Way Huge pcb...

[amz-fx]

Here is the bottom of a Way Huge pcb...



What's so interesting about this?  The IC is unmarked but from the layout I can guess that pins 4 and 11 are for the V+ and V- power connections...  but if you can locate the IC in the middle of the board, you'll see that neither of these pins are connected to anything!!!

Anyone want to take a guess what's happening here???

-Jack

[Steve C]

Hey, the other side of the Swollen Pickle!

[Ry]

My guess would be that it's a suprious component thrown in to stop people from tracing the effect and making clones.

Please let me know if I'm wrong, but I can't think of a way that an IC could work without electrons flowing...

Ry

[Mr.Huge]

I can!
But it's so much fun to watch y'all struggle with such a simple little thing.
-Mr. Huge

[amz-fx]

Please let me know if I'm wrong, but I can't think of a way that an IC could work without electrons flowing...

You're wrong...    hint - there are bias resistors on the inputs and outputs...

actually I played around with an idea like this but never got it working well...

-JACK

[Rory]

Its not acting as a transistor?

[Steve C]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's acting like a rectifier?

[Peter Snowberg]

Very cute Mr. Huge.

I think I know what the trick is, but I would need to see the top to confirm my suspicion.

It's not the sort of thing you would want to do with a chip that supplies any real power if I have it correctly.

This is the first time I've seen the concept used in an actual product.

Take care,
-Peter

[KarbonHed]

Is it something like a 4007 with the individual mosfets used as clipping "diodes"?

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Since some chips have 'protection' diodes from input & output pins to power rails, if you leave the "official" power pins disconnecrted, sometimes yu can get the chip to work.
I had a logic chip in a turned pin socket once, and one turned pin collar was missing! the chip leg (V+ as it happened!) just floated there, while the chip acted a bit flakey.

[Dan N]

[amz-fx]

Most of the opamp sections have voltages like this:

Inverting input:  0.67v
Noninverting:    25mv
Output pin:    4.7v

The inverting input is essentially a diode drop above ground and the noninverting is connected to ground through a 100 ohm resistor, so it's not surprising it is almost 0.   The pullup resistor on the output and the internal circuitry are balancing the output near 1/2 V+.

Knowing what the opamp could be is the key to understanding this...  

regards, Jack

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

This is why I was glad mr Huge didn't post the schematics... this way we're going to LEARN something!

[Ed Rembold]

a 4069 perhaps?

Ed R.

[Aharon]

If I want to know what's inside of an effects box I go and rent it for $10 a month at my local music store.
Aharon

[RDV]

Most boutique builders sand off the old ICs or smother them in goop, so renting does you little to no good.

Regards

RDV

[Chris R]

4069 hex inverter has a different pinout than most 14 pin quad op amps..

which would mean.. that the unused pins on the 4069 were

output #2 & input #5

[Aharon]

"Most boutique builders sand off the old ICs or smother them in goop, so renting does you little to no good. "
RDV


Some do some don't,older effects certainly don't have that problem.
Aharon

[Ed Rembold]

My only other guess would be a transistor array chip,
making it a BMP like thing?
I dunno,  love the surface mount pulldown R.


Ed R.

[Mr.Huge]

You are very wise Grasshopper.
But answer me this… Why does the universe appear to have one time and three space dimensions?
Ha..HA..HAHAH…HA!
-Mr. Huge