Wilba

It's a bit of legacy and the fact that big electros come in different sizes depending on value, voltage rating AND some other magic factors like high temperature, low leakage etc. The footprint on the PCB fit the 2200uF 16V caps I had in hand at the time of my prototype. AFAIK the rectified voltage does not go way past 18V, it is more like 11-15V under load. In addition, SmashTV assured me that the high-temp Xircon rated to 16V are safe to use. (Similarly, I "get away with" Xircon 2200uF 16V electros in sammichSID for the 9V regulation). However, the original MIDIbox MIDIbox SID C64 optimized PSU schematic uses a 2200uF 25V for the 9V rectification and a 2200uF 16V on the 5V suppy (not that it's really required but doesn't hurt). So you are right... the "25V" in the parts list was adopted from the schematic, but not what SmashTV supplies or what I have used in the past... so I changed it. I also saw your note, thanks!

The latest version of MIDIbox SID V2 Synth firmware is recommended and will always work with sammichSID. The only difference between "setup_sammich_sid.hex" and the other firmware files is handling the specific control surface, the synth engine is identical. So there will never come a time when you can't upgrade to the latest firmware.

This is good news, perhaps. Look at the PDF I attached. Those LEDs have one thing in common - their "anodes" are all connected to R1, then R1 is connected to pin 15 (yes, pin 15 I am sure!) of IC4. So first, check you are really testing pin 15. Then check the pads of R1 and IC4 pin 15. Check continuity between IC4 pin 15 and the upper pin of R1, then between the lower pin of R1 and the anodes (left) pins of those six LEDs.

wtf... did I write pin 15? I meant pin 16. Both IC3 and IC4 have 5V on pin 16 and ground on pin 8. Refer to the voltage tests page of the build guide. I am referring to the exact same pins which are labelled with coloured dots for testing the voltage (5V or Ground). FYI nearly all "logic" ICs have identical Vdd/Vss (5V/ground) pins... top-right and bottom-left (where pin 1 is top-left). This is also why the 8 outputs of a 74HC595 aren't all on one side (i.e. pin 1-8).

The "powerboard" is just a simple PCB with the same power socket and rocker switch as I use on sammichSID. It is designed to work well with a Core32 PCB. Since the switch is DPDT, one pole is used to control power going into Core32:J1, and the other pole can open/close Core32:J17 so that if power is being supplied to J1, J17 is open (don't use USB power), and if power is not being supplied to J1, J17 is closed (use USB power). Thus if either USB or DC power is connected, the switch will work as an on/off switch. If both USB and DC power are connected, the switch controls which is used. You don't really need this PCB, it's just for convenience. I originally designed it for phunk's BLM16x16 but it is also useful for MB-SEQ, so I will get a small batch made and sell them bulk order style along with the switch and socket. PowerBoard.pdf

You should check again that you're following the instructions correctly. It makes no sense that you had some LEDs light up via the test firmware, but now can't make them light manually. So... you say the voltage tests are good... you SHOULD be able to light at least some of the LEDs this way. If you still can't, test for continuity between the IC socket pins and the LED leads they connect to. Refer to the PDF.

If the SID isn't killing the C64, then it probably won't kill the sammichSID. I haven't heard of a case where a dead SID could damage the PCB it is in, so it should be safe. I would recommend testing it quickly, if you don't hear the bootup sounds, disconnect power immediately, just in case.

Maybe. You could probably set this to 9V AC, it might then output ~12V AC under full load. It's a bit hard to test voltage on the pins marked "12V" while the control surface is attached... but do a test without the control surface (or maybe with the LCD removed from the PCB and plugged into the base). Test what voltage you get on the "12V" pins using the 9V AC setting on the PSU... this is with SIDs installed and LCD if you can be bothered... (you'll need to replace the transistor first). If you're getting something over 10.5V DC on the "12V" marked pins (i.e. what will be going into the 7809) then that should be OK.

Well... page 17 of the 1.0 guide says "Turn brightness pot to approximately 2 o'clock", but the sticker on the LCD says "Set P1 trimpot to half-way (vertical)". A bit inconsistent, eh... However, I've left my sammichSID on overnight at max brightness, using a 12V AC 500mA power supply, and the BC337 didn't blow up. (BTW I don't recommend leaving sammichSID on for hours while unattended). I will have to look into this issue of BC337 possibly exceeding it's limits when unregulated power is too high a voltage. So what power supply are you using?

This suggests you were using an unregulated PSU which had too high a current rating, and/or had the brightness pot set past half-way (against recommended setting). It is unlikely anything else was damaged... it's surprising to me that it happens, but I know of another case of repeated blowing of BC337. Perhaps the design is faulty. Hmm.... Running sammichSID with a PSU such as unregulated 12V AC 500mA (or regulated 12V DC) and brightness set to half-way should prevent it in future.

NO sammichSID FOR YOU! COME BACK ONE YEAR!

OK... if you did all the checks in post and so SO and SI are definitely NOT conected... then I guess the problem with LEDs is somewhere near the two 74HC595. I hope. By "adjacent" pins, I mean, pins next to each other, where a blob of solder might bridge between them. There are really only two things that can go wrong with soldering - a bad solder joint (i.e. no connection between track and component pin) and a short (i.e. a connection to another pad). You need to check for both, in the area of the two 74HC595. Look at the attachment... see how the RC, SC and SO tracks connect from J1 to IC3, IC4. RC and SC also connect to J2. SO is conected to IC3 pin 14 and "shifts bits" into IC3. Similarly, IC3 pin 9 is the output, and is connected to IC4 pin 14 and thus "shifts bits" into IC4. You can take out IC3 and IC4 and test if the LED matrix is connected properly. To do this, you would "ground" one row of LEDs by grounding one of IC3 pin 2,3,4,5,6,7 (where track leads to a "common cathode" LED row). Then apply 5V to one of IC4 pin 15,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 (where track leads to R1-R8 and to a "common anode" LED column) Note it's actually two physical columns of three LEDs... it's mirrored either side of the gap in the middle. You can take your 5V/ground from pin 15 and 8 (note thicker track for 5V, pad connected to bottom layer ground plane). Be careful not to stick things thicker than an IC pin into the sockets... cut resistor leads are OK. Testing your LEDs is a good start, because then you know it's something wrong with IC3,IC4 or the connections to that. OK... so, assuming you tested LEDs OK... then check for shorts/bad joints in IC3,IC4. Maybe something is wrong with SO->IC3:14 or IC3:9->IC4:14 or SC->IC3:11->IC4:11 or RC->IC3:12->IC4:12 or any of the other pins... it can only take one bad joint to make something not work properly (like the grounded pin 13). Keep at it... as a last resort, you can send it back to me for fixing (offer exclusive to Aussies who try hard to fix things themselves) :D Sammich CS.pdf

You are sort of correct. One resistor does connect to the anodes of multiple LEDs, but only one cathode will be sinking the current at any given time. So yes, the brightness of a single LED in a LED matrix is slightly less than powering it separately with 5V and a given resistor. But it's not much different. For red LEDs, test it with 1K, if it is not too bright or dull, then it will be OK. The default 220 ohm wouldn't be too bad. It's only an issue with ultrabright LEDs... 220 ohm for these would be too much, you really need more than 1K, but it's hard to say what is best without experimenting.

So getting back to your original reports... you said SO and SI were shorted... are they still shorted? did you fix this already? i.e. where were they shorted? CS or base? Moving forward :D try to get the LEDs working first since you'll know when they do, they'll match nILS video. Check for shorts between any adjacent pins of the two 74HC595 (top right of CS PCB) and the 220 ohm resistors and the LEDs.

sammichSID #001 (Borg remix) FROM NOW ON, THIS IS THE DEFAULT OPTION. YOU WILL COMPLY. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

I don't know what drugs I was smoking when I said RC should be connected to PIC pin 15 and SC should be connected to PIC pin 16. This is totally wrong. RC should be connected to PIC pin 21. SC should be connected to PIC pin 22. In case you didn't know, pins 21-40 are on the other side of the PIC, with pin 21 at the bottom (opposite pin 20), pin 40 at the top (opposite pin 1). Refer to the Core schematic for clarity... you're testing PIC to J8/J9 header: http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_core_v3.pdf Check RC/SC again... between the PIC and the top of the CS PCB (when connected, obviously). Also check there is nothing shorting between RC, SC, SI, SO, 5V, GND.

Awesome! That little bench for the SD card socket to sit on: EPIC LULZ!

Great progress! I should warn you, the connector you use at J15 (i.e. the LCD connector) is most likely not going to have enough clearance with the control surface PCB when it's all assembled in the case. This is why I recommend an IDC connector/ribbon cable, and not inserting the "stress relief" part of the connector. Just a heads-up so you can plan another trip to the store ;)

nILS, you need to talk down to us Aussies... maybe use the local vernacular... like... Autorouters are about as useful as tits on a bull. They put tracks all over the place like a mad woman's shit. Even blind Freddy could do a better job. I'm not pissing in your pocket mate!

TK, you should probably invite Polykobol into this bulk order, or he will annoy you every Sunday afternoon for three months until you finally get around to running another bulk order. Just saying. :D

I believe you are on the right track... The buttons you say don't work are all connected. Check the resistor networks (i.e. R39) is oriented correctly. The dots on the resistor networks should be to the left, aligned to the label. Check the pin of R39 which connects to JD5:D4 has a good solder joint. You might have connectivity to the IC socket, but if there is no pullup resistor then this will cause false readings. I recommend taking out the U20 IC and checking voltages on the pins that connect to JD5... they should be 5V when there are no buttons pressed. You can also test with U23 removed so there is nothing pulling current... the pins should stay 5V even when buttons are pressed. Similarly, you could check there is a 10K resistance between 5V and each of the JD5 pins. Please elaborate on how you are testing this... I'm assuming you mean when you test between the IC socket pin and the unconnected pin of the switch (i.e. the pin connecting to the diode), you get connectivity when you close the switch.