Check the power header for shorts! or: How to avoid the "Magic Smoke"

Things to check before you power up your recently finished SDIY build, so you don't burn anything :)
Special thanks to my friends in the FB Synth DIY group for their suggestions!
Music by Quincas Moreira from the KZbin Audio Library: kzbin.info...
My Patreon: / quincas
My Website: www.quincasmoreira.com/
Stay Noisy, Stay home!

[@markslakter1792]

Also if you have expencive ICs, it might be a good idea to power it up without the ICs first and check if the supply pins deliver the right voltage.

[@massimookissed1023]

I agree.

[@moldythoughts4765]

IC sockets rule! Big up DIY guy!

[@FishfaceFP]

Dear Synth diy guy, love this video very much and all good advice. Would you be able to put together some vids on troubleshooting? Like if it doesn't power check.....or if incorrect volts at output check. I realise this is a broad church but seeing how others go about troubleshooting would be really helpful and you explain things so well i'm sure everyone would learn from it. Thank you

[@QuincasMoreira]

Sure thing Alex!

[@norrin_sad2778]

The first time I heard you say check for shorts I realized how simple and necessary this step is. Thank you for your vids! :)

[@mightymike1978]

excellent video! Thank you very much Quincas!!!

[@NicleT]

That was very instructive. Thank you.

[@scalebrain643]

Another good tip - RTFM before messaging the company. I just bothered Befaco and rebuilt a module 3x before realizing I didn’t know how it actually worked. Still feel bad for pestering the poor support team - poor Dario.

[@QuincasMoreira]

yes!

[@stephenmandelbaum2027]

I almost returned my maths cuz I didn't understand how to use it and thought it was DOA, fortunately I watched a great vid by bobeats (i think it was him) and it turned out I was just "dumb".

[@CircularMirror7]

Somebody release the files for a buffered multiple and I ordered some. They work great only thing is They didn't put a standoff hole in the board so I decided too drill a hole. Remeber if you drill into a double sided circuit board and use a brass stand off that will short the 2 sides. Use a nylon standoff. Also make a reliable oscillator before tackling any other projects like a sequencer or filter for proper testing and troubleshooting. That's how you avoid unnecessary headaches.

[@nutritionalyeast7978]

this is so important, I didnt always do it cuz i figured I'd just turn it off right away if it didnt work like 'itll be fine', but then one day a short blew up like three other of my modules as well >.< all repaired now but i never fail to check anymore. also glad u mentioned measuring downstream of the diodes

[@sitarredon]

thank you for this great video Quincas. Gonna link it everytime in need of a good explanation on the subject

[@instruktor6467]

Excellent tutorial ! Thank you very much !

[@abominablemusic]

thanks, I think this is the best guide I've found for testing modules! I'm in the middle of soldering a Thonk kit!

[@QuincasMoreira]

Great to hear!

[@davidk8860]

Nice synth cabinet shot in the fade-out starting at 12:06. Those red colored Vinicius Electrik and Vinicius Brazil modules are such a beautiful striking color! (They sound pretty nice too...)

[@paulhadfield5615]

One mistake I've made is to get an IC socket the wrong way round, the later on to insert the IC by matching the indents, without double-checking.

[@gay_milhouse1160]

Make noise and a few others use the additional pins. Not so much as gate/cv but more a serial connection so you can change patterns and modes thru the bus ala Tempi and Rene v2

[@davidk8860]

I predict this video will be popular. I can think of some groups that should pin it at the top of their build guide pages. :)

[@fl7210]

Thank you!

[@SpectrumDIY]

**Very** beginner XD (Plus I do a lot of other DIY, so this was trying to merge two hobbies into one :D )

[@bobrogue]

Malekko's Varigates, Voltage Blocks, Quad LFO use the Gat and CV busses so you don't need to patch them externally. They are synced if they are on the same power rails

[@QuincasMoreira]

good to know, thanks!

Thanks. Very useful...

[@BadChizzle]

Yes... this is gospel DIY info. 🦉

[@davidk8860]

You didn't show how to evaluate or test a cable to know it was assembled/crimped properly. How can you quickly tell a cable won't destroy your module because a header was put on incorrectly?

[@QuincasMoreira]

Stop feature creeping my video! lol

[@nutritionalyeast7978]

u can plug in some unused power headers and measure continuity between the pins

[@TheMrJjjaaammmeeesss]

Great, So useful, thank you Quincas!

[@paulhadfield5615]

Another one is to solder the diagonally opposite pins of an IC socket to anchor it, then forgetting go back and solder all the other pins... Done that more than once. :facepalm:

[@ryanoostland9773]

What power supply/bus board is that?

[@jimboburgess42069]

I'm curious about this too. It looks like one that uses the MEAN WELL DKM10E-12 which takes +5V, liked you'd get from USB and makes +12v/-12/v at a limit of 450ma or so. So having a board with only 6 to 8 headers is all you want. Frogleg (frogging?) synthesis is what i could make out from the video but searches don't yield a busboard from them.

[@QuincasMoreira]

Frogleg's Minibus, by Pete Hartman. Seems to be discontinued or at least out of stock everywhere.

[@ryanoostland9773]

@@QuincasMoreira Thanks!

[@mr.apartment]

i did a diy power bus, any suggestions on how to check the headers for shorts? just do the same thing?

[@QuincasMoreira]

Yeah! Just use the meter in continuity mode and make sure no rails are shorted together!

[@racalik]

HI, I'm building rings, and I think I have a similar test power supply that you do - it won't power up the module. there are 3 leds for +12, -12 and +5 which normally are full on - with the rings they just blink every few second and go off. i followed this video, every checks proved that everything should be ok. I also followed the diagram and board file - there is no continuity where it shouldn't be, and there is one where it should. Yet the problem persist. Do you have an idea what might be the fix?

[@TheFennec31]

hello and if we Don't have a multimeter with no continuity beep ….

[@QuincasMoreira]

buy one :)