Testing circuit out of box

[TrentC]

Hey guys, just got done last night with building a green ringer from the Tonepad layout.  I've checked everything and it seems to be connected right, but no sound is coming out when I try to plug it in. I think I might be missing something in the wiring. What do you have to do to test the circuit when the board is done, but not wired up with a stompswitch and DC jack and all that?

If I can't figure it out, I'll post voltages later. Thanks!

[oliphaunt]

I wire my pc boards with all the off board wires connected to them, then get out my breadboard.  I attach all the necessary pots to their wires, and of course the in and out jacks (and their grounds) to the appropriate connections.  Same for ground and +9V to the PC.  I have the in and out jacks connected to cables running to a true bypass looper box, so that I can switch between clean and the effect.  That's not necessary, you could go strright to the amp, but it's great to have that referewnce, plus I can bypass the effect as I make connections so I don't create a lot of pops and other undesirable noises.  Does that help?

[fpaul]

I usually leave off the switch until I'm sure the circuit works.  Board input to input jack tip, output to output tip. Have to have power in somehow, either battery or jack.(I stopped wiring batteries altogether).  If still no sound look for shorts to ground around the input jack, visually or with conductivity tester, then use audio probe. 

If the circuit is simple this usually works.  If more complicated take voltage readings on transistors and ICs. 

Sometimes I just have to get a schematic and check each component to see if everything suposed to be connected is, and nothing connected that isn't supposed to be.  This always works but is time consuming.  Reading the voltages helps narrow the search.

Good luck!  It took me a week to get my first pedal working (rangemaster), now I can do a simple one in in a half hour or so.  Gets easier every time.

[petemoore]

  There are neg and pos Gnd. versions.
  they use a mix of pnp/npn.
  the direction of the transistors E/B diodes and pinouts are tricky on that one.