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PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:39 am 
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I have successfully finished my Super8 Looper build, and did all the testing along the way of the LEDs, loops and programming functions. I then put the PCB in the enclosure, and after doing that and soldering all the LEDs, I did one last test before screwing on the back plate, and all was working great.

Then I put on the back plate, tightened down the nuts that are attached to the send/return jacks, and plugged it in, and now it won't work. :( Here's what happens:

When I power the unit on, the red "Loop" LED and the yellow "A" bank LED go on, but then after about 3 or 4 seconds, the green "preset" LED light on loop 8 starts flashing, and won't go off.
If I try hitting any of the footswitches individually (or hitting the "bank up/down" or "mode" combos) it has no impact -- the green light on loop 8 just flashes.
Signal passes both from the bypass and non-bypass inputs, but no looping functions.

Any idea what might be going on?


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:58 am 
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The foot switches short their respective microcontroller pin to ground when you press them. Your super8 is acting like you have the number 8 foot switch pressed and held, so I would assume that that foot switch is somehow making that ground connection. Perhaps it got turned slightly and one of its terminals are touching the enclosure.

If this is the case, adjust the position of the footswitch. Also, swap the wires on the foot switch so that this won't happen again, even if the foot switch rotates again, because the terminal that touches the enclosure is already connected to ground anyways.

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:21 am 
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Hey byoc:

Thanks for the quick reply. Your take on what might be happening makes a lot of sense, and I hope it's true, as I thought I'd fried the thing somehow. Looking forward to adjusting the footswitch on #8 when I get home later, and will report back.

One question: can you clarify what you mean by "swap the wires on the foot switch" ? What do you mean exactly?

Thanks again!


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 11:50 am 
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monkthecat wrote:
Hey byoc:

Thanks for the quick reply. Your take on what might be happening makes a lot of sense, and I hope it's true, as I thought I'd fried the thing somehow. Looking forward to adjusting the footswitch on #8 when I get home later, and will report back.

One question: can you clarify what you mean by "swap the wires on the foot switch" ? What do you mean exactly?

Thanks again!


If you recall, the footswitches each have two solder lug terminals. One of the lugs connects to its respective pin on the MCU, or "brain" chip. The other connects to ground (via the circuit board). When you step on the switch, the two lugs of the footswitch make contact, effectively shorting the pin on the MCU to ground. The MCU recognizes that the there is a short to ground, which initiates one of the subroutines.

The lugs on the footswitch are not specified, i.e., it doesn't matter which of the lugs is designated as the one that connects to the MCU and it doesn't matter which connects to ground. So if the lug that is closest to the enclosure actually touches the enclosure (and the enclosure is grounded), but that lug happens to get the one that you have designated as the lug that connects to the MCU, then the MCU will think that you are constantly holding that button down.

If you were to pull both of those wires out of the footswitch, and switch them around, so that the lug of the footswitch that is touching the enclosure (or has the potential to touch the enclosure) is now the lug that connects to ground, and the other is now the lug that connects to the MCU, then it makes no difference if that lug touches the enclosure because it's suppose to connect to ground.

I guess the short answer is, pull the two wires out of the footswitch solder lugs, and flip them around when you put them back.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 2:04 pm 
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Ahh, I see. Thanks for clarifying. I have already soldered all the LED's, so taking the unit out of the enclosure to switch the lugs the wires are connected to isn't something I want to do unless I have to.

And I tried what you suggested, and rotated footswitch #8, and the unit is working perfectly again.

Unless you have a trick for getting the PCB out of and back into the enclosure with the LEDs intact, I think I'm going to leave it as is and take my chances.

Thanks again!


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 3:28 pm 
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I would take your chances. taking that board out and getting it back in is a right pain in the buns. Maybe you can hold the threads of the switch with a pair of needle nose pliers when you tighten it up to keep it from rotating with the nut.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 4:08 pm 
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Great idea -- I'll try that. Thanks!


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