Calculators

The Calculators tool holds six small calculators: Units Conversion, V-Shape Tool, Feeds & Speeds, ElectroPlating, Tinning and a shared Reset Tool button. Use them to convert units, find a V-bit cut width or depth, set spindle values, size a copper plating bath, or measure tinning chemicals.

Where to find it

• Menu: Plugins > Calculators.
• Keyboard: Alt+C.
• The panel opens in a tab next to Project and Properties. The tab shows the plugin name.

Quick start

1. Press Alt+C to open the tool.
2. To convert a length, type a value in the mm box of Units Conversion. The inch box fills in. Type in the inch box to convert the other way.
3. To find the cut width of a V-bit, enter Tip Diameter, Tip Angle and Cut Z in V-Shape Tool. Click Calculate. The Tool Diameter box shows the cut width.
4. To find the cut depth for a known cut width, enter Tip Diameter, Tip Angle and Tool Diameter. The Cut Z box updates.

Screenshot placeholder: images/Calculators-1.png — the full Calculators panel with the six sections in order.

Parameters

Units Conversion

Each row has a source box and a result box. The result updates when you leave the source box (editingFinished). Every box accepts a math expression.

Parameter	Description	Default
mm / inch	Length. Type mm to get inch, or inch to get mm. 1 inch = 25.4 mm.	0
gram / oz	Weight. Type gram to get oz, or oz to get gram. 1 oz = 28.349523125 g.	0
mL / fl oz	Liquid volume. Type mL to get fl oz, or fl oz to get mL. Uses the US fluid ounce, 29.5735295625 mL.	0

V-Shape Tool

The Tool Diameter is the cut width of a V-bit at the cut depth. The depth and the width are linked. Editing either one updates the other.

Parameter	Description	Default
Tip Diameter	The tip diameter of the tool. The manufacturer gives it. Range 0 to 10000 (mm or inch).	0.2
Tip Angle	The included angle of the tip, in degrees. Range 0 to 180. Step 5.	30
Cut Z	The depth to cut into the material. Negative values are below the surface. Range -10000 to 10000.	-0.05
Tool Diameter	The cut width at the set depth. Editing this field calculates Cut Z. Range 0 to 10000.	—
Calculate	Calculates Tool Diameter from Tip Diameter, Tip Angle and Cut Z.	—

Formulas used:

• Tool Diameter = Tip Diameter + 2 x |Cut Z| x tan(Tip Angle / 2).
• Cut Z = -(Tool Diameter - Tip Diameter) / (2 x tan(Tip Angle / 2)).

Errors:

• A Tip Angle of 0 or 180, or more, is not valid.
• A Tool Diameter smaller than the Tip Diameter is not valid. The Cut Z box shows 0.

Feeds & Speeds

Parameter	Description	Default
Units (Metric / Imperial)	Sets the units of the calculator. Changing it converts the values in the boxes. Metric uses mm, mm/tooth, mm/min and m/min. Imperial uses inch, in/tooth, in/min and ft/min.	mm
Calculate for (combo box)	Chooses the unknown quantity. Its box becomes read-only. The choices are listed below.	Feed Rate
Tool Diameter	The cutting diameter of the tool.	—
Flutes	The number of cutting edges. Whole number, 1 to 1000.	2
Spindle Speed	The spindle speed in RPM.	—
Chip Load	The distance advanced per cutting edge per revolution.	—
Feed Rate	The feed rate. Feed rate = RPM x flutes x chip load.	—
Surface Speed	The surface speed. Surface speed = pi x tool diameter x RPM.	—
Calculate	Solves the chosen quantity from the other inputs.	—

Calculate for (combo values):

• Feed Rate: Solves the feed rate from Tool Diameter, Flutes, Spindle Speed and Chip Load.
• Chip Load: Solves the chip load from Tool Diameter, Flutes, Spindle Speed and Feed Rate.
• RPM from Feed: Solves the spindle speed from Tool Diameter, Flutes, Chip Load and Feed Rate.
• Surface Speed: Solves the surface speed from Tool Diameter and Spindle Speed.
• RPM from Surface Speed: Solves the spindle speed from Tool Diameter and Surface Speed.

The calculator does not assume any material or tool data. Enter the values from your tool and material data sheet.

ElectroPlating

Use this section to size a bath for plating the holes and pads of a board. It suits graphite ink, calcium hypophosphite ink or palladium chloride methods.

Parameter	Description	Default
Area Calculation (Dimensions / Area)	Dimensions calculates the area from Board Length and Board Width. Area uses the Area box directly.	Dimensions
Board Length	The length of the board. The unit label is cm.	10.0
Board Width	The width of the board. The unit label is cm.	10.0
Area	The board area. The unit label is cm2. Shown in Area mode only.	100.0
Sides (1 / 2)	The number of board sides to plate.	2
Current Density	The current density, in ASF (amperes per square foot).	13.0
Copper Growth	The thickness of the deposited copper, in um.	10.0
Current Value (read only)	The current to set on the power supply, in A.	—
Time (read only)	The time to deposit the copper, in min.	—

Formulas used:

• Current (A) = area (cm²) x sides / 929.0304 x current density (ASF).
• Time (min) = copper growth (um) x 2.142857 x (20 / current density).

The Current Value and Time boxes update when you change any input.

Tinning

Use this section to measure the chemicals for a tinning solution. The recipes give the amount per 1 mL of solution. The results scale with the Volume.

Parameter	Description	Default
Solution (1 / 2)	Chooses the recipe. The results update with the choice. 1 uses less stannous chloride, thiourea and sulfamic acid. 2 uses more of them.	1
SnCl2 (read only)	Stannous chloride, in g.	—
Thiourea (read only)	Thiourea, in g.	—
H3NSO3 (read only)	Sulfamic acid, in g.	—
H2O (read only)	Distilled water, in mL.	—
Soap (read only)	Liquid soap, in mL.	—
NaPO2H2 (read only)	Sodium hypophosphite, in g. Optional. It keeps the solution stable. It is a List 1 chemical in the USA.	—
Volume	The desired volume of the tinning solution, in mL. Changing it does not change the solution choice.	100
Calculate	Recalculates the quantities for the Volume and the Solution you chose.	—

Recipe quantities per 1 mL:

Ingredient	Solution 1	Solution 2
SnCl2 (g)	0.005	0.02
Thiourea (g)	0.02	0.075
Sulfamic acid (g)	0.03	0.09
Distilled water (mL)	1.0	1.0
Soap (mL)	0.001	0.001
Sodium hypophosphite (g)	0.015	0.015

Reset Tool

Parameter	Description	Default
Reset Tool	Restores all sections to their defaults. The Units Conversion boxes clear to 0.	—

Advanced

• Defaults. The V-Shape and ElectroPlating defaults come from the saved preferences (tools_calc_* keys). See Preferences-Utilities.
• Units Conversion uses the same formulas in both directions. It does not depend on the project units.
• Feeds & Speeds starts with mm (or inch in an inch project). Changing Units converts the Tool Diameter, Chip Load, Feed Rate and Surface Speed values. If a converted value falls outside the range, the units do not change and the tool shows an error.
• Errors. Calculations that fail show a message in the app message area. The message names the rule that was broken.
• Tcl. There is no Tcl command for this tool.

See also

• Tools-Database — store the tool and material data you use here.
• Preferences-Utilities — the saved calculator defaults.
• Isolation Routing — the isolation tools that use a V-bit or a cut width.
• Distance — measure a length in the plot.
• Glossary