Whacky, Zany, Weird Stripboard Layout

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:59 am Post subject:

No, there's no problem with the 10M resistor. I built it when I first did the layout, and the filter pot worked fine. Check all the cuts in the stripboard. This is very easy to get stuck on if you haven't done much stripboarding before. Let me know how you go.

LukeDI · Joined: Sep 23, 2006 Posts: 50 Location: Boston MA, USA

Chrometuna · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 6:39 am Post subject:

Chrometuna · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:20 am Post subject:

deleted, see my other post

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:09 am Post subject:

Looks fine to me. You just have to make sure you transfer it to the PCB the right way around. (I can't do that for you! Crying or Very sad

)

You can get stripboard, and you can get PCB blanks of the right size. Just order them online.

You'll become more of a DIY kind of person, as soon as people stop doing things for you! Wink

I don't say that to be nasty or unkind, I just know that it's true. The stuff which I know and take for granted now, I've learned by doing a lot of stuff, getting things wrong, and getting motivated to re-do them.
Technical proficiency is 10% theoretical knowledge and 90% bravery! Laughing

(immunity to the fear of fucking something up! Shocked

) It does take practice and patience, but it's not beyond learning, as long as you're interested in the details.

fluxmonkey · Joined: Jun 24, 2005 Posts: 708 Location: cleve

Chrometuna · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:15 pm Post subject:

I deleted the layouts of my PCB layout version of Andrew's stripboard layout.

I wouldnt want anyone to try to use those: They where out of proportion and the IC's wouldnt fit it.

I DID re-work them and got a version that WOULD work.....But last night a bungled an etching process so badly I now think that layout is cursed (Not the Stripboard version, but my PCB version)

But someone else could, and should try their hand at it sometime.

Cheers!
bob c

Chrometuna · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:31 pm Post subject:

Chrometuna · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:27 pm Post subject:

For anyone contemplating using the layout I posted above (From Andrew's stripboard layout)

DONT USE IT!

It is not to scale, and I just spent an hour or so at Kinkos figuring that out. No amount of resizing, enlarging, shrinking or anything would put it to the right size for the pins in the IC chips to fit onto the board properly. (Thank God that I didnt try burning the board without checking this out first)

So I need to take it back into photoshop and re-proportion it.

The thing I liked about the idea of using Andrews strip board layout as a circuit board layout was that it didnt really have to be sized too closely as far as drilling the holes (LOTS of room to play with there) BUT, the ICs *HAVE* to be right on the money.

Once I get something usable, I'll post that, and then delete the other posts so no one is tempted to think that they can burn a board directly from that.

Cheers
blabbing bob....who is ranting a lot on the internet toay.

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:01 am Post subject:

Chrometuna · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:53 pm Post subject:

OK
I did a re-working of Lorenzo's WSG PCB layout.

It now fits on a 4X6 inch copper clad PCB blank, like what is available at Radio shack.

Some components are now "Off board" and others just moved a little bit. It should be too hard to figure out what I moved around, just compare it to Lorenzo's board.

I did a "Normal" version, and then a "Fat line" version that might help klutzes like me in the photopaper etching process.

I ALSO discovered a product that works really well for removing the toner before or after etching:

Its called "Get Off!" Ink and Adhesive remover.

Its in a spray can, and probably available at office suply places. Its used for cleaning up printers, fax machines, ink etc. The guy behind the counter at Kinkos "Loaned" me a half empty (Or full?) can of it, and it works really well.

Heres the layouts:

lor_wsgpcbreworked2.jpg

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lor_wsgpcbreworked1.jpg

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This is the "Normal" version. The other one is the "Fat Line" version. I havnt tried etching or building these yet.

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dobart · Joined: Feb 20, 2007 Posts: 10 Location: SEATTLE

Hi folks! Been here a bunch of times as I browsed circuit sources and whatnot. Nice to be here.

Anyway, I have a few WSGs and am impressed with the sound: much less square than raw oscillators, even without the filter!

Which leads me to: I want to use the signal from the WSG circuit (pre-filter) to drive some other oscillators, a divider IC and pulse LEDs for vactrolling... BUT the output signal of the WSG won't even kick over an inverter!

Is this due to the transistor modulation? I can gang the 3 oscillators on the 40106 and be just fine, but setting up as a WSG means I can't use the waveform to drive and tweek other doodads... dividers, NAND gates, etc.

Any ideas?

Oh: knobs: small bear electronics, and mouser- if you order from mouser you get the catalog, which is epic. Oh: perfs and stripboards: FUTURLEC: lots of different kinds, great pricing, easy search. Just give em a few weeks to deliver form Thailand....

sputnik · Joined: Feb 23, 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Montreal

Hi everyone! This is my first post to this site!

I have constructed the WSG stripboard, but I am having trouble getting the filter portion of the circuit to work. Both "zany-wacky-wierd" circuits seem to be fully functional (that is, the signal from each circuit to ground produces what seem to be the proper bleeps, and all 4 knobs and the switch on both sides affect the sound as they should). Therefore, I think the problem must be in the filter portion. On connecting the line out from the filter to an amplifier, the following noises are heard: 1/2 second of the proper output, a pop, 1 second of very faint output with buzzing, another pop, 2 seconds of silence, and then back into the 1/2 second of normal bleeps. I have checked the circuit fairly thoroughly, replaced most of the capacitors, replaced the LM741...I don't know what else to check. What would make a circuit cycle like that? Unfortunately, I don't have a digital camera, but I can record the sound the circuit is making if that would help. Thanks in advance! I'm really stumped on this one. I'm kind of a beginner when it comes to circuits, but I'm fairly proficient at soldering, and i'm pretty confident there aren't any solder bridges or anything. But I could be wrong! Let me know what you think.

-Serge

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 12:36 am Post subject:

I remember Ray saying something about the cap which backs up the pseudo split supply, when someone had a similar problem. Make sure that cap is the right way around. By pseudo split supply, I mean the arrangement for the 741 which is the heart of the filter. I just had a look, and it's C7.
The symptoms you describe sound like what happens when an electrolytic is reverse biased. The dielectric breaks down and behaves "differently", and can sometimes be re-polarized, in which case it sounds better for a few seconds, but then ultimately fails and goes weird again etc. You're lucky it hasn't actually gone "pop" Laughing

dobart · Joined: Feb 20, 2007 Posts: 10 Location: SEATTLE

dobart · Joined: Feb 20, 2007 Posts: 10 Location: SEATTLE

sputnik · Joined: Feb 23, 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Montreal

I found my problem...it was just a simple mistake. I had one of the C7 pins soldered into the wrong strip. After corrercting that, the WSG is making great sounds. The filter really is key to its awesomeness. Thanks for the design!

Wild Zebra · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:44 am Post subject: Adding a filter in ?

Hello there. Over a EA forums a chap added a filter in to his WSG. Between R7 and C1 via the 1m resistor. Marked "from second circuit if needed". Well I ran my APC through and it was barely audible. Of course with no resistor it was fine. But, will I damage the circuit? Could I just throw a 100k in thar? Or a pot to control the amount? I was going to just put a 100k in there, but figured I'd ask for some opinions.

Randaleem · Joined: May 17, 2007 Posts: 456 Location: Northern CA, USA

Hi,

You'd probably want to start with one of the existing schematic capture programs. Work your algorithm to their existing parts and schematic interconnect database(Netlist). OrCAD would be one choice for format; as it is an industry standard. But expensive.

Circad by Holophase has a small and elegant database and part description. Eagle is perhaps more widely known and its ULP's (User Language Programs; A powerful API) would let you do all that is needed I'd guess. Both Eagle and Circad already have autorouters in addition to their API's. FWIW, an "alley" type autorouter would be tailor-made for running stripboard designs. (this algorithm seeks to run everything in rows/alleys; horizontal on one side and vert on the other! Only after that's exhausted does it go for non-alley routes.

Agreed that the modular approach is cool; often there already is existing prior useful work.

Hope this helps,

Randal

Phallus Dei · Joined: Jan 21, 2007 Posts: 18 Location: Scotland, UK

Ok I'm building this monster! I've got all the parts on order. Got a few questions.

Firstly, is Stripboard ok to cut? Say I build the circuit on an oversized board, can I hack it up?

Secondly, is there a volume control. As much as I love the eccentric terms for the controls, is one of the "Wacky" pots just a plainjane volume? Or will I be so engrossed with the encyclopedia of sounds that volume swells wont be needed?

Thirdly, do those ICs solder straight on the board, or should I get chairs for them? I can get 14 pin and 8 pin chairs no bother, and I'm not a perfect solderer, so will the chairs be a safer option (less risk of frying).

In return I promise to send in photos of the completed thing, once I get a case for it (I'm raiding the local thrift stores!).

Wild Zebra · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 12:35 pm Post subject:

Phallus Dei · Joined: Jan 21, 2007 Posts: 18 Location: Scotland, UK

Thanks! I'm planning to build this in a first aid box, to give me a baby VC3 thing!

Phallus Dei · Joined: Jan 21, 2007 Posts: 18 Location: Scotland, UK

ok Thanks!

Capacitor problems (I got replacements for the WIMA oranges)!!!

Does the 220uF caps have to be non-polar? Do the other non-polar capacitors have to be this way? I saw the photos of the stripboard earlier, and some of those caps appear to be the usual disk ones.

Phallus Dei · Joined: Jan 21, 2007 Posts: 18 Location: Scotland, UK

Is a 2.2uf Capacitor same as a 220?

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 1:04 am Post subject:

No,
A 2.2uF will be bigger, and most likely polarised.
220 means 220pF which is 1/10000th the value, smaller, possibly a ceramic disc, and not polarised.