Missing Build Docs / Schematics

[Fama]

Some drill template questions:

1.) Snozzberry Overdrive is just the standard 4 knob enclosure, right?
2.) Desolate fuzz would fit in a standard 5 knob enclosure? Or should I take the 5 knob template and change the hole sizes so they're a bit smaller for the switches? I think the switches should still work in pot sized holes though.
3.) Aberration fuzz looks like the standard 3 knob enclosure, I'm quite sure about this one.
4.) Viceroy overdrive is the standard 6 knob enclosure, but just with twice the footswitches and LEDs?

 

[darwin999]

It would be very helpful to have the build docs for the Crystal Drive, since I now have the PCB in hand. I like your PCBs very much, but as a technology guy I have to state that user docs should be an integral part of any company's product release process...

 

[manfesto]

as a technology guy I have to state that user docs should be an integral part of any company's product release process...

as a technology guy I refuse to read manuals, figure it out on my own, and then don’t write down anything so the next time I (or god forbid a coworker) need to do it I gotta do it all over again.

Two decades in IT and it hasn’t failed me yet.

 

[manfesto]

Some drill template questions:

1.) Snozzberry Overdrive is just the standard 4 knob enclosure, right?
2.) Desolate fuzz would fit in a standard 5 knob enclosure? Or should I take the 5 knob template and change the hole sizes so they're a bit smaller for the switches? I think the switches should still work in pot sized holes though.
3.) Aberration fuzz looks like the standard 3 knob enclosure, I'm quite sure about this one.
4.) Viceroy overdrive is the standard 6 knob enclosure, but just with twice the footswitches and LEDs?

1. Looks like, yep

2. Not quite, the holes are closer to a 4-knob layout (0.65” from center), but with a center hole in the bottom row

(Although in general you can put a switch in a pot sized hole with no issue)

3. Yep!

4. Basically.

If you take a look at the PedalPCB Drill template tool, it gives the spacings for most of the 125B layouts

125B Enclosure Drill Template - PedalPCB.com

Drill Marking Template

www.pedalpcb.com

 

[benny_profane]

as a technology guy I refuse to read manuals, figure it out on my own, and then don’t write down anything so the next time I (or god forbid a coworker) need to do it I gotta do it all over again.

Ah, the mortal enemy of the tech comms dept.

 

[Laundryroom David]

It would be very helpful to have the build docs for the Crystal Drive, since I now have the PCB in hand. I like your PCBs very much, but as a technology guy I have to state that user docs should be an integral part of any company's product release process...

Need a drill template? Looks from the tags on the pedalpcb website like you could pick a drill template from any of these to guide you: https://www.pedalpcb.com/product-tag/3-knob-type-1/

As a non tech guy, and non engineer, I usually hit search and dig around for a few minutes before I start a project. We are fortunate to have some actual engineers around here. Check out this thread for some excellent ideas: https://forum.pedalpcb.com/threads/crystal-drive.4242/

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

Is the Low Tide Mini the typical 6-knob other than the LED placement?

 

[DGWVI]

Is the Low Tide Mini the typical 6-knob other than the LED placement?

It is

 

[darwin999]

I appreciate the humor, but seriously - docs ARE part of the product and they are important. Yes, I can search around, but the customer's time is an important resource as well. Remember, customers are buying PCBs rather than making them themselves in part to save time. In my work, if we don't fully document our products, people will buy from the competition - that point applies to almost anything. Yes, much of the doc may involve basically filling in a template (which should be fast & easy by now), but then there's the Notes section which brings in info from your experience as well as bias adjustments, potential mods, parts options, etc. I urge PedalPCB to finish these docs, please.

 

[Diynot]

Everyone just needs to stay calm and buy a decent micrometer caliper……..

 

[GizzWizzKing]

the customer's time is an important resource as well. Remember, customers are buying PCBs rather than making them themselves in part to save time.

DIY or DIDont? that is the question.

people will buy from the competition - that point applies to almost anything.

Go for it? But it will be your loss since you will be limited in products as opposed to the massive and growing catalog here.

The moral of the story here is to not buy a pcb that doesn't have the build doc if you find that to be so important to the product.

 

[darwin999]

Hmm, seems like my request and customer feedback isn't finding the warmest reception just yet. I did appreciate those comments from folks that were seeking to help - my thanks to them. My concern wasn't the hole drilling template but instead the 'value add' comments such as possible parts mods, critical bias adjustments, lessons learned, etc. Regarding this EQD Chrysalis clone - my options were PedalPCB vs. making my own PCB using Effects Layouts's pattern, and I definitely goofed by not noticing that the build instructions weren't available. So I'll watch to see what happens here vis a vis the build doc, and later draw relevant conclusions regarding future stompboxes. Cheers.

 

[manfesto]

but then there's the Notes section which brings in info from your experience as well as bias adjustments, potential mods, parts options, etc.

PedalPCB documentation almost never has any of that information though.

Kind of the opposite, really - the PedalPCB ethos is basically “don’t make the weather, report the weather”, so if it’s an esoteric circuit with discontinued transistor part numbers, that’s what’s going to be silkscreened on the board and listed in the build doc.

And then if you can’t find that part, you come to the forum and ask around to see what a suitable replacement is.

 

[benny_profane]

important

What do you need for this project?

Here's the doc for the previous rev. The changes seem to be limited to pcb layout; the schematic looks to be the same. The drill template is the same.

Here's a link to @Chuck D. Bones's modifications.

 

[astoria]

He knows he's losing business by not having all of the build docs available but there is only so much time in a day. I'm sure he would love to have all of that up but when the choice is to create a new PCB or document an already created PCB I can understand choosing the new product more often than not. Until PedalPCB is large enough that hiring someone (which would almost certainly raise prices) to manage documentation this is the trade-off of working with a small business in the Maker/DIY space.

This forum is the crowd-sourced documentation until he has time to create formal docs

 

[Laundryroom David]

I also think it’s important to remember that PPCB does not offer kits. Some resellers do sell PPCB boards with their own kits. Perhaps purchasing one of those kits would suit some customers better, I don’t know. This community and these pcbs are the best I’ve ever known but I can appreciate that it may not be what everyone wants. C’et la vie.

But to the point, Chuck’s build that I linked to above includes a schematic, modifications (ie improvements) AND Chuck knows what he’s doing. Like that Simpsons episode with the robots where Marge points out a functioning robot and says to Homer, see all that stuff inside? That’s why yours never worked (or something like that). Chuck’s the dude who built the robot with the stuff inside and I’m Homer.

To me, this forum is like the biggest, best living build doc possible.

 

[DeadAirMD]

When I first started building last year, I was bummed about not having build docs for all my builds. But, I found incredible info here in the forum and really nice people that are more than happy to help me out. A few quick searches and I found build reports of some of the pcbs I wanted to order that didn't have build docs. I wrote down the components I needed to order from those photos and asked questions about the rest here. The entire reason I am here is because I want to do everything myself, even if that includes scouring posts. Some people are not like that, but being friendly and nice goes a long way.

 

[giovanni]

I think Robert probably notices an uptick in sales as soon as he published a build doc. I am sure that if he was able to crank out more docs and also keep up with releasing new boards he would. I totally understand that in an ideal world you would have excellent docs released with the product, but as others have mentioned, we are not quite there. But that’s ok! We still get excellent quality boards and an incredible catalog to choose from.

Plus, as others have mentioned, we are here to help as much as we can. It’s not as convenient as having a nice doc ready to go, but you can definitely find the information needed.

I also want to point out that other companies may have more detailed build docs but on the other hand some of them have terrible PCB layouts and the docs themselves are full of mistakes. You can find lots of such failed builds on this very forum. Robert’s board are, dare I say, idiot proof for the most part and delightful to build. I actually rarely even open the build doc unless I need to check the schematic for some reason (rare for me) since the silkscreen provides 99% of the information I would need.

Anyways, good luck with the build and let us know how we can help!

 

[darwin999]

Benny_profane - many thanks for the build doc for the prior version. Basically, what I was looking for was any known issues, parts changes or alternatives, etc - i.e., any things I 'ought to know' from the get go. With this doc, I now see that this one is straightforward, w/ no urgent need to socket any particular devices for testing or variants, or buy any alternate parts, etc. Just knowing that from the start is useful (at least for me).

My general comments on build doc availability is totally in line w/ Giovanni's comment - they very likely do help sales, as there surely are customers that want them. And higher sales would hopefully strengthen the overall enterprise, which is good for all of us. I do understand and appreciate all too well the issue of time constraints (e.g., for Richard, who I take it designs the PCBs and is also the docs author). So perhaps just putting the old build doc on the Crystal Drive web page (noting that it's for the prior PCB version, but with no parts/schematic changes) would be a good interim step.

 

[Feral Feline]

I appreciate the humor, but seriously - docs ARE part of the product and they are important. Yes, I can search around, but the customer's time is an important resource as well. Remember, customers are buying PCBs rather than making them themselves in part to save time. In my work, if we don't fully document our products, people will buy from the competition - that point applies to almost anything. Yes, much of the doc may involve basically filling in a template (which should be fast & easy by now), but then there's the Notes section which brings in info from your experience as well as bias adjustments, potential mods, parts options, etc. I urge PedalPCB to finish these docs, please.

Welcome to the forum.

I get your points.

I was a little frustrated with the apparent lack of build docs (schematics particularly) when I first bought some PCBs and joined the forum, but then I found the rhythm of the forum, the Rhyme and Reason of the sequence of projects becoming available.

Milo found his way to Rhyme and Reason in the Lands Beyond, I found them here, and I believe so shall you, if you like.




It boils down to:

— It's a one-man show, and Robert bends over backwards to accommodate everyone's wishes but there are only 24 hrs in a day and he's already done so much in each of those 24hrs; a lot of customers want the PCB immediately regardless of time-consuming docs being ready.

— Patience is always rewarded here. The docs will come.

When a build doc is unavailable and I need it, I just follow the PCB-labelling, trace the PCB for my own schematic, or work on one of the many other projects offered that has the build doc released already — 'cause I know the build doc and schematic will be available at some point.

As mentioned, a lot of people here want the PCB first & foremost as soon as it's available and build it without docs/schematics — and if troubleshooting's involved they either figure it out or open a trouble-shooting thread. The build docs are very basic and geared towards experienced builders; yet a lot of info is gleaned from the forum, so even novices can get going here — if it was done any other way, there would not be the plethora of projects to peruse and purchase.


[Edit: I see you've posted since while I started typing this missive. It's Robert, not Richard, who makes all the PedalPCB stuff happen, including the forum. ]

Cheers,
FF