Made a fatal error!
I’ve got some ideas of how to fix it but I’m taking a break to let my feelings settle
What kind of fatal error? You must share so we can learn from your mistakes!
Personally I have aimed a bit lower for my first DIY project… SparkFun Simon Says - Through-Hole Soldering Kit - KIT-10547 - SparkFun Electronics
The number of components seems like something I’ll be able to handle but I’m waiting on my Fume Smoke Absorber to arrive before I start soldering
One of the great things about electronics is that more force is almost never the answer. Taking a step back and thinking things through usually is.
It is tough to make a truly fatal error. Even if you’ve lifted traces, you can buy some wire-wrap wire and use that to create flying traces. Holes filled with solder are easy to empty, even if you don’t have a braid. Just use some of the cliped-off passive leads to wick it away. It’s slower and more difficult, but works. Melted plastic components and suicidal chips can usually be replaced, but it looks like all your chips are socketed.
Debugging is easier with a good DMM with both pointy probes and clip-probes (or slip-on clip adapters for the points). A work stand that firmly grips that PCB by its edges also makes assembly and debugging much easier.
I hate breaking legs … off of ICs … at the root !
ADDED : Also unpleasant – plugging DIP ICs in “upside down” and powering up !
I got excited at the end of my build and didn’t check to see if my potentiometers were all the same or not.
I am really embarrassed about this mistake considering how well I did to that point
The lfo works, and I can get audio through it. Just no effect. I’m working on cleaning up some joints right now.
The number of components wasn’t terrible, and the way they were packaged made it easier to keep track of what was going on.
These are great tips. Big lesson I’m going through now if effectively desoldering parts.
Next one I’m sure will be debugging.
Do not be ! It’s minor, you know what’s wrong, and it’s fixable. Great lesson too.
Between obscurerobot, and myself, and no doubt many others, we can tell some amazing stories.
Like firing TO-3 cans through circuit boards with high voltage.
Soldering and assembly is easy. Debugging is hard. Consider this an opportunity to begin your hardware debugging journey. Every mistake can lead to a process improvement that will yield better results in the future. “Embarrassing” mistakes are why I want to spend $1k on a nice scope and lab power supply. Better tools make complex projects easier. But learning why the tools matter via mistakes is valid too.
The mistake is certainly not fatal. Worst case, you can clip off the lugs with diagonal cutters, and then remove them with needle nose pliers and a soldering iron. With care, you should be able to remove all the parts without damage and then resolder them in the correct positions.
It’s valid to be mildly embarrassed if that helps you improve. But keep in mind that most people don’t know how to solder at all. You deserve to be proud of your mistakes.
Just for me, i don’t need embarrassment to motivate me, especially when working by myself.
Just let me go DUAAH ! a few times and i’m all set.
I think I need to create some flying traces 
The input and dry output are working, the lfo is working, just no delay circuit.
I feel like I’m learning a lot, and I have some debugging ahead.
Just want to say I really appreciate all the encouragement and support!
In the mean time I fashioned a exp controller for my AR out of a soft pot. I realized I wanted a ribbon controller, but it’s been fun modulating the vca of tracks on the AR.
I needed a win and got one ha
A few days back, I binge watched all of the YouTube interviews with Erica Synth founder Ģirts Ozoliņš. In one video, he complains that most DIY kits no longer include schematics, so it is tough to learn anything. I think he would be happy to hear that you are learning how to debug circuits with one of his modules.
One very nice thing about mistakes, though it only happens very very occasionally, is they can lead to real innovation.
I find that a very helpful thing to do. If I’m frustrated with something I’m working on (or stuck, or just can’t stand looking at it anymore) I’ll just knock out some easy project that’s on my list and then get back to the main project. Kind of like hitting my reset button.
I’m going through the test point schematic that is provided in the github zip file, and i’m realizing that I can’t measure frequencies. If i test the voltage and its less than 10v ptp, could i use my speakers to monitor the frequency of parts of the circuit by running it through my eurorack?
or do i need an oscilloscope?
How good are your ears ?
Obviously a scope does stuff your ears can’t.
Scopes show positive or negative voltage levels at peak -OR- DC. It will measure very low voltages, and much higher ones too.
Scopes show frequencies outside your hearing.
Scopes allow you to observe very tight timing events. ( Like measuring the speed of a bullet ! )
Multitrace scopes can show the relationships between two or more signals.
Scopes can be made to trigger on signal events.
Scopes can show glitching sorts of noise, or higher frequency noise.
Scopes can do some low level examination of digital data.
Scopes let you look at signal edges, and measure pulse widths, and that sort of thing.
Scopes are much less likely to be destroyed by things that might damage a regular audio circuit.
Scopes can do a lot more too, depending on the scope.
Features built into some modern oscilloscopes
- Multiple Inputs
- Complex Triggering
- Storage
- Frequency Counters
- Signal Generators
- Spectrum Analyzers
- Mixed Signal Scopes
- Digital Signal Decoding
- Simple Protocol Analyzers like for I2C or SPI
- Ability to connect to a computer or the internet.
If all you need is to gauge a pitch, and tell if a signal is approximately a sine wave, or approximately a square wave, or approximately something else, your well trained ear can get you that far.
ADDED : Oh yeah, if your scope has an XY mode. you can draw fun Lissajous figures.
Thanks for the reading!
Okay I’ll see about getting a scope
They’re nice but not essential for debugging and calibrating kits.
Where stuff like that becomes more valuable is in circuit design & development.