Neucleon Super Fuzz help please

[Stomptown]

I just noticed that this layout is different from mine. Has anyone verified this particular layout yet?

[Rockhorst]

Yes, I did. The pictures I posted of the board are a match with the very first proto I build, I just checked. This is sounding so weird to me. It's been about 10 months since I designed and build these, I'm trying to fill in the details. I have to .brd files on my computer: one is complete, the other shows no traces at all. As far as I can tell, all the boards have been manufactured from the correct .brd file, but there may have been a mistake. I can't check that by words alone. Could someone please post a picture of their board (Stomptown, Murdog or Pietro).

[selfdestroyer]

Here is the PCB that I got working without issues.



Looks like the picture of the one you posted on the first page.

Cody

[Rockhorst]

Thanks for posting Cody, that's a great help.

I've traced the chronology of my Super Fuzz boards:
October 2013: uploaded prototype board to OSH Park, build working prototype

December 2013: placed medium run order with OSH, uploaded a new design file. This doesn't explain Murdog's and Pietro's problems though, since this is the board Cody used and is pictured above

January 2013: due to popular demand, reordered the original proto board, same file as on the OSH Park server in October 2013

To identify which board you have, look at the 9V and ground pads in the lower left corner. The October-January version indicates GND (once) and +9V. The December production run has GND, G-J and +9V printed on it (as in SelfDestroyer's photo).

Pietro and Murdog where the last ones to get a Super Fuzz, so my guess is they have a board from the third batch, which should be identical to the first.

So to recap: contrary to my previous statement, there are two different Super Fuzz designs around. I apologize for that mistake. However, this doesn't explain the problems Murdog and Pietro are having because both designs have produced working Super Fuzzes by different people. So I'd still like to see a photo of Pietro and Murdog's boards.

@Murdog: from your last statement it makes sense to remove the CLR resistor at the top of the board, thus disconnecting the LED part of the design. See what that does.

[Rockhorst]

Also, what value did you use for CLR and how did you connect the L1 and L2 pads? Could you check with your DMM if there's a connection between L1 or L2 and lug 1 of the pot?

[selfdestroyer]

Also, what value did you use for CLR and how did you connect the L1 and L2 pads? Could you check with your DMM if there's a connection between L1 or L2 and lug 1 of the pot?

FYI, On my build I used a 4k7 CLR but I ended up using my LED on my 3PDT board and not on your PCB. I did not soldier on a LED at all onboard of the Superfuzz PCB.

Cody

[Rockhorst]

Here's a gutshot of my SuperFuzz proto

[Stomptown]

I got one of the boards from the same batch as Cody. Mine works find although like Cody I left off the onboard LED...

[pietro_moog]

hi. i checked the traces on my pcb. the bottom looks the same as the files, for the top i cannot be sure but it seems right. it is fully populated and it is in a poor condition now because of the desoldering work that i did a few times. the files with the traces help a lot to visualize. i didn't use the led.
btw, my pcb looks like your proto

[Rockhorst]

Hi Pietro, PM me your address, I'll send you a fresh board. Sometimes it's best to start over if you can I'll populate a board somewhere in the next few days as a double check. Still hope to fix Murdog's.

[pietro_moog]

ok, but i wanna pay for it. a fresh start is a good idea. you know, more that i look at the board more that i don't see anything wrong with it, i don't know. sometimes they just go bad.

[murdog47]

I don't have mine available right now to look at but I'm sure it is a different layout than Cody's.

[murdog47]

Here's a gutshot of my SuperFuzz proto

This is the layout that I have.

Pulled the CLR and the LED just for grins and no change.

I'm losing signal somewhere between C5's negative and Q6's base. I just can't figure out what our why 

[pietro_moog]

i'm gonna butch mine tonight, to see if i find something with the traces.
the boards may really have manufacturing difects

[Rockhorst]

Pietro, let's just keep it shipping cost then. Really, more than that is not necessary.