Aion PCB's

M

music6000

Well-known member
I believe he would sell more PCB's had he stayed with his Ist editon pedals.
This is his version of the Nobels ODR-S
I love this Pedal but detest this PCB Design as you need really good magnification to read, this colour bleeds into the white lettering
Why can't he put the values on the Boards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I took the best picture possible from half a dozen angles & this was the Best shot!

Robert, I would Bin this in a second if you said you were releasing your version of it!!!

Aion Nobels ODR-S.jpg
 
music6000 said:
I believe he would sell more PCB's had he stayed with his Ist editon pedals.
This is his version of the Nobels ODR-S
I love this Pedal but detest this PCB Design as you need really good magnification to read, this colour bleeds into the white lettering
Why can't he put the values on the Boards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I took the best picture possible from half a dozen angles & this was the Best shot!

Robert, I would Bin this in a second if you said you were releasing your version of it!!!

View attachment 60591
Click to expand...
I detest that you have to use his break out boards. Especially as they often have circuit components in them. I made a halo as a gift to my uncle and it’s a great muff. I just really hate that you have to use the break out board. To the point that I really won’t order anything, I bought a jc40 now I don’t need to build a blue shift, not exact but I can live.
 
I can understand why he doesn't use the values right on the boards — because many of his projects have multiple ways of building them.

Nonetheless, I would rather the values be on the boards as the bits that are the same from different versions of the circuit outweigh the few components that might differ and need extra thought/caution to build the version you want.
Having to cross-check the value of every component does add significantly to the build time as well as adding potential for error in populating the wrong value...

The 3PDT boards make it difficult to add a mod, such as a 2knobjob, or squeeze in a boost etc. So like many before me, I don't like them though I understand he's trying to make it easier (in a way) for new builders.

I like the legacy boards, and order those where possible and then just work out my own top-jacks solution.
 
My thinking (right or wrong) is that the majority of builders are going to go with the original stock values, so my focus is on that. This way you can assemble the PCB quicker and without needing a parts list or legend cluttering up your workspace.

I figure the folks who are modding or building an alternate version of a circuit are most likely going to be looking at the schematic or documentation anyway.

I do occasionally put the RefDes on the PCB instead of the values. The Muffin comes to mind, because there are so many variations and no definitive "stock" version.


As for the breakout boards, I try to keep them as universal/modular as possible so they can be interchanged between projects (or not used at all) depending on the desired functionality.


I'm personally not a fan of having a rainbow of various PCB colors spread across the product catalog. I've been known to give away an entire batch of PCBs because I accidentally ordered them in green. (Have I mentioned my OCD?) :ROFLMAO:

If I was going to do multiple colors I would categorize them by circuit type. (Red for distortion, blue for modulation, etc) .....

I have occasionally had the impulse to change the color of the boards but I really like the matte black finish. Most of the other colors are glossy and can have a glare, or as you mentioned, make the silkscreen difficult to read in certain conditions.


The ODR-S is on my list, but don't toss your PCB, I have no idea when I'll actually get around to it.
 
I personally dislike having the values on the PCB (no front) but can live with either way. My only issue with Aion is the 3PDT breakout boards (let's be honest, if something breaks on a pedal it's usually the footswitch) and sometimes weird design decisions, like the rather expensive DC-DC converters in some of the projects instead of using a charge pump...
 
I'm afraid i desagree with most of the comments on this interesting thread.

I like Aion's boards very much.

The Lithium chorus board is the most beautiful pcb i've ever seen.

Never had the slightest trouble to populate the boards, never had any trouble with the 3PDT boards... and i built a lot of various Aion's projects.

It's true that it takes a bit more space than the regular breakout boards, but Aion's project always have many popular and useful mods implemented on the pcb (diode clipping toggle, etc.). On my buiIds, i usually add a lots of toggles to change some component's value somewhere. With Aion's projects, all the most interesting mods are already there, so i never felt the need for more space.

In most cases, Aion's pcb's colors are somehow related to their respective projects. I find it interesting to associate a specific color to an audio effect.
I guess Robert is a fan of the All Blacks rugby team ?

I've got no complaints with PPCB boards, i know they are very well designed. I find Aion's pcb more friendly, because the soldering pads are a bit larger. Thus, it's much easier to correctly solder the parts on the first try. With PPCB boards, i think the eyelets are a bit too small to be really comfortable. I tend to use too much solder on these, and that's how i would loose some time on the building process.

Honestly, if i have to choose between Aion and PPCB for a similar project, i always choose Aion. For the interesting mods, for the good instructions, and for the comfort with the soldering pads, resulting in a more enjoyable and more secure building process.
In my opinion, the big advantages with PPCB is the profusion of dirt projects, the FV-1 circuits, and of course, this forum.

Glory to Aion Electronics ! Glory to PPCB !
 
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I’ve never had an issue with Aion, and I like how they are…it’s a good Pepsi to PPCB’s Coca Cola…

That said I built the TS and the footswitch I used is borked (LED is lit all the time). There’s no way I’m trying to desolder that switch, and it’s not an easy board to swap out…
 
Which one looks symetrical like there was careful planning?
Which one has power, grounds on top & reverse polarity protection on the main board?

One even has 3 Op Amps!

Which one looks like it was which ever way it can fit & doesn't have reverse polarity, Power & Ground Pads on top???
& it is only for one design PCB with no Values on it!

Comparison.jpg
 
music6000 said:
Which one looks symetrical like there was careful planning?
Which one has power, grounds on top & reverse polarity protection on the main board?

One even has 3 Op Amps!

Which one looks like it was which ever way it can fit & doesn't have reverse polarity, Power & Ground Pads on top???
& it is only for one design PCB with no Values on it!
Click to expand...

didn't @RetiredUnit1 already make a Vent Thread?

i understand the desire for high quality / standards, especially after PPCB has repeatedly demonstrated how well design and execution can be done.

but idk, this whinge seems a bit of stretch. are you really that careless or impatient that you absolutely have to have values printed on the board? the build docs are excellent, so you're covered there anyway.

the components fit? no issue there. (ime)

probably the only thing that is an actual impediment to a build plan are the footswitch breakout/daughterboards. i agree - they are not desirable.
(i would like to be able to retrofit a relay bypass to a blueshift build, but i have no idea how that would be possible with that circuit/board)

routing and layout? - yes, symmetrical layouts are nice. totally. i'm down with that. it's not nice to see power and grounds in weird undesirable places - but at the end of the day, if the circuit works reliably, isn't noisy and sounds good - does it matter?

can't say i'm a fan of the bright coloured boards though.

it does seem odd to complain about something that repeatedly doesn't meet your standards, yet you keep going back there and buying more boards? why do this to yourself? 😛

Locrian99 said:
bought a jc40 now I don’t need to build a blue shift, not exact but I can live.
Click to expand...
nah you need to build a blueshift. it's excellent.
 
owlexifry said:
didn't @RetiredUnit1 already make a Vent Thread?

i understand the desire for high quality / standards, especially after PPCB has repeatedly demonstrated how well design and execution can be done.

but idk, this whinge seems a bit of stretch. are you really that careless or impatient that you absolutely have to have values printed on the board? the build docs are excellent, so you're covered there anyway.

the components fit? no issue there. (ime)

probably the only thing that is an actual impediment to a build plan are the footswitch breakout/daughterboards. i agree - they are not desirable.
(i would like to be able to retrofit a relay bypass to a blueshift build, but i have no idea how that would be possible with that circuit/board)

routing and layout? - yes, symmetrical layouts are nice. totally. i'm down with that. it's not nice to see power and grounds in weird undesirable places - but at the end of the day, if the circuit works reliably, isn't noisy and sounds good - does it matter?

can't say i'm a fan of the bright coloured boards though.

it does seem odd to complain about something that repeatedly doesn't meet your standards, yet you keep going back there and buying more boards? why do this to yourself? 😛


nah you need to build a blueshift. it's excellent.
Click to expand...
This is the first & last board with this crappy designed footswitch board I have purchased, Big Mistake!
I built a Nobel ODR & Mostortion when they were standard design in 2017.
You should get your facts right mate! ;)
 
owlexifry said:
probably the only thing that is an actual impediment to a build plan are the footswitch breakout/daughterboards. i agree - they are not desirable.
(i would like to be able to retrofit a relay bypass to a blueshift build, but i have no idea how that would be possible with that circuit/board)
Click to expand...
Did you or I make this statement, I rest my case!
 
My bigger issue with the breakout boards is that sometimes essential chunks of the circuit end up on that breakout board (lots of times it's only the polarity protection but for example on the Elysium it's actually four resistors inside the circuit). So circuit-in and circuit-out are on the breakout board, not the main board.

This means I can't always use the main board by itself - either hard-wired to a 3PDT switch or connected to a different brand's 3PDT breakout board (I've got stashes of mostly-universal DelykPCB and GuitarPCB breakout boards - they'll work with any PCB with an IN, 9V, GND, and OUT pad, which is most of them - that I often like to use in custom builds or multi-fx pedals, and this incompatibility makes AionFX stuff a non-option for those projects).
 
This got me thinking, (aside from everyone is entitled to their opinion.) but I don’t ever recall coming across someone saying they had a failed AION breakout board or footswitch on one. , just the fear of it happening, I get it, it’s a valid complaint but this DIY there are multiple ways to address this problem, I don’t get why everyone is so afraid to try and desolder or modify something. So willing to toss a whole pedal over one component. I don’t get.
 
Paradox916 said:
This got me thinking, (aside from everyone is entitled to their opinion.) but I don’t ever recall coming across someone saying they had a failed AION breakout board or footswitch on one. , just the fear of it happening, I get it, it’s a valid complaint but this DIY there are multiple ways to address this problem, I don’t get why everyone is so afraid to try and desolder or modify something. So willing to toss a whole pedal over on component. I don’t get.
Click to expand...
It just seems like a bad idea. Not to mention the layout inside the enclosure on the one aion build I built just seemed uneccesarrily crowded. It was a muff space shouldn’t be even a minor consideration. And the offboard wiring seemed convoluted as I recall. I do have another halo board and have been meaning to build another one one. I’ve got a Black Russian clone in strip board with the mids switch and it’s just such a necessary mod. Cough @Robert cough
 
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