Remote Mechanical or CMOS Switching

[liquids]

Time to take a step back to block diagrams. A bypsss switch switch driving a pedal bypass setup always has certain elementary things it does.
(1) there is some way for the human to tell the setup "do it now!"
(2) it drives a flipflop, which toggles every time you punch the button. This is a one-bit "memory" which keeps track of whether the actual switch should be effecting or bypassing.
(3) The actual switch itself. This can be made of JFETs, MOSFETs, CMOS inverters, CMOS single switches or CMOS multiplexers.

Mother Nature lets you choose any means of doing all this. A normal DPDT stomp switch has a **mechanical** flipflop which drives a **mechanical** switch section.

You can use a mechanical "flipflop" (latching switch) to drive an electronic switch. The electronic switch can be a relay or a JFET, MOSFET... switch of some kind. If you use a momentary electrical switch, you can drive a mechnico-electric flipflop and switch; this is what a latching relay is. You can use a momentary switch to drive an electronic flipflop. This is what Boss and Ibanez do. They use NPN transistors to make the flipflop to remember state. You can use CMOS logic to make a flipflop out of inverters (i.e. 4069 or 4049 ICs) or make a flipflop out of the "spare" MOSFET transistors in the 4007, which is a kind of DIY package with CMOS inside.

You can make the switch itself out of mechanics (mechanical switch or relay) or JFETs, or discrete MOSFETs, or MOSFETs inside an IC (4007) or a pre-packaged switch like the CD4066, or a higher-integration package like the 4053 and others.

In all of this, you have to remember the three parts: (1) human actuator (2) one-bit memory (3) actual signal switch. You have to pick what you want to use, then fill in the blanks between them to get them to talk to each other reliably.  What's confusing you is that there are lots of ways to split this up, and some variations in the stuff in the filled blanks.

Get out a blank piece of paper. Draw on it three rectangles; label them 'actuator', 'flipflop', and 'signal switch'.  Now draw how many of these you need to do your switching. There will be one 'wire' between each of them indicating what controls what. There may be a power and ground going to each one if they're electronic.

Once you have all your "architectural" level stuff figured out, you have the minimum number of wires you'll need. And from there, you can fill in the spaces with how you're going to make each actuator, flipflop, and switch. Each choice restricts what you can choose to hook up to it.

I appreciate your proposed approach.

Some of what complicates this is, on one hand, I'm getting closer to the 'actuals' of how I'll work this.   On the other hand, I want a plan in place when I have not even begun to actualize the circuits I will house in proposed 'one big enclosure.'  They're on a breadboard...and not even finalized at that.  Big breadboard circuits.

Circuit 1 is a complicated 'synth' which uses F/V into a VCO, which will likely have ~7+ (minimum: VCO tune, VCO ofsett, fundamental sawtooth, fundamental pulse, sub-octave sawtooth, sub-octave square, sub-octave tone), but I'm still developing; big circuit .  

Circuit 2 is either the 'triggering' and filter section out of the microsynth, OR Harry Bissell's Envelope Generator-->morph-Lag driving some kind of resonant filter (havent tried that yet).  Another big circuit.  

Circuit 3 is the simplest - probably a synthbox/variation on Joe Davissons octave.

I may have a 4th - or I may not have room.

Another complication is, right now I have a 1444-18 on hand, unused.  I bought it for a tube preamp project that I decided against....the enclosure is 13.5" L x5"W x2" (deep).  I can only conjecture if this will be large enough for two circuits, maybe three, dare I try four.  Or I can spend ~35-40 bucks and buy one with more square footage....not unreasonable if need be, but I don't know all that in certain terms yet.

Stomping - the 'soft touch' momentary NC or NO switches are about $4 each.  That's fine.  If I can use the 'more reliable' tactile switches, I'd save money, but that may be easier said than done - I've read http://geofex.com/Article_Folders/alteractuator/alteractuator.htm but it seems risky, when the soft touch switch is not overly expensive and may be 'good enough' especially for just me/non-manufacturing purposes....actually it seems quite a few boutiquers are using such a switch as a better 'alternative' to 3PDT mechanicals....

Also, since this is my first entry into such switching, I'd like to keep it to something that is simple enough for me to understand, and likewise, something comprehendable for ME, so that should I fail to get it working or should I need to 'fix' it down the road, I can troubleshoot and DIY repair it.

Okay, so lets say I start from the footswitch and say - soft touch momentary it is. That's your 1) actuators - 3x soft touch SPST momentarys.

Your 3) actual signal switch.  CD4069 (or 4049) seem simple...for each effect, feed 'dry' (buffered) input to Cd40xx switch A and B. Switch A 'other end' passes right to output.  Switch B passes right to a circuit...output of circuit sees CD40XX switch C at it's input, output of CDxxx switch C also connectes to output.  Momentary uses a flipflip that causes switch the control input of switch A and switch C to be 'in unison' and switch B to be 'opposite.'  When B is high, dry signal goes right to 'output and onto the logic of the next circuit, switch A and Switch C open so as to disconnect the circuit any connection with the unaffected signal.

This all happens 3 times if 3 circuits are housed together.

Easiest flip flop?  The dual comparator + components  takes up less space than a CD4013...and I only need one side of a CD4013, so for the sake of ease of wiring, each circuit is likely to have it's own dedicated flip flop and CD40xx switch...
So that MAY get me all three
1) SPST Momentary, NO
2) LM339 comparator-based flip flop
3) CD4069 (etc) switch

Switch D of each 40xx switching chip is either unused, or can makes/breaks a standard LED onboard 'in unison' switch A & C ...there may also be a daughterboard on the footswitch enclosure too, with some way to rig the LEDS right next to the stomp switches to light up or go off to indicate if the corresponding circuit is in/out of the chain right at the footswitch.  Worse case, this requires another flipflop for each stompswitch, but just one CD4069 with enough switches to make/break the LED connection on the footswitch board.

I didn't draw, but hopefully that is one step closer/clearer/more decicive, and any suggested refinements/improvements/easier methodology would prove  helpful...oh yeah, I have a job, time to get ready for work  

[gght]

Hey liquids!! You once gave me a bunch of mod ideas on the bsiab.  I would recommend you look at Anderton's book.  I think the project was called electronic footswitch. Heck even "I " was able to follow his explanation. If I can find my old (original edition) I can scan those pages for you. No promises as I haven't seen it in quite a while but will look tonight.

Dave

[liquids]

If anyone has a link to that, or if you can scan that, I'd be interested to see it.  I saw something interesting and probably similar  in a PAIA schematic, but you can never have too much information.

[gght]

https://rapidshare.com/#!download|272p12|101757851|Craig_Anderton_-_Electronic_Projects_For_Musicians.pdf|46956|R~0|0|0

Found this. But am using phone so no dlload to check it out. Haven't found my copy yet.
I remember wearing the pages of that dog eared. HA. He really has a talent (as I remember ) for simplifying things at least in my eyes. Wish I could find a hands on explanation of transistors like he explained basic opamps.

Dave

[jazbo8]

R.G.,

Just went to your website to check out the remote footswitch bypassing system, but the PCBs shown are with parts layout on them, do you have the ready to etch version that you can share? I am planning to build a multi-effect in a box and would like to use your footswitch system with it, which should work pretty well I think unless you have yet another new trick up your sleeve?!

Thanks!
Jaz