tube screamer, no voltage to IC

[gutsofgold]

I'm going about debugging and right away I noticed that there is no voltage going to the IC socket. 

I have the black lead of my meter attached to the ground lug on the input jack and I'm touching the socket legs with the red lead. The battery is in. I should be reading voltage, correct? For every leg I get nothing, 0.0V.

[MartyMart]

Try a ground point on the board ... perhaps the jack ground is not correctly wired, try this first and come back.
MM.

[Andre]

Don't forget to plug in a cable in the input jack to connect your circuit ground to battery ground.

André

[petemoore]

  test for non continuity between battery clip poles before applying power.

[frankclarke]

Does any part of the circuit have a non-zero voltage?

[gutsofgold]

I tested the other components and there is no voltage getting to the board. The battery is above 8v so my finger is pointing at my wiring job on the jacks or the DC power jack. Right? I will be re-wiring that tonight, anything else I should look for?

[PerroGrande]

Yes -- review your dc source wiring through the jacks, etc.   Remember -- if you're doing the "use a stereo jack as a power switch" trick, you are completing the circuit on the ground-side of the circuit.   You can also eliminate all switching by testing with the battery wired directly to the board (no switch). 

I always test my boards/circuits in a very methodical manner.  The initial build does NO switching (either of input or power) -- when the battery is plugged in, the pedal is on.  If the pedal works, then I change it to switch DC power on input and re-test.  Then, last but not least, I add in any true mechanical bypassing.   Of course, some adjustments to my process are necessary for circuits that feature integrated switching (FET, etc).  However, even then sometimes modular testing is possible. 

The key is to limit the number of variables involved in the troubleshooting.  If everything works in "full standalone" mode, if things stop working immediately after dc switching is added, the problem is likely to be in the dc switching wiring...

[gutsofgold]

Thanks, trying that now. Neg lead off the battery can go to the ground on the board or does it need to be attached to the case?

I should also add, that the LED does come on when switched but still no sound passes through when the effect is on or bypassed.

[petemoore]

  Whoops we should have recommended the debuggin thread.
  But yes for establishing ground connections have been met, testing that all points on the schematic marked Gnd. indeed measure 0v to ground or 'beep'.
  At input jack, Sleeve of *Mono plug should make Gnd and connection between ring/sleeve of jack when in Jack, break it when out.
 

[gutsofgold]

wow, very embarrassing mistake on my part. on the wiring layout i was given with the kit, it shows the ground on the stereo input jack as the longer connection (the one that makes contact with the tip of your plug). so i had the ground coming from the tip of the plug and actual signal coming from the sleeve which obviously wasn't working too well.

second question  , when using LEDs as diodes, should they light up when in use? mine aren't doing much yet i still get a moderate distortion coming from them.

[frankclarke]

LEds needn't light up much when clipping, no.

[the_random_hero]

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. It all depends on the voltage of the signal you're feeding them. Both diodes on my DS-1 light up to a certain extent (looks really cool in the dark )

[gutsofgold]

ok, turned the lights off and they glow just a bit. not sure if i like them over the silicon diodes though. i modded my ds-1 as well and i love the way they sound in there.

i looks like it's a finished deal! thanks for the help everyone, sound awesome.