eChucK Reborn!

Inventor · Last edited by Inventor on Fri Jun 29, 2012 7:04 pm; edited 1 time in total

I've given some thought to the eChucK project and how to breathe some life back into it. I recall that when the project got mentioned on MatrixSynth there were a ton of web hits on it. People want an affordable synthesizer system.

Well, I was looking at some breadboards and jumper wires and I've never lost my fascination with the breadboard as a prototyping method. I make really neat breadboarded circuits that are easy to trace and debug - it's another art form really.

Well, thinking about eChucK and breadboards and eChucK and breadboards and --- well, you get the idea: how about using the breadboard as the basis for eChucK? The concept is as follows.

I'll design those eChucK modules as circuit boards that plug into breadboards vertically using single in-line connectors. I can have the boards made at SparkFun for low cost in low production volume so the problem of spending a few hundred bucks on each board type is gone. Then the breadboard will serve as the interconnection mechanism for the eChucK modules.

The result is a more densely packed breadboard that you can still wire custom circuits on, but you also have standard modules that you can combine as well. Capital idea, don't you think? I'll work on it tonight.

Les

mosc · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:53 pm Post subject:

Sounds very reasonable to me, Les. Be sure to include photos when you get something.

Inventor · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 5:46 pm Post subject:

Well here is a pdf of the headers I plan to use (attached). They should fit snugly if a bit too snugly into a breadboard just fine. I'm reserving pin 1 for ground and pin 2 for VDD. This leaves six pins for I/O and I can use multiple headers if necessary.

The first module I'm planning is a sine wave generator made of a CD4015 and eight resistors plus power supply decoupling cap - oh, and opamp voltage follower too. I'll put the spare opamp on the unused pins. That's the entire circuit. Simple and basic, yet also very versatile. Just slap one down and feed it a frequency to get a step-approximated sine wave. The module can be the output stage of any Lunetta, sort of a sine-wavey beautifier of sorts.

It may be a month before I can sell the boards, or maybe sooner. There will be a small batch of about 10 boards made at first. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Les

Headers.pdf

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The selected eChucK Headers - vroom vroom!

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Headers.pdf

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Inventor · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 7:20 pm Post subject:

Alrighty then, here is the design for the first board. Well, the actual credit for the board's schematic core goes to another em'er in the Lunetta forum. I shall send him a free board as a thank-you. (note to self: do that!)

I'm really happy with the layout and the space savings, it requires about 25% of the breadboard space compared to building it yourself, plus it's really cool. It's like the isolinear chips that Data was swapping around at a furious Data-like pace as the supernova approached the Enterprise on that Star Trek episode. "This will require slightly more time than we have before the ship is destroyed, Captain!"... but they survive by some miracle anyway!

That's like eChucK - the vaporware that attracted all that attention almost died a death of lack of funds and direction but here a couple of years later it lives again! This time for real!

Les

SineWaveThingSCH.pdf

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Sine Wave Thing Schematic - every 8 clocks you get a sine wave!

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SineWaveThingSCH.pdf

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SineWaveThingPCB.pdf

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Sine Wave Thing PCB 8 pin SIP - tall boy!

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Inventor · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:15 am Post subject:

I have been generating the Gerber files for a few hours, there was a good bit to learn about the process. I also read up on the FAQ at www.batchPCB.com, Sparkfun's batch PCB service. I only have $30 free in PayPal, and amazingly that's enough to get a few boards made with this incredibly cost effective service! It will take a while to get the boards but I am not in a hurry.

I also changed the layout slightly, arranging the resistors in a more user friendly way. With the pinout on the silkscreen and mounting holes as per conversation with Psyingo, the board is quite easy to understand. Plus I wrote some instructions, attached.

The mounting holes enable one to assemble a box with these units, just don't solder in the header and solder wires instead.

Les

SineWaveThingInstructions.rtf

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Instructions for the Sine Wave Thing

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Inventor · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 3:01 am Post subject:

Still awake on a weekend caffeine buzz (a gallon of sweet tea - mmm), I have created the second board in the eChucK module series. It is a solar power board that works in a really nifty way.

The solar cell is a thin film flexible type so it wraps around a pencil - or in this case the end of a circuit board. That way the 4.5" long solar cell is halved in length and collects light on both sides. The header is two rows by five pins, so it plugs right into the power bus of the breadboard. Use one for a 3V supply or better yet use two for a center tapped 6V supply. Current rating is 25mA, plenty for CMOS circuits. Need more current? just parallel another Solar Power Module. Simple and easy!

The board can also be used as a light sensing element if desired. PDF with board layout and image of solar cell attached.

Les

SolarCell.jpg

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Flexible Solar Cell, wraps around a pencil

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SolarPowerPCB.pdf

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board layout for Solar Power eChucK module

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Inventor · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 4:11 am Post subject:

Here are the instructions for the Solar Power Module. Also shown below is an image of the Sparkfun clear plastic enclosure that would make a great companion to solar powered eChucK projects.

Les

SparkfunClearEnclosure_08632-06-L.jpg

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an excellent clear plastic enclosure from Sparkfun for eChucK projects

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SolarPowerInstructions.rtf

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Instructions for the Solar Power Module

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Inventor · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 4:15 am Post subject:

And here is a dimensional drawing of the Sparkfun Case.

Les

SFE_Box.pdf

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dimensional drawing of spark fun case

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Inventor · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:54 pm Post subject:

I had a lot of leg pain so I slept and walked to reduce it, could not work. It's gone now so I've just gotten back into things and I created a Stereo In and Stereo Out module. These have 1/8" jacks and work with line-level signals as well as the Stereo Out module drives headphones directly off of the board. Also there are internal signals tapped for monitoring and for using the voltage followers as buffers without using the 1/8" jack should that be needed.

I also reduced the number of pins on the Solar Power module from 2x5 to 2x3 so they can be located on the main breadboard field if so desired. Plus I figured out the spacing on the Sparkfun project box's mounting grid and set all the holes to line up with it properly.

Next I suppose we need an oscillator module of some sort, eh?

Les