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PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 8:17 pm 
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From time to time we see some version of this question posted here in the BYOC forum:

"While building the Mega-Filth Ultra-Obliviator kit, I got solder between two adjacent eyelets and, try as I might, I can't get them separated again. Is my new pedal hosed??"

The short answer would be "Probably not, but it depends..." But if you're reading this, you know that we don't post short answer stickies here. No, no, no--we're into the gory details!! So read on....

******************

For purposes of this topic, I'll use an example that recently popped up concerning the 5-Knob Compressor. The OP posted the photo below and asked if the circled solder bridge was a problem:

Attachment:
5-knob_bridge.jpg

Answer:

There are a couple of ways to ascertain if a solder bridge, once formed, will be a problem. Essentially, what you need to know is if the two eyelets are already connected by a trace on the board. This can often be determined from looking at the PCB diagrams in the instructions. There are always plenty of shots of the component side of the PCB, and there is usually at least one photo of the back of the PCB, in the assembly portion of the instructions. In this case, take a look at the diagram on page 16 of the 5-Knob Compressor instructions, where it is pretty clear that those two eyelets are connected:

Attachment:
5-knob_eyelet_pair.jpg

One other thing I should mention is that when two eyelets on a BYOC board are so close together that it seems almost impossible to avoid a solder bridge, that is a very strong indication that those points are already connected. This is a matter of good PCB design practice, and Keith spends a lot of time ensuring that his boards are well designed.

If the diagrams in the instructions are not clear enough to determine this, or if you want to confirm what you think you're seeing, there is the more complicated route of checking the locations of the components in question on the circuit schematic. This is a two step process, made tons more convenient through the helpful efforts of forum moderator Stephen, who faithfully posts component diagrams labeled with their schematic component designations together with the corresponding schematic (or a hot link to it). Just look for his "sticky" posts in the sub-forum for the effect type you're dealing with--in this case, you would go to the Compressors sub-forum and find Stephen's "Compressor PCB Layouts" post.

Scroll through his post until you locate the PCB diagram for the particular circuit you need, in this case the 5-Knob Compressor Rev.2. Doing so, you would find this diagram:

Image

The eyelets that are circled on the OP's photo are the lower eyelet for resistor R26 and the upper eyelet for capacitor C18. (IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that this diagram is for the component side of the PCB, so left and right are switched vs. the solder side!) Then go to the circuit schematic (page 24 of the 5-Knob V.2 instructions) and locate those two components. There, at the top-middle of the schematic, you'll see C18 and R26 right next to each other and clearly connected together in the circuit:

Image

So in this case, the solder bridge is harmless since the two eyelets are already connected.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2


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