Footswitch Issue

joelorigo

joelorigo

Well-known member
I have the Cast Iron finished and it worked for several days. Then overnight it won't pass any signal in bypass or activated.

Checking the footswitch I was getting continuity where it wasn't wanted - in bypass on lugs 1 & 2, and 5 & 6 when effect was on. I checked the continuity switch before the build and it was good, and then after soldering the PedalPCB Breakout Board.

I took the switch out because I thought I had another to replace it but it turns out I don't.

Then I checked the continuity again and it was all good. So I thought maybe the problem was one of the tips of one of the IN, GND, SW or OUT wires touching underneath the Breakout Board that I couldn't see earlier. I put it back in making sure that none the tips of the wires don't have a chance of touching each other. Now continuity test has the same problems as above.

I am going to get a new footswitch but I am trying to solve this mystery.
 
The jack looks like its touching I believe is what he is pointing at. Since thats the tip of the jack that would cause a short and cut the audio out. I would try turning it a little so you don't have to worry about clearance. If its not passing audio in bypass or active look to the jack, lol.
 
My apologies. Yes, what @Audandash said.

It appears like the Tip lug (the lug itself, not the wire) of your input jack is touching the enclosure. The enclosure is grounded by the 1/4" jacks, so this could cause your symptoms.

Another hint is that the continuity issue went away when you removed the switch from the enclosure.
 
Ah I see. Just looked again, doesn't seem to be touching. Here's some photos
 

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Well, we can eliminate the DC jack and PCB entirely, nothing there would affect bypass.

The 3PDT could absolutely be defective, and is the most likely culprit, but it's odd that the situation changed when you removed it.

No chance there's any stray solder under the breakout board?
 
Robert said:
Well, we can eliminate the DC jack and PCB entirely, nothing there would affect bypass.

The 3PDT could absolutely be defective, and is the most likely culprit, but it's odd that the situation changed when you removed it.
Click to expand...
Yes it's very odd. Is there anything internally that could be happening inside the switch? Early on in my building I had foot switch issue and I replaced the switch. Then based on a suggestion on this board I opened up the problematic one and found that plate inside was offset and was able to adjust it, put it back together and reuse it. But since mine is testing correctly out of the build it would have to be something that is only a problem when in the build. I dunno ???
Robert said:
No chance there's any stray solder under the breakout board?
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I will check.

Thanks!
 
Yep, if you want to use it as a normal breakout board just add a jumper from the LED A pad to the left end of the CLR pad.

1757283136564.png

Or, if that's too ugly and you don't mind using multiple jumpers, add a jumper across A/K of the LED (on the breakout board), across CLR, and across the bottom two pads of the trim pot. Three jumpers total.


1757283171883.png
 
@joelorigo - hmm, any chance that one of the wires (or the solder) to the utility board accidentally touches the metallic part of the stompswitch's body, so that causes the short to ground when the stompswitch is in place in the enclosure? It looks like your jacks do ground the enclosure. Maybe it got pinched or there's a nick in the wire's insulation? Just tossing out a crazy thought... Good luck!

Note added: I hate intermittent problems. When I was a first year grad student in the lab, a more senior student told me that when that type of weirdness happens, you have to rigorously rule out absolutely every single possibility for what might be going wrong, and then - and only then - things will magically start working again. It's not a hard physical law, but it's close...
 
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The plot thickens...

Replaced the footswitch with a new one that tested good, tested good after the breakout board was soldered to it, and when wired to the pedal has the same issue as the first switch. Except this time when the effect is activated there's white noise / hiss that wasn't there with the first switch.
 

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darwin999 said:
@joelorigo - hmm, any chance that one of the wires (or the solder) to the utility board accidentally touches the metallic part of the stompswitch's body, so that causes the short to ground when the stompswitch is in place in the enclosure? It looks like your jacks do ground the enclosure. Maybe it got pinched or there's a nick in the wire's insulation? Just tossing out a crazy thought... Good luck!

Note added: I hate intermittent problems. When I was a first year grad student in the lab, a more senior student told me that when that type of weirdness happens, you have to rigorously rule out absolutely every single possibility for what might be going wrong, and then - and only then - things will magically start working again. It's not a hard physical law, but it's close...
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I'll look closer and see what I can find.
 
Pokey bits into the back of the pot condom that pierce once the pots are tightened down?
Just loosen the pot nuts and see if it improves. Maybe jiggling the PCB a bit.
 
Let's focus on getting sound when bypassed first. (There's still no sound in bypass, right?)

With the pedal in bypass, no power applied:

Check for continuity between the Tip lugs of the Input and Output jacks.

Now check for continuity between the Tip lug of the Input jack and Ground.


Any chance you clamped down the pots on the input or output wire and shorted it to the enclosure?
 
Robert said:
Let's focus on getting sound when bypassed first. (There's still no sound in bypass, right?)

With the pedal in bypass, no power applied:

Check for continuity between the Tip lugs of the Input and Output jacks.

Now check for continuity between the Tip lug of the Input jack and Ground.


Any chance you clamped down the pots on the input or output wire and shorted it to the enclosure?
Click to expand...
I took it out of the enclosure and input wire was sandwiched between the gain pot and the enclosure. See the smashed insulation.
 

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