PCB layout for Phase 45 w/Maillet/Univibe mods?

[PCS]

Is there one? I'm gonna give up on the stripboard.

[tungngruv]

So the trannies didn't work? They worked in mine.

[PCS]

No, they didn't work. I can't even fathom what the problem is. I rebuilt the whole circuit on a new piece of stripboard. Perhaps some resistors are open. I don't know. But I'm through with the ambiguities of stripboard.

[PCS]

But many thanks for sending them to me.

[bluesdevil]

I'm looking for a pcb of this circuit also. It was great to see the huge onslaught of circuit layouts with stripboard appear a while back, but so far I'm finding out now it's not for me either, unfortunately. I tried it on stripboard and couldn't get it to work 100%.  I actually have a tough time stripboarding due to solder bridges.... it's really easy to short the traces!!!  After the trouble with this one I'm sticking to perfing and I'm in the process of learning the pcb thing for higher parts count circuits.  I'm a diehard and hate to give up, but I'll just say "no" to vero/strip layouts from here on out no matter how interesting they look.

[Fret Wire]

You can adapt Tonepad's layout and pcb to JC's mods
http://www.tonepad.com/getFile.asp?id=12

http://www.lynx.bc.ca/~jc/pedalsPhase45.html

http://www.lynx.bc.ca/~jc/phase45modded.gif

[PCS]

I'm not brave enough for that. I've had enough trouble with an already vetted vero layout.

[MartyMart]

I'm not brave enough for that. I've had enough trouble with an already vetted vero layout.

Thats odd, my version made from Torchy's layout worked first time !!
I also think that solder bridges/copper trace cut errors are easy to find
on vero ..... oh well, to each his own  

Marty.

[bluesdevil]

Went back to give it another shot and got it working pretty good.... just had to settle on transistors that biased at the pot turned turned all the way to left and not center. With that I only get the effect with the mix pot centered. I'll try another batch of 2n5458's later and try to get some sound clips recorded in the meantime. I can get 2n5457's a lot cheaper so I may try a load of those instead.
    For PCS: Here's a couple of  tips for troublshooting that helped me get this stripboard layout and another (BSIABII)  working.
1) Make sure your trace break holes are in the right place, are a clean break and do not short. Shove a needle or pin in the "hole" (solder side) and see if it pokes through in right component side spot according to layout.
2)  Then use your multi-meter and do a continuity check (with beeper mode on) to see if there are any shorts in adjacent traces.... I found a bunch on mine due to a very blunt soldering tip and thick solder. I like to run a utility blade between the traces and clear off any stray solder.
3) Double check you wiring. I've made mistakes in the past with placing a wire on the strip next to the right and took me a couple of days to notice it!!
4) This is one I learned from jmusser: Take a highlighter and trace over a copy of the layout while checking your circuit. I found a missing resistor this way.... I couldn't believe it!!
      After seeing how I could improve my soldering skills/tools a bit, I think I'll try stripboard again, but I'm definitely gotta get a skinnier tip and thinner solder next time!!! Thanks and good luck!!!

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

[I also think that solder bridges/copper trace cut errors are easy to findon vero ..... oh well, to each his own  
Marty.

I'm with MartyMart on that one. Mind you, before powering up, I run around with a meter and check whether there is a short between any adjacent tracks, and check there is no bridge across any cut. There usually IS a bridge, and it's a lot easier to find them BEFORE powering up & burning stuff out!

[MartyMart]

Went back to give it another shot and got it working pretty good.... just had to settle on transistors that biased at the pot turned turned all the way to left and not center. With that I only get the effect with the mix pot centered. I'll try another batch of 2n5458's later and try to get some sound clips recorded in the meantime. I can get 2n5457's a lot cheaper so I may try a load of those instead.
    For PCS: Here's a couple of  tips for troublshooting that helped me get this stripboard layout and another (BSIABII)  working.
1) Make sure your trace break holes are in the right place, are a clean break and do not short. Shove a needle or pin in the "hole" (solder side) and see if it pokes through in right component side spot according to layout.
2)  Then use your multi-meter and do a continuity check (with beeper mode on) to see if there are any shorts in adjacent traces.... I found a bunch on mine due to a very blunt soldering tip and thick solder. I like to run a utility blade between the traces and clear off any stray solder.
3) Double check you wiring. I've made mistakes in the past with placing a wire on the strip next to the right and took me a couple of days to notice it!!
4) This is one I learned from jmusser: Take a highlighter and trace over a copy of the layout while checking your circuit. I found a missing resistor this way.... I couldn't believe it!!
      After seeing how I could improve my soldering skills/tools a bit, I think I'll try stripboard again, but I'm definitely gotta get a skinnier tip and thinner solder next time!!! Thanks and good luck!!!

Glad that you're having a bit more success with this
Here's my "tips" on this/vero in general :
Its quite "fussy" about that pair of 5457's so I had to try a few sets to get
a real "nice" phase going on - DONT just plump for one pair, try several
as a matched set will give best results ....
Use the smallest "pen tip" iron that you can get, mine - which is a cheap
iron - has a tip that's slanted down to a bout a 2mm end point - great for
all my soldering work
Keep the amount of solder to a minimum, you DON'T want huge "blobs"
on ANY build !!
Run a knife/small screwdriver between all traces and use a Mag-glass to
check that you have no bridges.
Its easy to leave a "tiny" amount of copper when you "cut" the trace with a 5mm dril bit .... CHECK with the mag - glass again !!
Torchy suggested using a copper "suede brush" to clean up the board
after soldering - it's a great way to remove the residue and makes the
traces easy to trouble-shoot ....

Cheers,
Marty.

[Fret Wire]

All of the above.  If someone is going vero layouts thinking it is easier than pcb's, it isn't in some aspects. IC pins are the easiest to solder bridge, and IC pins are just as close together on vero as they are on pcb. :wink: The same soldering dilegence is required. One thing that is nice  about vero is that you can run an Exacto blade between the copper strips to ensure their are no strips bridged.

Cut your board to size, then cut any traces you need to. Then inspect with a magnifying glass. You want to start out with a board that has no bridged traces or copper left where you don't want it. Like Marty said, no need to put down a pound of solder on every joint. After each joint, inspect with a magnifying glass again. I clean the flux off every joint as I inspect them. Test every resistor with your DMM, and double check against the schematic before you solder it in. I do the same with caps. It's really like you're de-bugging it as you build it.

Pcb, vero, and perf are just different platforms for providing the same electronic layout of the components. You can make the same mistakes on all three and have the same success. With larger and more complex ckts, it's not that simple, but using the same methodical approach works on all three.

[PCS]

I've rebuilt the circuit TWICE! :evil:  The second time, I used the layout to physically draw component locations on the board, as well as the cut traces. I checked each component prior to soldering. I'd like to try something new, and PCB's are so much prettier.