42

[solderman]

Hi
This is 42. It is nothing that will revolutionise the world and nothing that haven't been made before. It's not goanna win any price for grate deign or paint work. Its plain boring but very versatile and usable. It does other things than distort sound. It's a combo switch box. Why 42?? I think most of you can guess that one  At first I was thinking of calling it the (s)Witchbox.

It can;
•   Switch between IN and the effect loop or OUT
•   Reverse the effect loop from A>B to B>A
•   Act as an A/B switch instead of a loop if only A-B send return is used to switch between.
•   Act as an A/B/C switch if both A-B and IN-OUT stomp switches are used.
•   A line buffer on/off to avoid dull tone caused by hi capacitance poor cables and support poor cables instead of expensive low capacitance cables.

To take as little room as possible on the pedal board I have used stereo jacks and insert splitter cables instead of separate mono jacks. All switching going on inside is all mechanical. At first I tried different CMOS (GEO Juggler 4 type) and FET switching but I cold not get the CMOS quite and the FET to work in series. I didn't want to use 4DTP cause there so expensive and rear so I retreated to relays and found Omron G6H-2-100 5VDC. They are small, absolutely quiet and relatively low in current consumption 28 mA for 5V, 15mA for 9V and 12mA for 12V. My supplyer had 5 and 12 and I wanted to use standard 9V so I used 5V and a L7805. I've measured 37 mA for everything, two relays and LED and L7805. Strange but what ever.

Other projects like this one
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/juggler/juggler.htm
http://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/PedalHacker/OrderSwitcher.htm

Pics





Project file
http://solderman.fatabur.se/42/42.pdf

//Solderman

[Johan]

..and I thoght we finely get to know the question..
..looks great..
j

[iaresee]

Life, the universe and everything. Now I know. Thanks!

(Neat build...)

[solderman]

Thanks
After playing with it for a while I can hear the difference and I realise what a massive tone loss there is in bad cables.

[jakehop]

FYI most 12V relays can be run at 9V (or 9,6V as most wallwarts put out). That might save you some hassle.

Kind regards, Jake

[solderman]

FYI most 12V relays can be run at 9V (or 9,6V as most wallwarts put out). That might save you some hassle.

Kind regards, Jake

OK thanks. Diddent know that. But I think it will consume the same amount of power. The hassle is not the regulator its that battery is out of the question with this kind of power consumption. That was why I tried to get CMOS to work at first.

[xshredx]

FYI most 12V relays can be run at 9V (or 9,6V as most wallwarts put out). That might save you some hassle.

For the Omron relays he is using, it's possible that it might work. According to the datasheet they are guaranteed to switch at 75% of the rated voltage, so 9V should be ok.
Fujitsu 12V relays for instance (as used by Axess Electronics in their midi switchers) are guaranteed to switch at 8.5V, which is a bit of a better margin.
But since I can not easily find a supplier for Fujitsu ones, I always use Omron relays too....     and I'm thinking of changing my current project from 5v relays to 12 v relays, run at 9v. But then I need to be sure about the voltage. Benefit would be though that I then could keep my current under 100mA.

[R.G.]

OK thanks. Diddent know that. But I think it will consume the same amount of power. The hassle is not the regulator its that battery is out of the question with this kind of power consumption. That was why I tried to get CMOS to work at first.

Have you tried latching relays? These are much the same as what you have, but you *pulse* them to change positions, and they need no power between pulses to hold the position. This is explained in my article on relays for audio at geofex. Also, there is a pulsed driver for latching relays there.

[TELEFUNKON]

Hey Anders, which PCB software do you use? Those rounded fat traces ends are looking cute.

[solderman]

Hey Anders, which PCB software do you use? Those rounded fat traces ends are looking cute.

Hi
Its the standard DIY layout creator http://www.diy-fever.com/index.php?project=software
You can decide how many pixels to use for the traces and pads etc. Handy when you don't know the exact measurement of a component or to build a ground plane. 

[solderman]

OK thanks. Diddent know that. But I think it will consume the same amount of power. The hassle is not the regulator its that battery is out of the question with this kind of power consumption. That was why I tried to get CMOS to work at first.

Have you tried latching relays? These are much the same as what you have, but you *pulse* them to change positions, and they need no power between pulses to hold the position. This is explained in my article on relays for audio at geofex. Also, there is a pulsed driver for latching relays there.

Thanks, Yes I found that one on GEO, nice design by the way. But I thought that I had to use momentary stompswitches and then not be able to use a the stompswitch to controll the LED. but I when I realised that I could work around that I had already bought the relays and etched the PCB so I was to lacy to start all over. But next time..

For the Omron relays he is using, it's possible that it might work. According to the datasheet they are guaranteed to switch at 75% of the rated voltage, so 9V should be ok.
Fujitsu 12V relays for instance (as used by Axess Electronics in their midi switchers) are guaranteed to switch at 8.5V, which is a bit of a better margin.
But since I can not easily find a supplier for Fujitsu ones, I always use Omron relays too....     and I'm thinking of changing my current project from 5v relays to 12 v relays, run at 9v. But then I need to be sure about the voltage. Benefit would be though that I then could keep my current under 100mA.

Suggest that you use the latching type as R.G suggests since Mr Ohm will eat that current (P=U x I) if you lower the voltage the current is going to rice if its gonna deliver the same P needed for the magnet to contract the metal bar I think.