psxc

Assuming sammichFM batches are done for good?

Still longing for another batch for getting a second unit built - so very interested in buying if new pcb prints get made.

Sorry to say, but if you think Volca FM is equal to OPL3, you are greatly mistaken. Volca is very limited compared to the possibilities of what one can do with an OPL3. I still after all these years have no idea how to gain access to the wiki, but please add my handle and one (1) sammichFM to the order list! Thank you so much :) During the first batch i built one, but that unfortunately was destroyed when I loaned it for a while. :)

ArnoNym: I answered here already in the beginning of 2014 so please add my name on the preorder list as well - 1 full kit :) thanks!

And here... I would be super excited to get my hands on another unit :smile: Btw does anyone else have information on the fake YMF chips?

I did the following checkups: 1) replaced IC3 with a new 78L05, and C3, C5, C62, C64, and C65 with new 10, 100 and 2200 uF high quality capacitors which are 50V 105C rated and low ESR 2) used a new regulated psu (9V 700mA) 3) checked the following audio 5V points: C52, C53, C54, C55, R58, R62, IC51, IC52, IC53, IC54, IC3, and the following opl 5V points: IC50, C51, C50, Q50 All the audio and opl 5v are showing 5V within +-0,02V, almost all of them are showing 5,00V Still after all these changes the following problems persist: Audio output 1 = completely mute Audio output 2 = very loud but not distorted anymore Audio output 3/4 = both work but 3 is *slightly* louder I tested the outputs individually in the ensemble mode. I have not checked the X1. What could i do next to debug this odd problem with my multimeter? Could the unbalanced output problem lie with OPA4348 or perhaps with YAC512? Perhaps the opamp is damaged and it will not amplify one of the outputs? Or the d/a converter? Is there a way to debug either of these chips with only a multimeter? I have spare YAC512's and I'm guessing the opamps are quite easy to get as well. I have also been thinking about updating the firmware (perhaps the mios and fm app are somehow a little messed up from the overvoltage). I have searched the forums through for firmware update and reset instructions as well as the ucapps wiki, but have not unfortunately found any clear indication of how to do this... Also I have browser the Wilba build guide through but there was only information on the first time flashing, not reflashing. I think it would benefit us newbies a lot if someone with write access to the dokuwiki would write a simple beginners guide to updating the firmware (I can do it as well as soon as i know how :smile: ). Also this could be added to the sammichFM wiki page as a new good quality regulated psu: Nordic Power R4W090-070G. It produces very stable output. I would like to know how to reset the sammichFM (there doesn't seem to be a jumper to do this?), and how to set it into receiving mode for updating the fw with mios studio. Whenever i boot sammichFM up and try to send a program, it does not accept it. Thanks for any help on these two issues :rolleyes:

I am building another one, count me in! where did you hear from this? i would also be interested in knowing how to spot pirate ymf262-m's. There sure seems to be a big price difference between ymf's on ebay which are advertised as genuine and those that are not. I got some for very cheap from a large chinese retailer and the seller (of course) assured me that they were genuine when i asked. let's see if they are unmarked or at least visually resemble the originals...

Hello! I have built a working sammichFM and rechecked all soldering points and linkages many many times (first solderings didn't work correclty). The device operates without a problem but there are two things that worry me: a) the output 1/2 has a distorted and very high volume on the other channel, the other one is normal, output 3/4 is normal as well. The volume for the one "faulty" channel is so high that when I play multiple notes, the sound is distorted. I have rechecked and resoldered all the resistors and capacitors in the two "blocks" that lead up to the output 1/2 and checked the IC contact cleanlines with an usb microscope and I can't find any bridges. The soldering points are clean and fused between the legs and the board b) when measuring voltage for the IC3, it is not 5V but 6V! When I first soldered it together long time ago and tested the voltages, i accidentally touched wrong contacts which caused sparking. I think the connection was between the leg connected directly to C5 capacitor and the leg connected to C3 large capacitor plus leg. I can't remember anymore exactly... I have a very simple velleman multimeter. Is there a way to diagnose easily which part is probably damaged and should be replaced? Is 1V overvoltage for the IC's dangerous in the long term (i would assume it is)? My PSU is linear regulated 9V 800mA. Anyone able to give me hint for solving these two problems? Thank you! :rolleyes:

Well, adlib tracker II was released as open source some time ago (even though it's undocumented turbo pascal code) and i bet you can find the a2m/amd/rad file specs somewhere. You could open the files in adtrack2 and view the instrument properties and manually create similar sounding patches, then convert the a2m/amd/rad files to smf (.mid) and play them via e.g. soundgarden or similar with those instruments set. Not a precise way but at least perhaps worth trying out

Hello again. I misunderstood the manual, i thought it said "measure between orange and blue dots" and not orange+ground, blue+ground. I resoldered the bad solder joints and everything worked right on the first boot, no errors on firmware uploading etc. all audio outputs and everything seems to work properly. Now i'm happily playing with the sammichFM :) the only thing that worries me is the solder flux that came with the kit. is it "no clean flux" so can i just leave it or should i clean it away? will it corrode the pcbs?

I went through almost every joint now and they all seem ok so far (i've tested by connecting the multimeter to the actual component leg and a spot elsewhere on the pcb to see if the solder has formed a joint). But the curious thing is: when i have the audio 5v and opl3 5v jumpers connected, any orange and blue dot connected give 0,066v but when i have the jumpers removed, the voltage between orange and blue dots is 0,86v

Hello, I just finished both boards on the sammichFM. there seem to be no shorts. the initial tests like testing IC3 ground leg to the other leg marked with orange is 4,98V. I'm using a 9V 800mA psu which the seller said was linear and not switchmode. But when i put jumpers in the audio and opl3 pins (horizontally) and measure between the orange and blue spots marked in the guide, i get 0,07V instead of 5V. (velleman dvm850bl multimeter set to DC 2v shows 0,07). For example i've tested the upper left leg of the opl3 chip against the orange contact points of the IC62 and IC61. In addition to having audio and opl3 jumpers in i have connected the jm0 and jm1 jumpers to the spaces indicated with white blocks. I don't have any other jumpers attached (what are the JPB jumpers for, guide says nothing?). Where should i start debugging? I have checked all the solder spots with a loupe that they look ok. Can it be that i've heated some component too much and it doesn't not give enough voltage? I've tried to avoid giving too much heat to the components. I'm not an expert in soldering but i think i managed to solder the SMD:s pretty well (with no bridges). The only problem I had was when I was soldering C62 I accidentally picked the 100uF capacitor instead of 10 and had to desolder it and heated the board a bit too much. The thin metallic ring on the backside of the board came partially(?) off when i tried desoldering it with wick. I've tested now that the C62 + leg has connection to IC51 leftmost upper leg, and C62 - has connection to ground and the + and - don't short. I've also checked the resistors (the manual was hard to read because the red stripes looked more like orangish/brownish and it was hard to distinguish them). Could someone give me a hint in where to debug or what to do next? Here are pictures for closer inspection on the back: and frontside: I would be very happy for any help! Also as I'm a beginner i might have forgotten to tell something important or relevant in this post, i'll be happy to give any extra information needed. (Ps. How to get rid of the flux? I've tried isopropyl alcohol but it just seems to smear the flux all around rather than remove it.)

Thank you so much! Now i'm off to OPL heaven :)

Hi! sorry for a noobish question, but I'd like to know which parameters of the OPL are possible to modify live via MIDI commands? I have an external MIDI controller and I would like to modify the parameters of the instruments live with MIDI commands. Is this possible? Mainly i'm interested in adjusting attack/sustain/decay/release etc and of course the wave form, feedback, tremolo, vibrato, multiplier, for both the Carrier Waveform and the Modulator Waveform. Is this possible with just sending midi commands from a controller? Where could I find a list of the parameters that sammichFM accepts and will it update the sounds live similarly to for example Adlib Tracker 2 playing on the pc via an OPL sound card? Thank you!

Please tell me I'm not too late to order :D (just sent mail to the address on the wiki page) This kit is my dream come true with adlib music!