Last check before ordering (Opus) (Gamma 2 now)

[backefel]

Quote:

well I bought the PCBs for the lightspeed as well, thinking it sounded like a great idea taking the mechanics out of the signal path etc; but after finding out the distortion specs I decided against it. fair enough for a tube amp that already has a small amount of distortion anyway. Perhaps even any other separate amp that you can have there or not, but for something thats going to be there in the signal path no matter what and on a really tricked out dac aiming to get the best performance possible, it just seemed a bit silly. I mean its not all about the numbers and apparently sounds very well; but when engineering the build to get the best numbers as well as best sound, I didnt feel it was wise.
 
I dont know anything about the valab unit, nah AFAIK you dont need to buy the development kit for the arduino unless you want to mess around with making your own code etc

I googled it and you were right as usual (not that I doubted it

), I think diyaudio had a massive thread about the distortion and the lightspeed attenuator. Anyway, i'll follow your advice and buy the arduino-kit when it's released

.
 
Until then the valab should be sufficient. I don't know if you're interested in it but here's a link anyway 

 
http://cgi.ebay.com/Valab-23-Step-Attenuator-Potentiometer-50K-Log-Stereo-/270568208584?pt=AU_Electronics_Audio_Amplifiers#ht_3280wt_913
 
 
EDIT:
The parts from mouser came today

2 days after the order

! It's absurd how small some parts are, ~2 mm in diameter. I think I will need a new tip for my soldering iron =/.
 
I guess it will take at least a couple of days for the boards to arrive, good thing I got some bubble wrap

.
 

 

[backefel]

I just finished the first version of the gamma 2 front

 (Galaxy 230x230) but I really need some feedback.
What do I need to change or what would You change? (The big hole in the middle is for a rotary switch (30 deg on off on) with leds ala ferrari.)
 
Another thing I was wondering about is the price. Is it normal for the panels to cost 65+ EUR each?
 
 
 

 
Doh, forgot the power switch. I'll probably put it on the rear panel or next to the analog output.

 

[amb]

The big knob will block the view to the "Input selection" marking in normal viewing angles.  Also, the "Coaxial/USB/Optical" positions look more like 60 degrees than 30.

 

[backefel]

Thanks

! I changed the knob to a black one with a diam. of 25mm and fixed the angle. I'll post an update with both panels later tonight.
 
BTW Is it ok to use a knob and a rotary switch instead of a flip-switch? I just thought it would look nice with two similar cases on top of each other with the same knob/leds.

 

[amb]

Quote:

BTW Is it ok to use a knob and a rotary switch instead of a flip-switch? I just thought it would look nice with two similar cases on top of each other with the same knob/leds.

You could use any kind of switch as long as it could be configured as SPDT on-off-on.  Note that the specified board-mount toggle is illuminated, it glows red when there is no audio stream or if there is an error, and glows green when "locked".  Your solution loses that feature.

 

[backefel]

Quote:

You could use any kind of switch as long as it could be configured as SPDT on-off-on.  Note that the specified board-mount toggle is illuminated, it glows red when there is no audio stream or if there is an error, and glows green when "locked".  Your solution loses that feature.

It is a nice feature...and I guess it isn't possible to mount a led/leds to the legs of the rotary switch or something similar? I tried to look at the spec. sheet of the switch, to see if I could spare you some questions but it didn't get any clearer 

.
 
One thing I did manage to do though, was to update the fronts for both panels. There's still some mods left to do (like the ck2iii logo) but it's a start. Oh and I also added knobs plus the backlit circles to get a better idea what they would look like finished.
 

 

[jdkJake]

Oh, that's nice.


Now I know why you want to go with the knob. That is a good look.

Why are you bringing the digital and analog outs on the front panel? Since you have to float the switches anyway.

 

[amb]

Quote:

It is a nice feature...and I guess it isn't possible to mount a led/leds to the legs of the rotary switch or something similar? I tried to look at the spec. sheet of the switch, to see if I could spare you some questions but it didn't get any clearer 

.

If you don't know what a SPDT on-off-on switch is, try doing some googling.  Also, look at the γ1 schematic diagram and try to make sense of what you have to mimic with an off-board switch.
 

 

[backefel]

 
Quote:

Oh, that's nice.


Now I know why you want to go with the knob. That is a good look.

Why are you bringing the digital and analog outs on the front panel? Since you have to float the switches anyway.

 
Thanks!
Yeah that might be a good idea! It does however make the outputs easier to access but less is more I guess

.  Don't hesitate if you got some more ideas

.

 
Quote:

If you don't know what a SPDT on-off-on switch is, try doing some googling.  Also, look at the γ1 schematic diagram and try to make sense of what you have to mimic with an off-board switch.
 

 
I dont know why I didnt look at the schematic first -.-, much easier to understand.
I'll try post an schematic as soon as I get home from school

.

 

[qusp]

nice!!, I agree with the idea of moving the digital outs to the rear, as its a bit cluttered and needlessly so. you should still be able to use offboard LEDs in combination with the rotary switch to indicate lock or error. also IMO it would look nicer/cleaner if you used 1/0 or a solid dot and a hollow dot instead of the words ON/OFF, again its about pairing it back and your words arent lined up properly on those switches either, so it accentuates the problem. I tend to like as few words as possible on DIY audio gear; I mean it isnt for sale and you know very well what the buttons and switches and inputs and outputs are, so no need to label everything IMO. I mean a volume knob on an amp, is pretty obviously for volume, you just need a simple minimal symbol like one of those triangles for a ramp; just like the main ON/OFF switch has an LED, so do you really need to label it with ON/OFF at all? just POWER in combination with the LED is enough is it not?
 
so I like minimal design would save money too for the panel

 

[amb]

backefel, since you're not using standard PCB-mount connectors and switches, you'll need to figure out what to use to mount the fiber-optic receiver/transmitter and RCA jacks.  The ones specified in the parts list are not for panel-mounting.  Also, the S/PDIF RCA jacks need to be isolated from the panels.

 

[backefel]

Quote:

nice!!, I agree with the idea of moving the digital outs to the rear, as its a bit cluttered and needlessly so. you should still be able to use offboard LEDs in combination with the rotary switch to indicate lock or error. also IMO it would look nicer/cleaner if you used 1/0 or a solid dot and a hollow dot instead of the words ON/OFF, again its about pairing it back and your words arent lined up properly on those switches either, so it accentuates the problem. I tend to like as few words as possible on DIY audio gear; I mean it isnt for sale and you know very well what the buttons and switches and inputs and outputs are, so no need to label everything IMO. I mean a volume knob on an amp, is pretty obviously for volume, you just need a simple minimal symbol like one of those triangles for a ramp; just like the main ON/OFF switch has an LED, so do you really need to label it with ON/OFF at all? just POWER in combination with the LED is enough is it not?
 
so I like minimal design would save money too for the panel

I've updated the design

, outputs are on the rear panel now and I've changed the power switch but I still need to make some small changes.
 
Quote:

backefel, since you're not using standard PCB-mount connectors and switches, you'll need to figure out what to use to mount the fiber-optic receiver/transmitter and RCA jacks.  The ones specified in the parts list are not for panel-mounting.  Also, the S/PDIF RCA jacks need to be isolated from the panels.

Ok 

! I extended my membership in ETA (not the terrorist organisation 

 more like an electronics club the university have)  so I've got access to a cnc and all the things i need to make a pcb, so I might be able to dodge the problems.
 
Oh I almost forgot, the boards came yesterday so I started working on them today 

. I'm still missing some components but I'm happy with the results so far 

. (I know I shouldn't have mounted the caps before the smaller pieces but i couldn't resist

 )
 

 
I also looked at the switch and it looked like the leds in it had their own dedicated legs. I might be wrong, but it seemed like I could add 2 leds in parallel, both connected to the 5 leg and the other ends to leg 4 and 6.
But if I do this, do I need to change the value of R11D? 

 

[amb]

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by backefel /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I also looked at the switch and it looked like the leds in it had their own dedicated legs. I might be wrong, but it seemed like I could add 2 leds in parallel, both connected to the 5 leg and the other ends to leg 4 and 6.
But if I do this, do I need to change the value of R11D then? 

Yuo can wire up two discrete LEDs, with their anodes wired to pad 5 of SW1D.  The cathodes are wired to pads 4 and 6, respectively.  You shouldn't need to change the value of R11D, as long as you use "normal" red and green LEDs.

 

[mattcalf]

Sorry to jump in again, where you missing any gamma1 or gamma2 parts from that mouser project you posted? 
 
I plan to recheck before I order it, but it's nice to know anyway.
 
Cheers,
Matt.

 

[backefel]

Good! I'll place an order on the leds when i've finished populating the gamma boards 

.
 
To be honest I dont know yet 

 i'll try to finish the boards later this weekend but since some of the values from the bom that differs from the amb site. (One sort of ceramic capacitors were 200v instead of 100v etc) I'm worried that I might have nicked some of the components from the gamma projects to use on the ck2iii.