My girlfriends iPod headphone jack appears to have died suddenly yet the line out on the bottom seems to work ok (3rd gen 40gb). I'm assuming for the moment that its just a contact problem. Are replacement jacks available anywhere or will I need to solder a flying lead and jack out the original...

I know this is a little off topic for a headphone forum, but it covers the only place I cant use headphones - in my car. I'm sure lots of people have used these adaptors - they consist of a tape shaped device that has a cable out to your iPod / cd player / etc and a record head that links...

Option 1 : one single groundplane In my opinion, the best option. Just keep the analogue and digital traces as far apart as possible Option 2 : two, joined by a ferrite bead somewhere Bad plan for digital signals. The I2S will lose its sharp edges and you will likely see jitter as the...

Most usb connectors are the same as they have to all meet a standard design. Any similar connector should do

00949 - please please please dont split your groundplane. The signals crossing the bridge need a return path and thus will create more noise on the board. You have two options, either use a continuous plane and keep analogue and digital signals away as far as you can physically move them or...

One advantage of smd is that everything is smaller so there is less chance of audible noise pickup or losses in the pcb tracks. This does, however, assume good layout practices. The main advantage is that solid ground and power planes can be provided on a 4 layer board with these forming the...

When looking at the back of the plug, you usually see a stud in the middle, this is always the tip, and may have the shortest or next shortest connection onto it. There will then be slightly nearert the outside, a connectionsitting between some plastic insulation that is the ring. THe last is...

I'd love a universal battery pack, charger and power source. I'd suggest an elpac type connector or a few of them for amps, also some usb and firewire connectors for ipods, phone chargers etc. Perhaps also laptop charging and a connector to a battery eliminator for photographic flashguns...

"Right is ring" and ground connects to the shell (thus is on the other end from the tip) Thus the tip is left. The centre contact must thus go to the tip (left), the next one to the ring (right) and the long connector with the strain relief to ground

Use a diy blow torch with a small nozzle and heat. Cover components that you dont want to remove with heatproof tape. This is usually a thin orange or blue mylar like tape. The chip will just slide off when pushed with tweezers

Can I also ask that the next person to name an amp / dac or other head-fi design calls it 'Detonator' That way we can all get nicely engraved front panels with the name and some switches......

I like the hammond idea, I have my mint in the smallest hammond with an external ac supply. But, is there a hammond that can happily take 2 PP3 batteries, preferably with easy external access. That would be a great bonus for portability

I built a mint in a Penguin Cinnamon tin a few months ago for my partner for her to take with her while travelling. It gives serious improvements to the sound on her iPod. The only problem is that she keeps getting stopped by UK airport security. It started a few months ago with a simple...

I work for an electronics manufacturer myself and we dont have a samples programme in the same sense as TI or Maxim. We tend to rely on marketing qualification, then we will happily give samples and applications support (my role). We are generally also more than willing to help the odd student...

Check your soldering. AM syle rdio noise could be dry jint somewhere where the solder does not properly flow. Reflow the joints by heating the component lead and the solder until it clearly flows onto both leads, perhaps adding a drop more solder for extra flux

I used the stanley knife too on an unpopulated board. Run backwards and forwards aginst a metl ruler on both sides then a gentle bend back and forth gives a good cut. Then I usually file the edges

Worked firt time. I had to make a few component substitutions though. The 100uF caps are from an old power supply and rated at 25V, the 47uF oscons, now 100uF and the output caps are (unfortunately) the same tantalums used on C1 and C2. I also used a surface mount inductor as it was all I had...

OK, so you get the people who build freeform electronics including amps by bending component leads and soldering around the chip. Who's up for trying this in smd then?

Degassing and/or oxidation of the electrodes due to not being totally pure gas usually. But they do last a long time. I had a neon version of a standard lightbulb once which gave a very cool light and looked like a big valve. Unfortunately it degassed eventually and I lost the coolest light...

Alright, how do you do those 3d pcb pictures?

Like bpribadi I usually make my own adaptors. Another idea like his first picture is to take an 8 pin turned pin dip socket and push the SOIC into the bottom of the socket (pin side). It should fit snugly into the square hole in the middle of the socket. Then bend the 4 outermost pins gently...

I think mega is suggesting a check using the ground lead of the rca to complete one circuit and the signal lead to complete another circuit. What I am suggesting is that you complete one circuit only. The signal goes out the signal lead and is then shorted to the ground by the pushbutton...

A better test would look for continuity and shorts. Even better would be to measure resistance to ensure good solder connections but that gets a little more complex. I suggest two rca sockets on your board. The first has an led, series resistor, toggle switch and battery wired in series and...

I should note that the picture PinkFloyd has shown is showing tin pest formation on a 99.5% Sn - 0.5% Cu solder sample aged at -18 degrees to speed up the formation process

Could I refer you all to the following article: Long Term Mechanical Reliability with Lead-Free Solders You can sign up for a free trial on this site allowing you to download 5 articles free of charge. The article fully investigates 'tin pest' formation and other issues surrounding a number...