Smoking T-Bagger

[jcuempire]

I'm guessing it's a bad thing when smoke comes out of your box when you are testing voltages with a DMM, right?

[madbean]

If it's smoking and you aren't playing "Communication Breakdown" at that precise moment, then your polarity protection diode might be backwards.

[jcuempire]

No, alas, no Communication Breakdown.  But funnily enough, that was the first song my cousin ever taught me oh so long ago.  But it was working, albeit without any Led Zeppelin, but it was sounding all splatty, so I was checking voltages.  I have had some grounding problems (of my own doing, I will add) with this project.  I have already heated up a battery testing it.  I mean it got real hot real fast.  I fixed that - it was a solder bridge - really small - going to ground.  But I'm not sure where the smoke was coming from this time.  Maybe I inadvertently grounded something out?  Anyway, I'm assuming that little electronic components probably don't thrive under excessive heat, so I am thinking about clearing the board  and starting over.  Or putting it aside and building something else.  We'll see.  Can I test the individual components (including the IC) to see whether I killed them?

Thanks

[jkokura]

When you had power going to ground, it's possible your power protection diode got blown. That's a potential answer, just as Brian suggested.

Jacob

[madbean]

Yup. Could be toast. Most of the time, it's the diodes that smoke.

[jcuempire]

Would it be both of them?  The IN4001 is easy enough, but the BAT41 took a while to get from futurelec.  So the IC might be okay?

[k.rock!]

Would it be both of them?  The IN4001 is easy enough, but the BAT41 took a while to get from futurelec.  So the IC might be okay?

It would be the 1N4001 since that is the diode responsible for protecting your circuit. The BAT41 is your clipping diode which is a little less unlikely to fry unless you REALLY juiced up your voltage in which case you would fry the chip as well.

BTW. Just a little side note, I thought it was kinda funny that this thread is about a diode frying and your current level at the forum is a "Diode Destroyer"  haha I think Bean nailed it!

-Kaleb

[jcuempire]

Thanks and yes, I can burn up components with the best of them.  I have a ways to go until I am considered a transistor tickler.  And clearly with ample reason

[k.rock!]

hehe hey man! this happens to all of us dude...trust me...I'm only a "transistor tickler" at this forum as I recently destroyed a diode at home myself just recently!  And I'm sure it won't be the last time even if I'm considered an "electron doctor" here  I just thought it was ironic/funny...didn't mean anything by it dude

Anyways, a good tip to offer on this though, if it smoked, most likely you would see the pad blacked out on that area. If not, it's always good to check for continuity. If you use your DMM and you get some continuity across a component, it's most likely damaged. At least that was my recent case with a similar diode issue although mine didn't appear to be burnt out...kinda looked like it was broken in half...

Anyways, good luck man!

-Kaleb

[jcuempire]

Sorry if I sounded otherwise - I took no offense at all.  The irony was not lost on me.  I don't take anything that seriously.  This is a hobby and if I start going postal over a hobby, there's a problem.  I listen to everyone's comments.  They are always helpful.  I can solder these things on the board, but it's still magic to me what these things actually do and what's responsible for what.  But I am absorbing all the info.  Now I know why that diode is there!  Unfortunately, a diode was harmed in the process.

[jcuempire]

Just a question - what do you mean by continuity?  The same voltage on either side?

[k.rock!]

  cool man! No problem

Continuity basically checks if you have no potential at all (or a short circuit; which is 0Volts). Usually DMMs have this function in built in (in my case it looks like little sound waves). If you find it you'll notice that when you touch the test probes together the DMM would either generate a beep or light up an LED depending on your DMM. For practical purposes all you are doing with this is really checking if there is a continuous flow of current without any sort of impedance, capacitance, any "obstruction" at all on your path. So if you try this across any component in your circuit you should not get any beeps or anything indicating you have a continuous flow of current. If you do, you can safely rule it out as a faulty component.

It's also a very neat way of checking what is connected to what in your circuit. You can learn a lot with this function as you move between nodes in your circuit

Hope that helped! Good luck man!

-Kaleb