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Registered Member #5300
Joined: Thu Jun 14 2012, 12:00AM
Location: California
Posts: 31
Sorry for the massive delay--didn't have much coiling time for the past couple of weeks.
I checked all my connections, and everything seems to be fine. I've desoldered and resoldered the output terminals multiple times. When hooked up to a keyboard, the BNC and FO lights illuminate *slightly*. I thought it might be some light reflecting from the MIDI LED or 5V LED, so I shorted those LED's and saw that the BNC and FO still slightly lit--the light is hardly noticeable but noticeable. When hooked up to the coil, still no output.
Registered Member #7267
Joined: Tue Oct 16 2012, 12:16AM
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Posts: 407
koolksmart wrote ...
Sorry for the massive delay--didn't have much coiling time for the past couple of weeks.
I checked all my connections, and everything seems to be fine. I've desoldered and resoldered the output terminals multiple times. When hooked up to a keyboard, the BNC and FO lights illuminate *slightly*. I thought it might be some light reflecting from the MIDI LED or 5V LED, so I shorted those LED's and saw that the BNC and FO still slightly lit--the light is hardly noticeable but noticeable. When hooked up to the coil, still no output.
Any ideas at this point? I'm stumped.
I'm not really sure to be honest.. From the sound of it, the MIDI board is working fine and you know this because you tested it with a speaker correct? And from reading through the thread I recall you only got results when hooked up to a computer? It might be a problem with the keyboard you are using, or not necessarily a problem but a setting that needs to be configured/adjusted.
If you have components to try the connection via FO, try that.
Registered Member #15
Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068
koolksmart wrote ...
Sorry for the massive delay--didn't have much coiling time for the past couple of weeks.
I checked all my connections, and everything seems to be fine. I've desoldered and resoldered the output terminals multiple times. When hooked up to a keyboard, the BNC and FO lights illuminate *slightly*. I thought it might be some light reflecting from the MIDI LED or 5V LED, so I shorted those LED's and saw that the BNC and FO still slightly lit--the light is hardly noticeable but noticeable. When hooked up to the coil, still no output.
Any ideas at this point? I'm stumped.
Do you have an oscilloscope to look at the signals? Do you still have 5V on the logic rail and its not shorted by something?
The output LEDs brightness is affected by duty cycle, so if the pulsewidth is low and duty is low, they won't illuminate very much. Also, if the voltage is getting pulled down, they won't illuminate very bright either. I would love to see the output on an oscilloscope to ensure that you are getting the full 5V output.
Registered Member #5300
Joined: Thu Jun 14 2012, 12:00AM
Location: California
Posts: 31
EasternVoltageResearch wrote ...
Do you have an oscilloscope to look at the signals? Do you still have 5V on the logic rail and its not shorted by something?
The output LEDs brightness is affected by duty cycle, so if the pulsewidth is low and duty is low, they won't illuminate very much. Also, if the voltage is getting pulled down, they won't illuminate very bright either. I would love to see the output on an oscilloscope to ensure that you are getting the full 5V output.
Unfortunately, I don't have access to an oscilloscope. Is there a way around this? The duty cycle is set fairly low--should I up it? None of the connections are shorted out, and all voltages read as normal.
In response to Physics Junkie: I haven't been able to get any output from the coil, keyboard or computer, but the 8-ohm speaker worked like a charm.
Registered Member #10023
Joined: Tue Feb 05 2013, 05:27AM
Location:
Posts: 4
I had a similar issue where I ended up having solder short out the RCA connector on the board..It appeared I may have lifted a pad when desoldering.. Got a BNC connector and soldered a RCA cable to it.. Using this different connector resolved my issues.
Registered Member #15
Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068
JayJayJay wrote ...
I had a similar issue where I ended up having solder short out the RCA connector on the board..It appeared I may have lifted a pad when desoldering.. Got a BNC connector and soldered a RCA cable to it.. Using this different connector resolved my issues.
Hi JayJayJay,
Can you be more specific to where the solder short occurred? We'd like to know so we can improve the design if there is an issue with this. Thanks again and glad you got it working.
Registered Member #7267
Joined: Tue Oct 16 2012, 12:16AM
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Posts: 407
koolksmart wrote ...
I haven't been able to get any output from the coil, keyboard or computer, but the 8-ohm speaker worked like a charm.
Assuming that your circuit is fine. It sounds like there is a problem with the way you are connecting your circuit board to the devices (keyboard/tesla coil, etc). Can you take pictures of how your are setting everything up? I would like to see your connections from keyboard/MIDI source->MIDI circuit board->tesla coil.
If its not the connections, then it may be that somehow you have your RCA output and ground backwards. The test speaker will work regardless of polarity. But if you have it backwards, that could also explain no output when you hook everything up.
Registered Member #10023
Joined: Tue Feb 05 2013, 05:27AM
Location:
Posts: 4
Hey EVR: I believe I flooded the 'PCB hole' with solder which then shorted to the other pad. The holes for that connector are a bit larger than the others due to the depth of the RCA connectors.. So, I just overdid it when trying to mount it. Thanks for your prompt responses!
Koolksmart: I chopped a RCA cable in half and soldered the wires to a BNC connector, leaving the female RCA jack off of the PCB entirely. Since it's the same circuit, it seems to work the same as if I was using a RCA-to-RCA connector.
Registered Member #10023
Joined: Tue Feb 05 2013, 05:27AM
Location:
Posts: 4
Koolksmart: Also, I was able to verify the short by plugging in RCA cable to female RCA jack and test continuity between tip/ring on cable and solder points. The tip on the cable side beeped out with both solder points at PCB which verified short. The output to speaker worked regardless of short.
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MIDI Interrupter Software
