#PCB

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C.About that BusBoard Prototype Systems SB4 board -- they're expensive. They're more than $6 each (Canadian) plus shipping from DigiKey. They're $10 each plus shipping from Mouser.That's a lot for a hobbyist when you're experimenting, especially if you're making mistakes.I looked around again recently, and couldn't find anything I liked at a reasonable price point.So what does one do in this situation? Well, if you go Overkill 9000, you design your own prototyping perfboard and have a bunch manufactured for you! When you design your own, you can give it any features you like. So this one has:18 x 36 (648 holes total)It's two 18 x 18 sections, though I didn't have them scored for snapping.A total of 6 horizontal busses in groups of 2, at the top and bottom plus one in the middle.3 sets of 2 vertical busses within that space between horizontal bus sets, similarly edge - center - edge.Then each row has a 6-hole pad on each side of the center 2 busses, which are spaced for IC or other standard 0.4" component layout.Made of proper FR4 fiberglass. Good copper, good soldermask.Silkscreened row and column IDs on both the front and back, at both the start and end of each row/column (and they match up with the back...).And silkscreened boxes on the front showing the pad/buss pattern - no more flipping!They arrived today and ... they're beautiful.2/x<a href="https://mindly.social/tags/PCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PCB</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/CustomPCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#CustomPCB</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/silkscreen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#silkscreen</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/overkill" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#overkill</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/Overkill9000" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Overkill9000</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/buss" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#buss</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/busses" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#busses</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/pads" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pads</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/components" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#components</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/IC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IC</a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/DIP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DIP</a>

Liberux🔍 First Look at the Bare Liberux Nexx PCBs 🔍Our redesigned prototypes have arrived completely bare! These are the raw PCBs, fresh from manufacturing, before any components are assembled.It’s been a long wait, but they’re finally in the hands of our assembler! Now, we’re excited for the next step: having them fully assembled in our hands. 🛠️✨Stay tuned for more updates as we bring Liberux Nexx to life! 🚀<a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/LiberuxNEXX" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#LiberuxNEXX</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/OpenHardware" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#OpenHardware</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/PCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PCB</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/TechUpdate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TechUpdate</a>

RommudohOne of the final modules for my <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/StackSynth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#StackSynth</a> project: the <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/noise" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#noise</a> generator. It outputs white, blue, and pink noise and uses a #3904 and a <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/TL074" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TL074</a> with a lot of resistors and a couple of capacitors. It is based on Moritz Klein's video: <a href="https://youtu.be/0yB_h_wFkh4" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/0yB_h_wFkh4</a> I prototyped it on solderless <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/breadboard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#breadboard</a> and then designed the <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/PCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PCB</a> in <a href="https://fosstodon.org/@kicad" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@kicad</a> and let <a href="https://aisler.social/@aislerhq" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@aislerhq</a> manufacture them again. It turned out quite nice and sounds great. <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/soldering" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#soldering</a> <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/diysynth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#diysynth</a> <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/synthesizer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#synthesizer</a> <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/KiCad" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#KiCad</a> <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/pcblayout" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcblayout</a> <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/MoritzKlein" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#MoritzKlein</a>

AISLERNot every project runs on the same schedule. Some need to ship by the end of the week. Others don’t. That’s why we let you choose:Blitz for faster turnaround when speed matters Budget for standard lead times at lower costYour board. Your timelineWhat’s your default: speed or cost?<a href="https://aisler.social/tags/electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#electronics</a> <a href="https://aisler.social/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcb</a> <a href="https://aisler.social/tags/aisler" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#aisler</a>

Simple DIY Electronic Music ProjectsForbidden Planet “Krell” Display PCB Build GuideHere are the build notes for my <a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/03/30/forbidden-planet-krell-display-pcb-design/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbidden Planet “Krell” Display PCB.</a> This post just looks at building the PCB for standalone use. Further posts will look at the physical build to get it into one of my <a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/01/25/forbidden-planet-krell-display/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbidden Planet “Krell” Display</a>s and how to build it for use with a EuroRack module.Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments.  I am not responsible for any damage to expensive instruments!If you are new to microcontrollers and electronics, see the <a href="https://diyelectromusic.wordpress.com/getting-started/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Getting Started</a> pages.Bill of Materials<ul><li>Forbidden Planet “Krell” Display PCB (GitHub link below)</li><li>Waveshare Zero format board (<a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/02/17/waveshare-zero-pimoroni-tiny-and-neopixels/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more here</a>).</li><li>10x APA-106 through-hole programmable RGB LEDs pinout: IN-VCC-GND-OUT.</li><li>1x 500uF electrolytic capacitor (or thereabouts).</li><li>1x 47uF electrolytic capacitor.</li><li>Optional: 2x 9-way header sockets (full or low-profile – see notes).</li><li>Pin headers</li></ul>For the MIDI circuit:<ul><li>1x H11L1 optoisolator.</li><li>1x 1N4148 or 1N914 signal diode.</li><li>Resistors: 1×10Ω, 1×33Ω, 1×220Ω, 1×470Ω.</li><li>1x 100nF ceramic capacitor.</li><li>2x 3.5mm stereo TRS sockets – pcb mount (see photo and PCB for footprint).</li><li>Optional: 1x 6-way DIP socket.</li></ul>For potentiometer circuit:<ul><li>1 or 2 x 10K pcb-mount potentiometer (see photo and PCB for footprint).</li><li>1 or 2x 100nF ceramic capactiors.</li></ul>For the CV input:<ul><li>1x Thonkiconn style mono PCB mount jack socket.</li><li>Resistors: 1x22K, 1x33K.</li><li>2x BAT43 Schottky diodes.</li></ul>Build StepsThis posts describes a standalone module with two potentiometer controls and a MIDI circuit. For a EuroRack-style module with CV inputs refer to a follow-on post.Taking a typical “low to high” soldering approach, this is the suggested order of assembly:<ul><li>All diodes and resistors.</li><li>DIP socket (if used) and TRS sockets.</li><li>Disc capacitors.</li><li>LEDs on rear of the board.</li><li>9-way headers (if used).</li><li>Additional pin headers (if used).</li><li>Electrolytic capacitors.</li><li>Potentiometers on rear of the board.</li></ul>Here are some build photos.When it comes to adding the LEDs it is critical to get them in the correct pin order. These boards are designed for LEDs with two long and two shorter legs, with the pins in the order:<ul><li>Short: IN</li><li>Short: VCC</li><li>Long: GND</li><li>Long: OUT</li></ul>The pins need to be slightly bent to fit in the staggered footprint which means it isn’t possible to push the LEDs flush with the PCB. It is worth taking a little care to get them all to approximately the same height and vertically aligned.Hopefully it goes without saying to be careful of rubbing the hot soldering iron tip on any of the existing plastic components.As the footprint for the Waveshare Zero is 2.54mm too wide, it is advantageous to use a Waveshare Zero format board to help angle-in the pin headers prior to soldering.If using full height headers there will probably be enough flex to do this afterwards. If using low-profile headers then it will be necessary to get the angle correct prior to soldering.In the following note how the large capacitor has been bent over to lie flat.Also, I didn’t have a 500uF or higher, so used a 470uF in a 10mm diameter package.TestingI recommend performing the general tests described here: <a href="https://diyelectromusic.wordpress.com/pcbs/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PCBs</a>.Here is some test CircuitPython code that will check the functionality of the board with a Waveshare Zero type device. This was used with a Pimoroni Tiny2040 (which has two less pins to the Waveshare Zero devices).Analog InputThis tests the potentiometers:<pre>import time import board from analogio import AnalogIn analog_in1 = AnalogIn(board.A2) analog_in2 = AnalogIn(board.A3) while True: print(analog_in1.value,"\t",analog_in2.value) time.sleep(0.1)</pre>On turning each of the potentiometers a value between 0 and 65536 should be printed to the serial console. Note: Mine never seems to get below 256…LEDsThis can be used to test the LEDs. Requires the following libraries from the Adafruit Circuitpython Library Bundle:<ul><li>neopixel.mpy</li><li>adafruit_pioasm.mpy (presumably only required on RP2040 based boards)</li><li>adafruit_pixelbuf.mpy</li></ul><pre>import time import board import neopixel pixel_pin1 = board.GP2 pixel_pin2 = board.GP3 num_pixels = 5 pixels1 = neopixel.NeoPixel(pixel_pin1, num_pixels, brightness=0.3, auto_write=False, pixel_order=neopixel.RGB) pixels2 = neopixel.NeoPixel(pixel_pin2, num_pixels, brightness=0.3, auto_write=False, pixel_order=neopixel.RGB) while True: for col in [(255,0,0),(0,255,0),(0,0,255),(0,0,0)]: for pix in range(5): pixels1[pix] = col pixels1.show() time.sleep(0.5) pixels2[pix] = col pixels2.show() time.sleep(0.5) time.sleep(3)</pre>This will light each LED in turn alternating between the upper and lower sets of LEDs and then leave them off for three seconds.MIDI IN and OUTThis requires the Adafruit MIDI library, which requires the following directory from the Adafruit Circuitpython Library Bundle:<ul><li>adafruit_midi/*</li></ul><pre>import board import digitalio import busio import adafruit_midi from adafruit_midi.note_off import NoteOff from adafruit_midi.note_on import NoteOn uart = busio.UART(tx=board.GP0, rx=board.GP1, baudrate=31250, timeout=0.001) midi = adafruit_midi.MIDI(midi_in=uart, midi_out=uart) while True: msg = midi.receive() if (msg is not None): if (isinstance(msg, NoteOn)): print (msg) print ("Note On: \t",msg.note,"\t",msg.velocity) midi.send(msg) if (isinstance(msg, NoteOff)): print ("Note Off:\t",msg.note,"\t",msg.velocity) midi.send(msg)</pre>This will print out any received NoteOn and NoteOff messages (and only those) on the MIDI IN port and send them back out over the MIDI OUT port.PCB ErrataThere are the following issues with this PCB:<ul><li> The aforementioned Waveshare Zero footprint error.</li></ul>Enhancements:<ul><li> It might have been useful to position the Waveshare board so that the USB connector could be presented to the edge of the board and thus left exposed when used with a case.</li></ul><a href="https://github.com/diyelectromusic/sdemp_pcbs/tree/main/WaveshareZeroKrellDisplay" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Find it on GitHub here</a>.Closing ThoughtsThat is the basics of the board covered. Next will be a discussion of the alternative EuroRack supporting configuration and the physical builds for both versions.Kevin<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/apa106/" target="_blank">#APA106</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/krell/" target="_blank">#Krell</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/midi/" target="_blank">#midi</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/pcb/" target="_blank">#pcb</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/waveshare/" target="_blank">#waveshare</a>

Simple DIY Electronic Music ProjectsForbidden Planet “Krell” Display PCB DesignThis is a PCB to support one of my dual <a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/01/25/forbidden-planet-krell-display/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbidden Planet “Krell” Display</a>s. Rather than using ready made programmable LED rings, this is using through-hole APA-106 programmable RGB LEDs.<ul><li><a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/03/30/forbidden-planet-krell-display-pcb-build-guide/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbidden Planet “Krell” Display PCB Build Guide</a></li></ul>Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments.  I am not responsible for any damage to expensive instruments!If you are new to microcontrollers and electronics, see the <a href="https://diyelectromusic.wordpress.com/getting-started/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Getting Started</a> pages.The CircuitI want this circuit to support the following:<ul><li>Waveshare Zero format microcontroller – ideally, any I mentioned before here: <a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/02/17/waveshare-zero-pimoroni-tiny-and-neopixels/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Waveshare Zero, Pimoroni Tiny, and Neopixels</a>.</li><li>Two sets of five APA-106 programmable RGB LEDs to support the five segments of my <a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/01/25/forbidden-planet-krell-display/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbidden Planet “Krell” Display</a>.</li><li>MIDI IN and OUT.</li><li>Optional: potentiometer control.</li><li>Optional: CV input for use with analog synths.</li><li>Optional: Means to power from a EuroRack system.</li></ul>I’ve chosen to include a single 5V power jumper for power in, so will consider any EuroRack style powering options as a separate project.A standalone instance of this would be fine to be powered using the USB connection of the Waveshare Zero board chosen.I’ve included some optional breakout headers for spare GPIO pins.I’m using the GPIO of a Waveshare Zero compatible board as follows:5V Power IN5VTXMIDI OUTGroundGNDRXMIDI IN3V3 Power OUT3V3GPIOLower LEDsLower Analog INADCGPIOUpper LEDsUpper Analog INADCGPIOADCGPIOADCGPIOGPIOGPIOGPIOGPIOThe upper analog input I’m anticipating will be an (optional) potentiometer.The lower analog input I’m planning to be either an (optional) potentiometer or a (optional) CV input, so I’ve include some (also optional) CV input protection circuitry and a simple resistor divider to scale a 0 to 5V analog CV to a 0 to 3V3 range for use with the ADCs.PCB DesignThe size of the PCB is designed to fit inside my <a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/01/25/forbidden-planet-krell-display/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbidden Planet “Krell” Display</a>.The LEDs and potentiometers are on the non-component side of the PCB. I’ve used a staggered LED pin footprint to hopefully make soldering a little easier, but this does mean that the LEDs probably won’t fit flush to the board.I’ve overlapped the footprints of the lower potentiometer and a “Thonkiconn” style mono jack, so the board can use one or the other (or neither).MIDI circuitry is optional. CV in circuitry is also optional. I’ve attempted to highlight each within a silkscreen box to make it clearer which components relate to which part of the circuit.The 2-pin power input header is also designed to be used to connect the board to a secondary power board (to be discussed in a future post).There are additional breakout headers for a range of unused signals.I’ve also included a breakout header for the additional analog and IO signals that could be used for a single microcontroller to link to a second PCB to support a four-way Krell display. These would have to be patch-wired into the appropriate header signals on the unpopulated microcontroller headers on the secondary PCB.Closing ThoughtsUnfortunately I already know the Waveshare Zero footprint is 2.54mm too wide, as I used the same footprint as my <a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/03/14/waveshare-zero-midi-proto-pcb-design/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Waveshare Zero MIDI Proto PCB Design</a>.Still, I should be able to provide the same workaround here when it comes to building the boards.Kevin<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/apa106/" target="_blank">#APA106</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/krell/" target="_blank">#Krell</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/midi/" target="_blank">#midi</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/pcb/" target="_blank">#pcb</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/waveshare-zero/" target="_blank">#WaveshareZero</a>

A-wai :debian:Those PCBs were manufactured by PCBWay (who kindly offered to sponsor this project), and I definitely have nothing to complain about: the ordering process was as easy as it gets (upload Gerber files, select features and place order), build time was 3-4 days as expected and the quality and finish are excellent! 👍Overall everything went absolutely smoothly, so I'd suggest you checkout their website next time you'll need built-to-order PCBs: <a href="https://www.pcbway.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.pcbway.com/</a><a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/DIY" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DIY</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/Electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Electronics</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/PCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PCB</a>

A-wai :debian:I got the "Amp Switcher" PCBs in the mail a few days ago 😀As I plan on building both a 6-way and a 2-way switcher, I ordered boards (5 of each) for the larger size only. The "relays array" board is 2oz copper and has a slightly different color.The photos also show a "control matrix" board resized to 2-way switching (bottom right); this is easily done by hand using brute force, although I suggest using pliers to ensure it's all cleanly cut.<a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/Guitar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Guitar</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/Electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Electronics</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/Amplifier" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Amplifier</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/DIY" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DIY</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/PCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PCB</a>

chiptronCZLekce pájení SMD součástek pomocí pájecího pera. Není to věda, jen to chce grif. Pak to jde jako po másle. Základem je kvalitní páječka, pájka, správně nastavená teplota a klidná ruka <a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/pajimesChiptronem" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pajimesChiptronem</a><a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/pajeni" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pajeni</a> <a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/pajecka" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pajecka</a> <a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/pajka" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pajka</a> <a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcb</a> <a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/dps" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#dps</a> <a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/soldering" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#soldering</a> <a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/solder" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#solder</a> <a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/esp32" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#esp32</a> <a href="https://mastodonczech.cz/tags/arduino" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#arduino</a>

IT NewsIntegrated BMS Makes Battery Packs Easy - Lithium technology has ushered in a new era of batteries with exceptionally high e... - <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/03/26/integrated-bms-makes-battery-packs-easy/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://hackaday.com/2025/03/26/integrated-bms-makes-battery-packs-easy/</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/lithiumironphosphate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#lithiumironphosphate</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/batterymanagement" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#batterymanagement</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/lithiumbattery" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#lithiumbattery</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/batteryhacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#batteryhacks</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/battery" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#battery</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/bms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#bms</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcb</a>

IT NewsSupercon 2024: A New World of Full-Color PCBs - Printed circuit boards were once so simple. One or two layers of copper etched on ... - <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/03/26/supercon-2024-a-new-world-of-full-color-pcbs/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://hackaday.com/2025/03/26/supercon-2024-a-new-world-of-full-color-pcbs/</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/2024hackadaysupercon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#2024hackadaysupercon</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/featured" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#featured</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/pcbhacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcbhacks</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/colorpcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#colorpcb</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/cons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#cons</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcb</a>

AISLERWant to try out European manufacturing for your PCBs? Save 10€ off your next order using the coupon code EU-PCB . See our PCB Design rules here: <a href="https://community.aisler.net/t/pcb-design-rules/41" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://community.aisler.net/t/pcb-design-rules/41</a>(Existing users can also use this code, beware the code is case-sensitive) <a href="https://aisler.social/tags/buyeuropean" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#buyeuropean</a> <a href="https://aisler.social/tags/buyEurope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#buyEurope</a> <a href="https://aisler.social/tags/aisler" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#aisler</a> <a href="https://aisler.social/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcb</a> <a href="https://aisler.social/tags/electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#electronics</a>

Kernel BobThe tooters have spoken! 74% of you favor JLC. Thank you for participating.And I just ordered my board from OSH Park. 😁 <a href="https://chaos.social/tags/electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#electronics</a> <a href="https://chaos.social/tags/PCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PCB</a>

IT NewsGlow In The Dark PCBs Are Pretty Cool - What if circuit boards could glow in the dark? It’s a fun question, and one [Botma... - <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/03/24/glow-in-the-dark-pcbs-are-pretty-cool/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://hackaday.com/2025/03/24/glow-in-the-dark-pcbs-are-pretty-cool/</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/glowinthedark" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#glowinthedark</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/pcbhacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcbhacks</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/pcbway" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcbway</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcb</a>

Andy Warburton ❌❌❌And just like that we have a functioning clock! currently running on a propmaker RP2040 but I will probably have to move over to something WiFi enabled before long <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcb</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#electronics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/maker" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#maker</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/RP2040" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#RP2040</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/RaspberryPi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#RaspberryPi</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/jlcpcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#jlcpcb</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/circuitpython" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#circuitpython</a> <a href="https://mastodon.cloud/@adafruit" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@adafruit</a>

Kernel BobElectronics tooters, do you prefer JLCPCB or PCBWay?<a href="https://chaos.social/tags/electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#electronics</a> <a href="https://chaos.social/tags/PCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PCB</a>

Andy Warburton ❌❌❌They said this wouldn’t work but it bloody well does! Just three more digits to solder up (161 individual LEDs!) and I’ll have a clock! I’m so glad it does work though because I ordered two hundred of these pcbs 😂<a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/maker" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#maker</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#electronics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcb</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/jlcpcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#jlcpcb</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/wled" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#wled</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/rgb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#rgb</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/neopixels" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#neopixels</a>

IT NewsAluminum Business Cards Make Viable PCB Stencils - [Mikey Sklar] had a problem—namely, running low on the brass material typically us... - <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/03/21/aluminum-business-cards-make-viable-pcb-stencils/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://hackaday.com/2025/03/21/aluminum-business-cards-make-viable-pcb-stencils/</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/aluminiumbusinesscard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#aluminiumbusinesscard</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/toolhacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#toolhacks</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/aluminium" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#aluminium</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/pcbhacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcbhacks</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/stencil" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#stencil</a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#pcb</a>

Simple DIY Electronic Music ProjectsMiniDexed EuroRack PCB Build GuideHere are the build notes for my <a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/02/22/minidexed-eurorack-pcb-design/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MiniDexed EuroRack PCB Design</a>.This is a DIY module only for use in my own DIY system.Do NOT use this alongside expensive modules in an expensive rack. It is highly likely to cause problems with your power supply and could even damage your other modules.Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments.  I am not responsible for any damage to expensive instruments! If you are new to single board computers, see the <a href="https://diyelectromusic.wordpress.com/getting-started/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Getting Started</a> pages.Bill of Materials<ul><li><a href="https://diyelectromusic.com/2025/02/22/minidexed-eurorack-pcb-design/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MiniDexed EuroRack PCB</a> (GitHub link below)</li><li>Front panel</li><li>Raspberry Pi Zero (1 or 2)</li><li>GY-PCM5102 module</li><li>128×32 SSD1306 OLED display module (pins order: GND-VCC-SCL-SDA)</li><li>1x L7805 regulator</li><li>1x H11L1 optoisolator</li><li>1x 1N5817 Schottky diode</li><li>1x 1N4148 or 1N914 signal diode</li><li>1×220Ω, 1×470Ω resistors</li><li>5x 10nF ceramic capactiors</li><li>3x 100nF ceramic capacitors</li><li>2x 47uF electrolytic capacitors (low profile if possible – see text)</li><li>1x switched rotary encoder with a threaded shroud and nut</li><li>2x tall tactile buttons – 6x6mm base, at least 12mm height (it needs to poke through the panel!)</li><li>16-way shrouded EuroRack style power header.</li><li>40-way GPIO header (optional: extended – see discussion).</li><li>Pin-headers and connecting wires.</li></ul>Also required: 3.5mm panel mount sockets for audio and MIDI – I use different types, but it will depend on the panel used (see panel discussion).Build StepsTaking a typical “low to high” soldering approach, this is the suggested order of assembly:<ul><li>Resistors and diode on the top.</li><li>H11L1 (assuming soldered directly to the PCB).</li><li>Disc capacitors on the top.</li><li>Diode and disc capacitor on the bottom.</li><li>Electrolytic capacitors on the bottom.</li><li>GPIO and 16-way power socket on the bottom.</li><li>Buttons and encoder on the top.</li><li>GY-PCM5102 module (see photos for steps required prior to fixing).</li><li>SSD1306 (see photos for steps required prior to fixing).</li></ul>Here are some build photos and more details of the steps involved.Note: Most of these photos show the build for V0.1 of the PCB. There are some minor updates in V0.2 which will be noted where relevant.The power circuit on the underside of the board has two options for mounting the regulator. It can go either vertically or horizontally, but with the tab up. Both methods use the same solder holes. Which is chosen will largely depend on what heatsink options there are.Note: the first version of the board only had a single option, with the tab down, making contact with the PCB. This didn’t really work from a cooling perspective, hence the change.The following “in progress” photos still show the first version of the board with the regulator the other way around, an additional resistor, omitted from V2, and the diode in a different place.Note that low-profile capacitors may be required as they will sit underneath the Raspberry Pi Zero. If the regulator is “standing up” then it should be possible to bend the capacitors over into the space reserved for the regulator.The GPIO headers have to allow enough space for the Zero to be mounted and not interfere with the PCM5102. See discussion below.The EuroRack headers need to be correctly oriented and shrouded headers are strongly recommended.The SSD1306 requires additional spacers on the pins to raise it above the PCB for presentation closer to the front panel.The PCM5102 must have its solder jumpers configured, if not set already, and requires both sets of pin headers adding.In the photo below, the PCM5102 has zero-ohm, surface mount resistors as jumpers – but it is really hard to see! On first glance, it looks like there is no link configured at all, but they are connected as: 1L, 2L, 3H, 4L.These modules have to be added after the other components, as they prevent access to the solder pads during assembly.GPIO Header OptionsOne option is to use extended headers, which ought to allow room for the Zero and a heatsink (if required) on the main BCM chip. Note: A V2 Pi Zero could probably benefit from a heatsink I’d imagine if running fully processing all 8 tone generators.Another option is to remove the on-board 3.5mm, SMT, audio jack on the PCM5102 as shown below, and use “normal” sized GPIO headers.If non-extended GPIO header is used then, as already mentioned, low-profile electrolytic capacitors may be required as they are positioned underneath the Pi Zero too.Power OptionsAs previously mentioned, there wasn’t really much choice when it came to mounting the power regulator for V1 of the board, but in V2 I’ve positioned it differently to allow it to be “tab up” or upright.The upright positioning was hopefully placed so that a long, thin heatsink could be mounted alongside the Pi. This shows one of those heatsinks you can get for M2 SSD cards. I figure that drilling a hole in it would do the trick, but I’ve not actually done this myself (see below).The solution I went with in the end was to actually replace the 7805 with a 7805-compatible DC-DC buck converter. These are available fairly cheaply online.These work a lot more efficiently than a 7805, so especially when drawing 300mA or so from a Pi Zero 2 whilst dropping from 12V down to 5V, they still have no need of a heatsink.The downside of using these (apparently) is that as a switching power unit, they can be pretty electrically noisy. But as I’m powering a microcontroller rather than a pure analog circuit in the first place, I decided it probably wasn’t going to be making things much worse. This is hardly a high quality, electrically clean build anyway!Final AssemblyRequired Components to use my panel:<ul><li>MiniDexed EuroRack Panel (see Github link below).</li><li>Raspberry Pi Zero (1 or 2) with GPIO header pins.</li><li>MiniDexed EuroRack PCB as described above.</li><li>Panel mount 3.5mm TRS socket for MIDI. 6mm diameter hole assumed.</li><li>Panel mount 3.5mm TRS socket for audio. 8mm diameter hole assumed.</li><li>2.5mm mounting posts, screws and nuts.</li></ul>I’m using the same designs of TRS sockets for MIDI and audio that I use in all my modules. These need mounting on the panel. Soldering will come in a moment.I found that with the GPIO header height I was using, alongside the final height of the SSD1306, height of the buttons, and the encoder’s shroud, that the following mountings were required:<ul><li>2x black nylon 2.5mm 6mm screws</li><li>2x black 10mm 2.5mm spacers</li><li>2x white 8mm 2.5mm spacers with screws</li><li>2x white nylon 2.5mm 6mm screws</li></ul>An alternative build had a slightly larger gap (due to using 12mm buttons) so required four sets of 10×2.5mm spacers.Another quirk of my first build was that I only had 9mm high buttons which wasn’t quite enough to reach through the panel. Ideally a 11mm or larger button would be required.But this allowed me to 3D print a white 2.8mm diameter, 3.0mm high, extension that I could glue on the top, meaning that the exposed part of the button was white, matching the panel.My second build used a black panel and 12mm buttons, but as already mentioned this meant the panel had to use 10mm spacers instead of 8mm spacers. One issue with that is that there isn’t much of the encoder shaft exposed. I found some knobs that worked ok, but my preferred (cheap) knobs could not be fitted and still allow the encoder switch to function.In summary, there is still a fair bit of trial and error with each build depending on the exact combinations of screen height, encoder shaft length, button length and so on.Once the PCB and panel is fixed together then the two 3.5mm sockets can be soldered to the PCB (or connected using headers if that was the preferred option).Recall that MIDI IN does not required a GND connection. Also double check which solder tabs correspond to the TIP and which to the RING, which should match the “T” and “R” labels on the PCB (“S” is for shield, i.e. GND).TestingI recommend performing the general tests described here: <a href="https://diyelectromusic.wordpress.com/pcbs/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PCBs</a>.Then, prior to plugging in the RPi Zero, do the following:<ul><li>Verify that the 12V and GND connections of the EuroRack connector have no shorts.</li><li>Power up the board (no Pi) and verify that there is a 5V signal present and going to the PCM5102 and SSD1306. The PCM5102 should have its red power LED on.</li></ul>Only then power off, plug in the RPi Zero with an SD card containing MiniDexed (configuration below) and verify that the display, encoder, buttons, MIDI IN, and audio out are all working.MiniDexed ConfigurationThe following are the key MiniDexed.ini configuration options required:<pre>SoundDevice=i2s SSD1306LCDI2CAddress=0x3C SSD1306LCDWidth=128 SSD1306LCDHeight=32 LCDColumns=20 LCDRows=2 ButtonPinBack=5 ButtonActionBack=click ButtonPinSelect=11 ButtonActionSelect=click ButtonPinHome=6 ButtonActionHome=click ButtonPinShortcut=11 EncoderEnabled=1 EncoderPinClock=10 EncoderPinData=9</pre>PCB ErrataAs already noted, there were a number of issues with the first version of the PCB, but these should have been addressed in the published version.As the time of writing, there are no further known issues with V0.2 of the PCB.Enhancements:<ul><li>I feel like the power situation ought to be better. One option could be to break out a USB connection to the Zero directly allowing the use of a standard “wall wart” type supply.</li><li>Another option might be to make use of the solder pads on the rear of a Zero (like the <a href="https://zerostem.io/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zero STEM</a> does).</li><li>It might also be useful to provide a configurable (e.g. solder bridge) link to enable the EuroRack +5V supply as an option.</li><li>There are already options to use internal (within a rack) links for MIDI and audio if required using the pin headers on the PCB, but it might be nice to allow a choice between panel or rear connectors.</li></ul><a href="https://github.com/diyelectromusic/sdemp_eurorack/tree/main/RpiZeroMiniDexed" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Find it on GitHub here</a>.Closing ThoughtsI’m still not fully happy with the longer-term implications of how I’m powering these boards, but I’ll see how things go. Those DC-DC converters seem like a feasible option so I’ll see how they perform.The panel height issue could be better too – it would be nice to have a recommended set of components and a known useful size of spacers, but there is still a fair bit of trial an error at the moment with each build.Also, sometimes the display height isn’t perfect, as shown below. I might 3D print a display bezel or surround to help.The end results looks pretty good though, so for this stage in my thinking about these, I’m pretty pleased with how this has ended up.But one last time, just to make my position totally clear: this is a DIY system and should only be used with other DIY modules you wouldn’t mind too much losing.It is NOT for use alongside other commercial (expensive) or treasured modules. There are commercial versions of MiniDexed apparently for that, that I have no experience of.Kevin<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/eurorack/" target="_blank">#EuroRack</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/midi/" target="_blank">#midi</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/minidexed/" target="_blank">#minidexed</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/pcb/" target="_blank">#pcb</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://diyelectromusic.com/tag/raspberry-pi-zero/" target="_blank">#RaspberryPiZero</a>

Dirk WoutersXoomFloppy als USB-Kabel Die ZoomFloppy war mir immer viel zu groß. Daher habe ich in der Vergangenheit einige Projekte gestartet, um das Ganze auf eine wesentlich kleinere Größe zu reduzieren. Warum überhaupt ein externes Gerät verwenden, wenn das Diskettenlaufwerk dire…#1541 #1571 #1581 <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/C128" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#C128</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/c64" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#c64</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Cable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Cable</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/commodore" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#commodore</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Commodore64" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Commodore64</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Device" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Device</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/diy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#diy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Extension" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Extension</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/opencbm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#opencbm</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/PC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PC</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/PCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PCB</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Printer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Printer</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Project" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Project</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/usb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#usb</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/XoomFloppy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#XoomFloppy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/XUM1541" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#XUM1541</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ZoonFloppy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ZoonFloppy</a><a href="https://dirkwouters.de/xoomfloppy-cable/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://dirkwouters.de/xoomfloppy-cable/</a>

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