Bring out yer Diptrace

[pingpongcomputer]

Still not a masterpiece, but it's getting less chaotic, great inspiration on this thread, and of course from the master @Robert

 

[Grubb]

That looks really neat. I wish I could let go of the symmetry and arrange boards this way. What's the circuit? I like your staggered pots in the top row, I'm doing similar on my designs.

 

[Grubb]

Just gotta watch out for that LFO.

Do you have a strategy for PCBs with LFOs out of interest? If you are willing to share? No worries if not.

 

[pingpongcomputer]

That looks really neat. I wish I could let go of the symmetry and arrange boards this way. What's the circuit? I like your staggered pots in the top row, I'm doing similar on my designs.

Thanks! It's a jfet preamp into a Si FF output stage using low gain soviet transistors with a foot-switchable dirty boost in front. Toggles are for the coupling cap into the FF stage and a low pass on the output. Waiting on enclosures to arrive from Tayda them I'm going to send some out to a group of testers and start selling them if the response is good, otherwise back to the drawing board.

 

[szukalski]

Do you have a strategy for PCBs with LFOs out of interest? If you are willing to share? No worries if not.

I haven't got experience in it, but I saw some comments from old hands over at FSB talking about isolating the LFO in one part of the board and using a separate ground plane, only joining where the negative input comes into the board.

tips to reduce tremolo LFO click noise?

tips to reduce tremolo LFO click noise?

www.diystompboxes.com

 

[Robert]

Exactly. I usually separate the audio/LFO ground planes and power traces. In extreme situations I will hand route the ground paths to control current flow and divert noise away from the audio path. I do the same with any digital components.

 

[Grubb]

Amazing, thanks. Your ground plane shaping there is blowing my mind, I'm still relying on "snap to board outline" I haven't needed to do any separations of ground planes yet, but I'm working on an Ultravibe and a modded Phase 90 that I'm guessing will need more careful planning.

In the meantime, here's a reasonably symmetrical true bypass Klone:


The second part of my Mayer-inspired Christmas gift for my daughter. It's heavily based on the Merman/Sea Monk. I used my symmetry cheats to note the board design's month and year.

 

[Brett]

You layout work is always tops, @Robert! I looks like you're connecting power and ground to the audio portion of the circuit on the backside of the board. If you're willing to share (and I understand if you aren't), are you also isolating the copper pour on the back of the board like you did on the front? How did you handle joining the ground and power planes?

 

[Brett]

In the meantime, here's a reasonably symmetrical true bypass Klone:

Your symmetry is ridiculous... in the best kind of way . Nicely done.

 

[Robert]

If you're willing to share (and I understand if you aren't), are you also isolating the copper pour on the back of the board like you did on the front? How did you handle joining the ground and power planes?

Oh absolutely, there's no top secret proprietary information here.

The ground plane is split on the back similar to the front, except the split doesn't go all the way to the edge on one side so it creates a thin trace running up to the top of the PCB.



The Double Pendulum is isolated as well but instead of splitting the PCB in half I just fenced off the LFO section, including the blinking indicator LEDs.

 

[Robert]

Forgot to mention, I use the Line tool set to Top or Bottom Route Keepout to draw the splits in the ground plane.