / Eleven-T CAM-Circuit2
Eleven Lab CAM-Lab
Auto Lab CAM-Auto
FP-21T CAM-T
FP-21T Precision CAM-TP
Eleven Auto / FPZ-31AT / FPZ-73AT CAM-Z

Prototyping Machines equip with Fiducial Camera Design View*

*Select Common Components, otherwise Converter and EASYCAD will not be installed.

*Select Design View if your prototyping machine has Fiducial Camera. This software is necessary
to display the image from Fiducial Camera.
 Select a folder from Start Menu where you want to create the shortcuts of applications (MTIS
recommend to use default folder “Mits Design Pro”). The shortcuts will not be created if you check “Do
not create a start menu folder”. Click “Next” to continue.

Check if you want to create shortcuts of applications. Click “Next” to continue.

 Here, the installation information will be displayed. Check all the settings are as you selected,
then click “Next” when you do not need to change them.

Check “install the device driver for milling machine now”, then click “Finish” to proceed to
installing USB Driver.
(3)Installation of USB Driver
You are going to continue to install the USB Driver for Prototyping Machines after the installation
of software completed.

Here, OS information of your PC is displayed.

Click “Next” to continue. The installation will be started.

 Click “Finish” to finish installing USB Drivers.

(4)Installation of VCP (Virtual COM Port) Drivers

After you finish the installation of USB driver for PCB Prototyping Machines, “FTDI CDM Drivers”
window is appeared. Proceed to install FTDI CDM (Virtual COM Port) Drivers for PCB Prototyping
Machines.

Select “Extract” to continue installing VCP Drivers.

Click “Next” to continue.

Mark “I accept this agreement” to continue.

 Click “Finish” to complete installation of FTDI COM Drivers.

(5) Uninstallation
When you want to uninstall Mits software, uninstall them on “Program and Features” (Start 
Control Panel  Program  Program and Features).
 Registration

Registration is necessary to continue to use MITS Design Pro and board

maker. The following dialogue is displayed when MITS Design Pro is started for the first time.

Please enter the license code and then click OK to finish the registration.

Otherwise, click "Trial use" to evaluate the software for 1 month.

MITS Electronics submit 2 type of license code:

- Activates optional EASYCAD
- No optional EASYCAD (Converter+CAM ONLY)

License Policy:
One boardmaker includes one license of
Mits Design Pro software.
With this one license, you can install it
to a PC for the control of the machine,
and to another PC for making milling data
for the machine.
When you install to 2nd PC, enter same license code of
1st PC.

If you need more license, please purchase one license

on one PC.
 Start Up the System

The Sequence of Starting Up the Equipments

1. Turn on the computer (Windows).

2. Start up the software.
3. Turn on the Boardmaker.

When turning on the boardmaker, the milling head automatically makes the homing action:
It confirms the limit of each axis Z -> Y -> X and then stop at the initial position (home position).

Do NOT turn on the boardmaker until the computer has been completely started up.
Otherwise, communication may fail.

Be sure the air supply if it is necessary for your boardmaker.

At the first time of turning on the boardmaker via USB, the "Found New Hardware
Wizard" will appear.
Please refer to USB settings for installing USB driver.
 Change Application to CAM

Choose Application menu at the upper right corner of the screen:

EasyCAD : Used for designing PC boards. (Option)

Converter : Converts Gerber and DXF data.
CAM xxx : You will find one CAM application in the list.

Please check the correct CAM application which matches the model of the boardmaker is installed.
If not, it is necessary to re-install the software.

CAM Model

CAM-21RS FP-7A, FP-21A

CAM-Circuit2 Seven Mini, Eleven T

CAM-Lab Eleven Lab

CAM-T FP-21T

CAM-TP FP-21T Precision

CAM-Z Eleven Auto, FPZ-31AT, FPZ-73AT

CAM-Auto Auto Lab

Please click CAM in the list and it will be changed to the CAM application.

Before working with the boardmaker, it is necessary to prepare the milling data using
EasyCAD or Converter.
Please refer to the EasyCAD/Converter manual for the detail operations.
 Port Settings

*Read PDF Manual “CAM-Lab Instruction Manual” for the detail.

Choose CAM Prefs. menu -> Board Maker on CAM screen.

RS232C Cable between Boardmaker and PC

● Set RS232C port to available COM port such as "COM1" (Check the COM port of board maker
on Device Managaer, and set the COM port as the same one you choose here).

USB Cable between Boardmaker and PC

If the name label of your board maker is Silver,

● Set RS232C port to "USB".

● It is not necessary to set Baudrate.

If the name label of your board maker is Gold,

●Your board maker supports VCP (Vertual Communication Port). Read the chapters;
“Communication Port Settings” (P. 10 ~ P. 14) and “Starting CAM-Lab” (P. 15) on PDF Manual
“CAM-Lab Instruction Manual” for the detail, and set correct settings.

Restart the software when you change the port settings.

This setting is available from the next start.
Trouble Shooting - RS232C

1. No response (mouse pointer keeps hourglass)

Press Shift+ESC to cancel the communication at once.
And then check the following items:
r Power is not turned on yet.

r RS232C cable is not connected.

r RS232C cable is wrong (Straight/Reverse)

Refer also to "Connect Boardmaker" in User's guide.

2. Message "Port Open Error" "Port No. Error"

r Port No. is wrong.

Choose CAM Prefs. -> boardmaker.

And re-confirm that RS-232C field is correct port No.(COMx)
r Re-start the software when RS-232C field is changed.

The settings will be available from the next start.

Trouble Shooting – USB

1. Message "Port Open Error"

r Power is not turned on yet.

r USB driver is not installed yet.

r USB cable is not connected.

In this case, there is no MITS USB driver in device manager screen.

2. There is MITS USB driver in device maneger screen.

However, no response when Start Job icon is clicked.
r Press Shift+ESC to cancel the communication at once.

And then try again.

r If no response without message, choose CAM Prefs -> boardmaker.

And re-confirm that RS-232C field is set to USB.

And re-start the software.

3. No response when Start Job icon is clicked.

And Shift+ESC key cannot cancel the communication.
r Turn off the boardmaker and then try Shift+ESC key to cancel.

r If this situation frequently happens, change the properties of

USB root hub in device manager screen (See another page)

If everything mentioned above cannot solve the problem,

or the communication is unstable,
we have no choice but we recommend to use RS-232C communication.

If your PC has no RS-232c port, try USB-Serial conversion cable

which is sold in PC shop.
Setting of USB Root Hub

Open the device manager screen in control panel on Windows.

Right click on USB Root Hub and click Properties.

Click Power Management tab,

Check off the Allow the computer to turn off...

There are several USB Root Hub in screen.

Do the same settings on all the USB Root Hub.

Restart your computer when the settings are finished.