Hi All

I’m new to kit building. The last time I touched a soldering iron was in the Royal Air Force some 40+ years ago. What equipment would people suggest I buy? Martyn, if you had a builders kit in your shop I would certainly buy, otherwise, hopefully so good suggestions here.

I signed up to Sort Curircit so I could experience the kits before buying them as a present, hopefully, this Christmas. (No pressure Martyn, my great-nephew has made it clear what is on his wants list). When I was young, back when Pontius was a pilot (RAF joke) I had great fun building simple electronic kits. The ones here have that and programming too should be perfect.

Given that my nephew won’t have soldered before I think I should also buy bits that he could practice on before building the kits. Again I don’t know what to buy. I was thinking so resistors and a prototyping board.

Hi Martyn,

Since you’re on your much deserved break, and won’t see this until you’re back – hope you had a good break and happy new year!

This is my first time trying anything like this, although I have always wanted to. So my feedback won’t be of the expert variety, but more of the beginner trying to navigate their way through this world.

I want to give some feedback on the manuals. They look beautiful, and I am really impressed by the short and succinct language being used. I do have cognitive issues, so I really appreciate clear and concise writing. One thing I really do need though is a printable version of the manual. There is too much cognitive load trying to keep place while scrolling up and down the manual to go from text to diagrams and back again. If I can just stick my finger in place, it lets me flick back and forth without a thought.

Thanks!

That’s brilliant thanks Martyn, I’ll keep an eye out for it.

Thank Mark66, I think I will 🙂

Looking through the Motherboard manual, on page 20 R1 and R2 are labeled and shown as 1k resistors, while the BOM (in manual and physical that came with the kit) show 2k resistors. 2k resistors are what shipped, so I’m assuming it’s a typo on page 20?

EDIT: Looks like page 21 shows 1k resistors as well.

Love the kit so far!

• This reply was modified 2 years, 12 months ago by callmedanimal.

Where does one order the FTDI board from you? The image in the Motherboard instructions show one, but have not found where to purchase it.

I saw all of those sources. But, in the instructions/manual you show an image of one with your logo on it. Just thought you offered one.

HI all

I bought this one:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=ft232rl

Hi Martin

The wiring shown for the digital clock in the manuals does not match the pins in the offered sketch nor the ones shown as picture in the manuals – that was a little pitfall =)

Manual:
const int SER = 7; // Shift Register Serial Data pin
const int CLK = 8; // Shift Register Clock pin
const int LAT = 9; // Shift Register Latch pin
const int OE = 10; // Shift Register Output Enable pin

Manual Picture:
SER = 3
CLK = 4
Lat = 5

Sketch:
//DIGITISER Stuff

const int OE = 9;
const int SER = 10;
const int CLK = 11;
const int LATCH = 12;

const int sw1 = A2;
const int sw2 = A1;
const int Pot = A0;

Regards

Jean-Luc

Revision to the Digitiser Manual. On page 47 showing the seven segment displays, the right side diagram shows a common cathode and also segment cathodes. Is this correct? I would expect the segments to anodes. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks,
Rich

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by rlr3656. Reason: Had wrong manual referenced

Good evening all!

Got this as part of the Kickstarter (I’m backer 335.) I worked on the Digitizer tonight on a livestream. First time I’ve ever soldered parts before. I’m sure I screwed up so many times. Laugh at me at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzZwlO8WCH4

As a suggestion, on page 20 the switches and potentiometer are listed before some parts. Given their profile, They make the board much more unstable and harder to hold pieces in while soldering on. In my (extremely humble) opinion, they should be one of the last parts to be listed and added to the digitizer. The switches being first (and my stupidity actually installing the potentiometer first) made some of my components not seated as well as they should have been.

Also the LEDs are so difficult to test, and the instructions aren’t clear at all. If revised instructions are made, perhaps more detail can be made on this.

The project seems like a lot of fun and I can’t wait to work on the future parts. Thanks!
TDP.

I just started the first board (motherboard), and I know it’s too late now, but the spacing for the holes for resistors (at least on the motherboard) is waaaay too tight. I had to bend the leads right at the edges of the body of the resistor to get it to fit. The holes are about 7.2mm (9/32 inch) apart. A more typical distance is 12mm (about 1/2″). I suspect this is a problem throughout all the boards which will make them not fun to solder.

I gave up and mounted mine vertically. However, the spacing then is too wide. You can’t win either way.

I ruined a few of the SMD LCDs. Saw they were optional and decided I needed to put them on because challenge. When I was done I saw I put a few on backwards. New challenge! Take them off. I took off the one on D13 with a lot of trial and error only to find I melted the entire thing. I looked at the bill of parts and saw that it said 0608 and google was not my friend in this. I found these LEDS, but they are like half the size. Really don’t know how to look for these parts and I would like to also use different colors for some of them too. Like having the colors match the wires I’d be using or something. The manuals also have references to links and has spots that should be able to be clicked (datasheets), but all it does for me is turn the page. If possible I’d like a clickable link to the parts or a list of links where I can find the parts. I’d rather not buy a new board just to get the parts.

Hi Martyn,

On the motherboard, the tolerances of the holes on the board for the plastic nubs on the bottom of the micro usb socket are a bit off. In my case a tad to wide and the pins don’t reach the board unless I cut off the nubs as they don’t match the holes. Not a big deal of course, just an FYI.

For my own curiosity, are the nubs / pins just standard and that’s why you did holes? Because the 4 outer grounds pins should be good enough to align the socket (those could be a tad longer / through hole to solder them easier IMO).

Anyhow, I’m very much enjoying reading the manual and getting back into soldering, thanks again for the kit!

Cheers,

Valentin

I had a bit more time and managed to finish the motherboard but there were a few (temporary) roadblocks and surprises along the way, I hope you take my experience as well meaning, constructive feedback, because it is 🙂

The pin LED and resistor pads should really be further apart, e.g. in a repeating “stair” pattern. It is “large” enough to just be possible with regular tip and solder thickness but IMO impossible to do cleanly without super fine variants or e.g. solder paste + rework + magnifying glasses or a tremendous amount of skill, which I don’t think is the target audience for this kit. More space to “navigate” and angle solder + tip would really help.

On that topic, maybe it would be a nice idea to offer a e.g. 5 Euro addon called (e.g.) “I’m not sure what I’m doing but I’m trying my best!”, a mini board with a some through holes and a couple of cm of solid core wire with varying gauges, an extra LED of each type and 2-3 extra surface mount (LEDs / resistors) pieces. The latter because “a friend of mine” blew away an LED attempting his luck with a rework heat gun and spend 20 minutes looking for it on the floor …

I really like the “Testing for faults” section but think it could be improved / be more clear:

– Mention explicitly that the ICs should _not_ be plugged in before the “Power Test” (you know, for those people, not me, that don’t read the complete instructions before starting …)
– Describe possible fault conditions even only visible via optional components, e.g. some of the pin LEDs being on and a subtle burned smell … (https://imgur.com/qRiCZ6b.jpg)

Maybe “someone” wouldn’t check the IC notches / dimples because “they” assumed that an author that calls out the orientation of text on other components and invokes “Chaos”, wouldn’t have the IC text oriented opposite to every other marking on the board. Anyway, it turns out that 5W are enough for Khorne to leave his mark … (https://i.imgur.com/ZzyYpZM.jpg).

When my USB powered and controllable power supply (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/507351807/sirubox-the-v-i-controllable-power-supply-for-your-pocket, great gadget btw.) drew ~600mA without the power LED turning on, I should have probably stopped to ask why, instead of plugging it into a 5V 1A wall socket where it “worked” and then finger-checking whether anything is getting hot because, you know, of the smell …

Still, I had a fun afternoon! (and a reason to pour a Whiskey on account of my throbbing fingertip)

Cheers,

Valentin

+1 to the get proper “resistor length” holes btw (where possible)