Ive tried to build my own SID synth and i did it successfully. That was single SID prototype and now i redesigned all pcbs - in fact some of them need some job because i had new ideas (CC and AutoWrite leds on front panel). It will be one 2 color led with priority where AW has higher than CC.
Im sure that many of you would like to have SID synths but you are curious of your ability in soldering - thats why im thinking of selling half assembled boards, especially they partly SMT. Pcbs are double sided with many possibilities in parts there used or even building custom SIDO’s. Ive designed mainboard to use with Serpac enclosures (im not sure they send me some samples that i could build exact prototype). To use this mainboard within this enclosure will be necessary small another pcb to move up rear panel connectors. There will be also another board - control board: 12 buttons and 1 encoder with button. Only mainboard is double sided, another boards single sided.
Now im looking for some switches widely available and of course cheap. Ill inform whats done. One thing what i need is blessing from Thorsten:)
This is really nice. I would attach the front panel with standoffs, add a plain back panel and put rubber feet on the bottom. No case needed at all. If you decide to make a board, I would buy one. I built a MIDIBOX SID from a core module and 2 SID modules and my control surface has never worked right. I would prefer everything on a single PCB for reliability.
As an alternative, if the control surface and SID/CORE/DIN were on separate boards, they could be stacked and it would be even smaller. This would also allow the control surface to be mounted separately from the other board and make a rack mount MIDIBOX SID very easy to build.
Has anyone ever done a minimal control surface on a single PCB with controls and display mounted directly to the board? Like a sammichSID that would attach with ribbon cables to the CORE and DIN modules?
smashtv - yes i know license: 10 units no more than 1500 eur. Ive read Thorsten topics about that. But right now im prototyping boards so its long way and i sold nothing. Ive send him also some question about commercial license if i even finish this version of Sido. I should maybe ask in the Sale Request but its i think little too early.
tomtiki - that was the idea to use the same board as desktop and rack module in even different versions. Also thats why boards are separated (control and mainboard). Mainboard is exactly fitted to Serpac enclosure. At this moment i have a lot problems… for example control board cant be easily mounted, boards need some corrections, switches are hard to get (its reason to separate control board too) etc etc. As i said previously i would like - if i will sell them - to sell partly assembled because SMT. Im soldering 0805 parts to 1206 pads just because ive bought better quality parts: Murata, Panasonic etc. Electrolytics are smaller too but it doesnt matter.
hello. I am also very interested in this project. I can also smt solder itself and would love to test your layout. of course I pay for the PCB itself also
Hi
Im attaching another pics from work progress. This picture with pcb in bottom of enclosure looks little dusty but i did polished corners to fit it easily. I forgot to point that i want milling;) Also as you can see SIDO v2 soldermask is moved down. These and a lot different problems we found when sending gerbers from EAGLE. It has some problems with fonts. Eagle change them when exporting to another one type of font and then looks really ugly. This board can operate with 3 types of memory: TSSOP8 and SSO8/SOIC8 both EIAJ and JEDEC.
Sorry guys I have ordered only this one pcb for testing because i wasnt sure that everything is ok. So i was right - nothing is ok hehehehe.
I would prefer if it will be in sale to sell assembled because i can test then whole device + upload software. Especially it must be dedicated software - if comparing to sammichSID control board has swapped connections to registers. Im not saying that bare boards will impossible to order - just i would be sure that future user has working synthesizer - not tons of problems.
This one pcb cost me a lot because what they call it “i started manufacturing process”. Fortunately they said that they will fix these all mistakes free of charge.
Ahhh i forgot to say that as you can see there not much to soldering:)
Cheers
C_04
P. S. Ive attached some documents for enclosures.
P. S. 2 Im plannig to use this red negative LCD but also im thinking about orange. Depends which will fit better to other part of design. I have so many brown switches and here orange display could be better choice… but this red looks so sexy:)
P. S. 3 I did some fast calculations and at 10 boards each of them may cost about 25 EUR but if 100 pcbs ordered each of them could be about 12 EUR. Its just my calculation not pcb manufacturer and im not sure it will exatly like that. Note that there will be needed another two much cheaper boards (control + connectors).
Especially it must be dedicated software - if comparing to sammichSID control board has swapped connections to registers.
To be honest, I don’t think it is a smart choice to do this. It might make routing of the board a bit easier, but it will be a nightmare to keep up with MIOS updates. I don’t see how are you going to support this if you don’t think that users can upload software themselves?
One of the mounting screws is conflicting with the MIDI socket - how will that be solved? Hopefully not by just leaving out the screw?
ilmenator - MIOS is exactly the same only setup firmware is little different and only with exactly one control board yet. You may if you wish to use sammichSID control board and then you have to upload setup firmware for sammichSID. I think it explains to you what i thought saying “software”.
That screw and few other places as i said before can be used in other versions of SIDO. If you assembling this SIDO here, you will need distance bolts (one of attachements). Additional board must be about 20mm higher than mainboard. For example if you wanna build SIDO RACK - then you dont need this special additional board (it lift up/move up connectors) - you just mount all this pcb to back panel of rack + if possible to floor/bottom plate of rack enclosure. Here also another control board will be necessary and of course i think setup firmware. Sido has only one control encoder but in RACK you can use as many as you have place there.
Im adding attachments here to explain better. Orange circles shows where and when you have to use screws.
What I am still wondering: Why would one need this if one can have a Sammich? In other words: apart from using a different PCB and case, what is the difference?
Difference is: partly SMT, much simpler, 8 banks memory, dont have these led matrix or even output registers (595 on control brd), boards are designed by me and idea here was to be used in different setups as i said: desktop, rack, extended desktop etc. To me sounds the same so no more differences. Should be cheaper if that matter.
We’re taking a little break at the moment, but once the list is long enough, there’ll most likely be another run, yes. (And by “we”, I mean Wilba) :flowers:
We’re taking a little break at the moment, but once the list is long enough, there’ll most likely be another run, yes. (And by “we”, I mean Wilba) :flowers:
Every time I find a request for “Want To Buy” I send/post the info to get on the list. But I’m not sure anyone follows up as there’s no indication of another run. It’d be nice if the list stats were posted i.e. 21 of 150 on list for next sammichSID kit/batch of releases.
Yesterday i already soldered missing few last parts. After fast/short tests i can say that everything works fine beside LCD backlight - i mean its still the same full bright, no matter that pot is turned left of right. Its not my mistake because ive compared schematics and they the same with pcb. Probably transistor has too big hfe. I found solution for such cases but unfortunately its too late because pcb is produced yet. I will make some cosmetic changes and thats it. Fortunately dimming is almost never used - i mean is set once, anyway i will check another resistors between transistor and pot (different values). In fact ive been mostly afraid about optocoupler which i bought somewhere from HK or China but they work excellent.
Maybe i could provide pcbs for these two persons but i would like to know that you need complete pcbs set with control board and this small for connectors?
As attachment you may find my solution for dimming. Works every time no matter hfe you have, may be problematic that regulation is only 1/4 of pot scale but at least still is.
In fact ive been mostly afraid about optocoupler which i bought somewhere from HK or China but they work excellent.
Using obscure parts or parts that originate from an obscure source is something I would strongly advise against. It might be okay for a build that you do for yourself, but this is definitely not something you want to be part of a kit that you sell to some other, maybe inexperienced, builders.
I am pretty sure you don’t want to test each and every component that you are planning to send out, so a word of warning is due here, I think.
Even Farnell may be obscure if you buying first time there;) So…
Beside that almost every parts are from China or any part of Asia. I bought many times and many things from China and never had any problems. I could say that these problematic parts are made in EU but also Asia. Im not pretty sure. I remember devices which had polished ICs (devices were made in EU) and maybe that was starting point for idea to second life for these broken/cheap.
Looks you dont have to warn me:) But you are right - unknown parts sources can be even harmful hehe. Ive seen burning chips and that was open fire not just psssst;)
