c0nsumer

Draw it out in Eagle then have a board house make it. Advanced Circuits will do four-layer prototypes for something like $66/each in quantities of three. (See here.) SMT == <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface-mount_technology">surface mount technology</a>. Both are really correct, though. -Steve

I figure, why not? I've got the software to do it, and I can solder SMT by hand... Once the basic design is available I should be able to put something together. The hardest part will be the power supply design, because I want it to be both very efficient (read: dissipate as little heat as possible) and yet still provide clean power for analog audio stuffs. I think a four-SID board would be pretty easy, so I can't see why an eight should be too much harder. -Steve

This is definitely the best way. Almost any part is easier to remove if you somehow cut it down to individually removable parts. Resistors, caps, whatever. Desoldering a single pin from anything is trivial. -Steve

I'm looking forward to the new rev chips. If I have time this winter (or whenever after the MIDIbox SID v2 stuff is released) i'm hoping to squeeze a four (or eight?) SID device into the same 6x6x2 enclosure I previously used for my single SID one. Should be possible on a single 100mm x 160mm board with a better designed power supply, mostly SMT components, tighter design, and (possibly) four-layer boards. -Steve

I find that using braid to soak up most of the solder works great, then I center each pin in the hole using the tip of the iron. Usually after this everything is no longer physically secured and I can lift the IC straight out with very minimal effort. I've done DIP40 this way before without problem.

There is none. This is a known hardware bug with the SID. For what it's worth, the 8580 is much improved in this regard. I've got two nearly identical MIDIbox SIDs (MIDIbox SID-NUXX's), where the only difference is the SID and (obviously) filter caps and voltage regulator. If I get a chance, I can probably record a quick sample from each for you, showing the difference. -Steve

Just get some good, wide braid, thin braid, and a solder sucker. With the two I've never had a problem desoldering anything cleanly. I'd also be careful about using a heat gun, because that'll likely heat the ICs and the solder to the solder's melting point, and it's possible the ICs wouldn't be able to take it. -Steve

Just FYI, I've seen two things. One is the normal 6581 bug where you can still hear the VCA (I believe) at a fairly low level (maybe 5% of the original note -- but I haven't checked it) after the note is done playing. The other involves a broken 6581 I have where it never releases notes until a RST is sent. Can you post a recording of the noise you are hearing? -Steve

I don't think this is a good idea, because then you have to upgrade / replace the package. Just do it externally and you can then use the control surface with any PC, upgrade the PC easily, etc. -Steve

Because it's overkill? The best case I could think of for a CF/MMC memory unit for the MIDIbox stuff would reuse old 8MB / 16MB demo cards which came with many cameras. Still, that'd even be overkill for most uses. (Then again, I'm the kind of person who thinks that one should shove all the memory they want in the box itself. I don't see a need for swappable memory. It's just another point of failure / inconvenience.)

Oh, heh. Sorry. I've clearly had too many conversations here. In all honesty, I don't think it'll matter that much. The noise bug from the 6581 will override any little bit of noise you'd hear from that... Personally, I'd do the separate sid/photo/psu ground if it isn't hard, but otherwise I'm sure it'd be fine running all your grounds on the same plane.

mikroElektronika makes both CF and MMC/SD dev boards which hang straight off their dev boards. I believe they connect straight to some of the IO lines made available via a header, and come with example apps for everything. I've actually got the CF board on order, along with an RTC, network controller, and v4 of their PIC dev board though Circuit-Ed so I can finally get going on a Nixie clock (among other things). Might want to look into picking one up so you can make something similar? -Steve

Sorry, took me a while to reply to it... Yeah, those are the cases I use. They also have a deeper model which may fit your needs better. Check out Hammond's site, they make a whole bunch of different cases. Also, you might want to try downloading my .FPD files, as you can just delete everything internally and use the outline and drill holes. They work perfectly with the enclosure. Then again, it's not too hard to draw your own, as Hammond provides PDFs and DXFs for almost all their enclosures. By the way, the site has been updated to reflect the completion of the project along with a bit more info. Beyond my two, one friend has built his from the parts I send, and another picked up his from me yesterday and we dropped in his SID. Those two are working great as well. :) I'm really happy with how these came out... Now, on to new projects. :D

For what it's worth, the SID documentation says to run separate 12V/9V, 5V, and ground lines for the SID back to the power supply. I'm not sure how much of a difference it'll make on a board as small as a MIDIbox one, but... well... it's what the docs say. Also, using a switching jack, tie the audio input to ground when it's not in use. That way anything odd won't inadvertently be picked up by it when no cable is connected.

The board house made particular assurances and failed to meet them on one item. My problem was less with the error (that can happen anywhere and without electrical testing they won't always check it) and more with the way in which it was handled, especially with their company policy stating that they will "immediately" resolve all such problems. That said, as of right now it appears that everything is being sorted out. I'll probably give them a week to see what happens before I contact them again. -Steve

I just got off the phone with Shiva of PCBFABEXPRESS. After explaining to him that my issue is with a defective board, I think we've reached a resolution. He said that he will check their backstock to see if there are any more copies of my board around there. If so, he'll ship me one. If not, he will have another run of five boards made and ship those. So, this is looking like a good resolution. I'll update later when I have more solid information. -Steve

Not following through with customer service for regular customers (I've placed three orders with them in a couple months) is a great way to lose customers. And with this write-up hopefully they'll either learn their lesson or make way for companies which will do a good job. That place looks interesting. I remember checking them out a while ago, but the price sort of turned me off. I agree, though, if you want single board runs done they sound great. That said, 5-day turn is about $65 for five boards from some other places, so if you have a use for more than one it might be a better route to go. Sure thing. That's what they are there for... To tell people both good and bad experiences. I'd really like to give Advanced Circuits a try, but the quantity I need hasn't been substantial enough yet. Maybe if I get this idea I've had floating around in a board I will, though... Hmm... -Steve

In case anyone is curious, I've been engaging in an email exchange with PCBFABEXPRESS regarding this error. In short, they are refusing to replace the board and hiding behind a policy alternatively called "No Interference" or "No Touch", neither of which is mentioned on their website. Their FAQ does state that "If your printed circuit boards are not made to your specifications, we will remake them immediately.", but clearly they are not following through on this statement. Nor are they offering any sort of compensation for manufacturing a defective product. I've begun writing reviews of board houses which may appeal to hobbiests, those needing prototypes made, or any small-run board uses. This is in a section of my site entitled PCB Prototype Shops. The section that will be of most interest is the PCBFABEXPRESS review where you can read the exact email responses I received from the customer service department. As you can probably gather, because of the poor customer service and their lack of interest in following through on their company's policy of replacing PCBs which contain manufacturing defects, I strongly recommend against using PCBFABEXPRESS. PCBEX.com seems promising thus far, and I will provide more information to the PCBEX.com review portion of my site as it becomes available. My first set of PCBs from them looks excellent, and the second has been ordered. Hopefully this second set will be just as good as the first. -Steve

I just finished 2546 solder points on a 9090 board set. This is about 2/3 of the total amount of soldering needed. I don't know how I could have done it without a good, comfortable iron with a really fine tip. That thing is an exercise in soldering endurance. (There is a photo of the boards here, with DIP28 chips there in the tubes for scale. Yes, they are huge.) Definitely, definitely buy yourself a good iron if you plan on doing a fair amount of electronics work.

You won't be offending anyone. Radio Shack employees are cell phone store jockies who feel proud because their stores are more 'independent' than CompUSA.

Couple of things... One, a temp controlled station tends to heat up a LOT faster (cold to 700ºF in about 35 seconds on my station) and they maintain the temp a lot better, even when doing large connectors. Two, if doing SMT or soldering directly to ICs I do crank it down. Especially if doing $5 - $10 SMT parts. Conversely, if I'm doing rather thick connectors sometimes I'll want to go up to 800ºF. And I agree, an expensive iron won't make your soldering better, but it will be a good enough tool that you'll get consistent results, leading to better soldering. I've worked with 25W stick irons for a while (decent ones, Weller WP25, with good tips) and there's a night and day difference between it and the cheap (but still industrial grade) Weller station I have. -Steve

Sure thing. You won't notice a difference, it's just one of those maintenance things which will help things last longer. -Steve

Some Other Tips: - Use ONLY distilled water on your soldering sponge. Using tap water (or bottled, or anything else) will cause minerals to build up, damaging the tip. - Change your sponges once in a while. Most electronics suppliers sell them, and buy whatever kind you prefer, cutting them to fit the stand if needed. I personally prefer the serrated ones, but there are also some with punched holes, and bunches of other styles. I replace mine every couple of projects, or once they begin looking a little burnt.

That's exactly what I use, and I also have a 1/32" conical because sometimes it's a bit nicer for soldering some connectors. Depends on the need, really. I can change the tips while everything is hot using a pair of channel locks, so it works out great.

Some of the reviews I was finding online about it mention a small spark when the connection is made. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be soldering ICs with something which sparks. Just spend the $95 on a WES51 and don't look back. It's an excellent basic iron, and with another tip or two (I personally like really small conicals) and a spool of good solder.