Testing circuit before boxing it.

[Rodders]

Just about finished my first couple of builds and I figured I should test the circuits prior to housing them in the enclosures. So, I set about wiring it all up and soon found myself in a tangle.

I just wondered if other people might offer some tips and advice on how to test your circuits before you commit to the enclosure. Or, maybe the enclosure can be wired temporarily and then fixed once testing is done?

Specific problems are:

1. Operating the footswitch when it's hanging loose.
2. Adjusting pots
3. Avoiding components shorting out against each other.
Tangle of wires gets in the way.

Cheers
Rich

[bassmasta17]

for ? 3
some people might be mad for me saying this but use electrical tape if you are unsure. just don't break anything trying to put the tape on.

[drewl]

I often fiddle around with stuff while painting the boxes so I get where you're coming from.
A simple solution is I took a plain metal box and drilled a bunch of holes in it for testing purposes.

Aside from that
1- yes the switch is a pain to operate
2- yes the knobs are a pain to operate - especially since it's usually upside down
3- yes stuff shorts out- especially for me the power supply leads I have connected to the battery snap with alligator clips, I make sure to turn the current limiter on the power supply way down while testing.

So, all good reasons for making a test box.

[petemoore]

  1 Battery Clip [more clips optional
  2 mono jacks
  3 test clips
  Good wire.
  color coding...nahh left in is left clip..
  a RACO or other box
  A cardboard box to sit on top.
  Install the two jacks in the box.
  Connect a wire [2] and testclip [2] to each tip lug
  Connect a ground wire to the sleeves.
  Feed the wired testclip through..and in so when the cardboard box is mounted on top of it [more like a shelf with sides] they're sticking in there.
  Guitar>cable in the left jack [or other source], clip the left tip wire to the input.
  Cable to amp in the right jack, right clip to circuit output [~often a volume control.
  Before and other jacks or switche wirings or anything else is done, a test-fire up.
 

[frank_p]

Just about finished my first couple of builds and I figured I should test the circuits prior to housing them in the enclosures. So, I set about wiring it all up and soon found myself in a tangle.

I just wondered if other people might offer some tips and advice on how to test your circuits before you commit to the enclosure. Or, maybe the enclosure can be wired temporarily and then fixed once testing is done?

Specific problems are:

1. Operating the footswitch when it's hanging loose.
2. Adjusting pots
3. Avoiding components shorting out against each other.
Tangle of wires gets in the way.

Cheers
Rich

Using a CAD software to make a fake box in cardboard and drawing your big components footprints  is a solution.  Mechanical interferences between parts-components can be recurrent problem if you use a lot of switches, pots, jacks, etc...  And as easy as it may seem without planification, it may save you a couple of "not well drilled" Hammond boxes.  In fact, in some cases you will have to do some iterations in the mechanical layout as to have it to your taste.

If you want to use the .dxf format (AutoCAD), you can start with Paul Marossy's templates

http://www.diyguitarist.com/
Go: DIY guitar effects
Then: building stompboxes

At the bottom of the page you will have the drawings to download.

- Draw your layout in five views
- Print to 1:1 scale
- make a cardboard box over the enclosure of your choice
- Slide your printed plan into it
- Cut the holes
- Try to screw everything in place
- You will then know if it's OK (if unwanted contacts could be created).
- You can test everything with a little care (I mean: it's not a stompbox  )

And last, say thanks to Paul !

Have fun !
FHP

[solderman]

Hi
I have struggled for too long with different setups for testing and tweaking a circuitry before it goes it to a box. I have tyred soldered, alligator clips, Screwed and breadboard connections.
I have found a lot of well thought out solutions, among the more exclusive is http://www.beavisaudio.com/Projects/TestRig/
And others in those topics.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=55197.0
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=43500.0

As I hear some of you are struggling with the same problem as i did, here is how i solved my hookup problem.
I wanted some thing that was;
- Easy to connect/disconnect the circuitry without tools
- Easy to connect to In/out standard sized Jacks and power
- No soldering
- Protect against shortening signal in/ut/GND and or +9V/GND
- Dead cheap and fast/easy to build

This is the result. It is very primitive but works grate. Using a IC socket that works in the same way as a bread board makes the connection very fast.
This way 8 connections (or as many as the IC socket used has) is possible. I connect this to a A/B switch box to have it "footswitch enabeled" 


I also always use The same color code all the time. This way I always know where a cord hookup wire leads. even if I open an old box.
Red =+9V
Black =GND
Purple=OUT
Yellow=IN
Green=Pot lug 1
White=Pot lug 2
Brown=Pot lug 3
Gray = toggle switch center/in (not stomp)
Blue = toggle switch out

Those are the wire colors I have. additional needs=take a pick

[GibsonGM]

Awesome ideas guys!  I usually use a bunch of jumpers w/alligator clips, and connect the circuit to 2 jacks with no switching in yet.  I test it out, make sure the pots are not backwards and all that.  Then I box it and wire up the switch.  This way I know if the problem is in the circuit, or in the switching!  Then if it doesn't work after going in the enclosure, I can focus only on the switch.

Another idea I picked up on here and like is to take a board, like a piece of 1x4, and pre-drill holes a little bigger than your pots etc.  Lay out how the pots will go in the enclosure, drill holes, and place the pots on the board to hold them while you wire up.  Makes a nice, neat wiring job.

[cpm]

i connect all the wires coming from the board into a breadboard, and there i use trimmer pots and jacks to test everyhing

[Rodders]

I think what I'm going to do is get a cheap enclosure (probably plastic) and fix a 3PDT, LED, 9v DC, and the input and output jacks. I'll wire all that up how I normally would and then hook up the loose ends onto a tag strip on the outside of the box.

Then, to test it should be a case of simply screwing wires onto the correct bit of the tag strip.

I'm trying to think about working out how to quickly swap pots in and out too - maybe I'll get a 2nd enclosure which is predrilled with holes for upto 4 pots.

I reckon it's possible to put something cheap and effective together. I'll report back if I have any success.