Mounting my first core module.

[dcreatorx]

Ok, i'll test it . . . but the only way to do that is feeding it with the C64 PSU right ? If not, what other way i've got to test the circuit ? I mean . . . how i feed the circuit without a proper PSU ? Thanks kokoon !

[kokoon]

by "test it" i meant check all the connections. you can use the multimeter for that - just check if there's a line from one element to another. but if you're not sure how to do this then just check it again against the schematics and the plug the c64 psu in it. and hope for the best :) the worst you can do is to blow the psu fuse or destroy some of the elements on your circuit (although i doubt that).

[dcreatorx]

Can you call multimeter as "tester" as well ? Because you can't measure nothing without feeding it with electricity, right ? I think you mean a tester . . . don't you ? Thanks kokoon.

[kokoon]

the multimeter can also test (measure) resistance and it does it by applying a small voltage to the meter probes. that's why it has a battery. if there's no connection between the points then you get infinite resistance - otherwise you get zero or small resistance (or a different resistance if there's a resistor or something like that on the path).

at least that's how i do it but nobody told me that so it's possible it's not very good for some components... but i doubt it's very wrong.

[illogik]

hi, one of the things a multimeter can measure is (electrical) resistance (in ohms) between 2 points; for instance (the legs of) a resistor;

you can check if 2 points in a circuit are connected by measuring the resistance; which should be 0 ohm>> since a track/connection/wire shouldn't alter the electricity (it's only a connection right and not a resistor)

cheers, marcel

[dcreatorx]

New problem : I don't know how a multimeter works. I need a t00t of using multimeters. I will ask somebody out, and i will post the results then. Thanks to everybody helping !

[kokoon]

hi, one of the things a multimeter can measure is (electrical) resistance (in ohms) between 2 points; for instance (the legs of) a resistor;

you can check if 2 points in a circuit are connected by measuring the resistance; which should be 0 ohm>> since a track/connection/wire shouldn't alter the electricity (it's only a connection right and not a resistor)

cheers, marcel

haha that's almost exactly the same text as my post  :D

you probably missed mine though  ;D

[dcreatorx]

Ok kokoon, i took a multimeter master class with an electonics teacher at my school ! So now i know more about it !  ;D And now . . . here comes the next question :

I've been studying the optimized PSU schematic, and i can see that at the 5V output, two positive cables come out from the positive pin and two negative cables from the negative pin.

That cables are delivered trough the two first pins of the SID module(s) J2, positive and negative and the same for the J2 of the core(s) module. Ok, so the question is : What is the best way to create a output for such that cable madness ? How do you separate cables to ramificate them ? Or, a better question  ..  how can you ramificate the cables ? ?

Maybe sounds stupid, but i don't know, perhaps i can find special cables and a especial output connector to do this job ? Other thing that i've to ask : Can you deliver that tension trough two cables by the same pin ? Sometimes i think that i don't know to interpret correctly the schematics . . i never seen before two cables coming out from the same pin ! 

Thanks a lot !

[kokoon]

what i did was mount the SIL headers (i think it's called that way - just the "pins" stuck together on plastic - like for jumpers but only 1 row) - like everywhere else.

then i took 2 wires, stripped somewhere between 5mm and 10mm of isolation, "twist" the wire ends together, dipped in flux resin and applied some solder. so they stick together fairly strong. then i applied some solder on the SIL header pin. then i just soldered them together easily without any additional solder. (similar as at the bottom of this page http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp_core.html )

[dcreatorx]

kokoon, don't think that i left this thread . . i'm waiting for the PSU to come from Finland . . . after the package comes i will start disturbing you again....  :D I'm joking . . . just let you know that i mounted up the two SID modules too, so it's going to see faster if the system works when the PSU arrives here. Thanks for everything.

[kokoon]

no problem man, i'm glad i could help. if you're still having troubles with putting together your optimized psu you can check this thread where i posted photos of mine: http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=5122.0

[dcreatorx]

Can somebody tell me where the "small resistors to improve the power integrity" are going exactly on the power core module and the SID module ? I can't find out where they go mounted. Thanks !  ;)

P.D : My new PSU is coming in a week kokoon !  :D

[kokoon]

they always go between the VDD pin of the IC and ground plane on the board, as close as possible to the chip (pins).

on the SID:

on the CORE:

if you're not sure what pins are VSS and GND check out the PDF schematics:

SID: http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_sid.pdf

CORE: http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_core.pdf

(they're even in those pdf schematics)

for help - the "ground plane" is like one big wire that has ground voltage and since it's used very much in the circuits it's usually pretty much everywhere - it's the big copper trace usually around the entire circuit. and the IC's VSS pin is connected there too.

[moebius]

Can somebody tell me where the "small resistors to improve the power integrity" are going exactly on the power core module and the SID module ? I can't find out where they go mounted. Thanks !  ;)

P.D : My new PSU is coming in a week kokoon !  :D

I hope your using small capacitors?

Bye, Moebius

[kokoon]

hehe yeah capacitors not resistors  ;)

[dcreatorx]

Hey moebius, you're everywhere xD ! Yes , capacitors . . . I posted it without read first. Thanks you two, masters !  ;D

[dcreatorx]

Problems solved, bu now I just have a humming sound coming out the sid. Can you tell me how can I erase all the PIC content uploaded for now and put up the new versions ? I can't find that info. I have been all the evening looking for it. Thanks!