RG KEEN: "
Like so many things in life, being able to debug circuits is a journey, not a destination. I hacked on simple circuits in my teens, got two degrees in EE, then spend a few decades designing and getting designs released into manufacturing. I still pick up new debugging hints and tricks from skilled repairmen. Being able to debug anything, any time, is a lifelong ambition.
At the bottom of debugging is the necessity to understand what the circuit should be doing, perhaps on a part-by-part basis. Until you can do that, you don't know if what you see from the instruments matches the ideal operation well enough to be working. So debugging can really only proceed to the limits of your understanding of what the circuit does, not only overall, but part by part.
Some things are always necessary: Ohm's law is the biggie. Knowing that if the power supply isn't providing the right voltages and currents nothing else will work right is another. Beyond that, knowing what the intended DC conditions are on the active devices or better yet being able to deduce them from the schematic (or, another step up, tracing the circuit) is a huge step. If you don't know Ohm's law backwards, forwards and in several of the side dimensions, you can't progress to understanding what's happening in the circuit. Not understanding the power supply conditions will keep you from seeing if the circuit operation is right. And then there's the never-ending learning about what this new active device is supposed to do so you can see if the one in front of you is doing it.
It's a long journey.
I hope.
"
QUOTE FROM HERE:
Hi, I've built some effects and an amp out of kits in the past and recently wanted to build some vero board stomp boxes. I tried to build two, but none of them worked. And while I think I can solder (hey, my cables work! :-) ), I don't have the knowledge
www.freestompboxes.org
FSB
Forum dedicated to helping people debug and troubleshoot non-functional pedals or builds. Please use an clear and informative title, indicating circuit and basic problem. Don't forget to mark the issue as fixed if this is the case.
www.freestompboxes.org
Debugging 101
General rules and hints to succesfuly bring back that old pedal to life
www.freestompboxes.org
and a whole sub-section just for PCBGM!
tracing pedals since 2007
www.freestompboxes.org
I bet if you read through this subforum you'll be an expert debugger in no time!
aronnelson.com
Coda's guide is pretty good:
Learn more about electric guitar related electronics: DIY guitar pedals, from fuzz faces to delays and reverb, cables and circuits theory
www.coda-effects.com
Collection of vero (stripboard) & tagboard layouts for 100s of popular guitar effects, with over 1000 verified designs. DIY your own boutique effects!
tagboardeffects.blogspot.com
Midwayfair aka Jon Patton often has some good advice, but I can't find the specific post I'm looking for that I previously stumbled across:
He does highly recommend MB's template for asking for tech help on the forums.
AUDIOPROBE 101
[DIY Fever] Audio Probe - very simple contraption that helps with debugging audio circuits
diy-fever.com
Check out
GEOFEX
AMZ
BEAVIS
SMALL BEAR
Just found this:
It can be very disheartening for your new DIY guitar effects pedal not to work once you’ve finished building it and plugged it in for the first time. The smallest error during any phase of your build can mean that the pedal doesn’t work correctly, or at all. If you’re a complete beginner, there...
diyeffectspedals.com
This is worth mentioning, maybe, though not directly related to troubleshooting builds:
travelingguitarist.com
1) Turn up the amplifier and guitar knob volume first
2) Try your amplifier on its own without pedals
3) Isolate the problematic guitar pedal
4) Check the patch and power cables
5) Ensure you’ve connected to the proper input/outputs
Goes on a bit, which can be good or bad so ... maybe just get the flowchart here:
