Cap question

[fasteddie455]

I am attempting to build David Rolo's Twin Peaks Tremolo and the component list says to use a 100 n ceramic capacitor but the few places I looked only have 100n film capicitors. Will this be ok to use instead of the ceramics?
Thanks, fastesdie455

[somnif]

100n is 100n. The difference will be size. A 100 nanofarad ceramic cap is about the size of a tic-tac. A 100nF film cap is the size of an M&M. Note that 100nF may also be called 0.1uF or 0.1mF depending on where you shop. Always fun trying to decode this stuff. (mF can also mean milifarad, but the chances of you coming across a milifarad device in the effects world are slim to none)

You will hear people talk at length about the different audio properties of various capacitor types. Don't worry about that. In 99% of cases it is a matter of minutia and squirting a guitar signal through it into an amplifier running on wall current will mitigate any differences.

You CAN get them at Tayda though:
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/monolithic-ceramic-capacitor/0-1uf-50v-multilayer-ceramic-capacitor.html
or
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/ceramic-disc-capacitors/10-x-0-1uf-50v-ceramic-disc-capacitor-pkg-of-10.html

Mouser and Arrow also carry them, though you have a lot more options in minutia with them.

[BrianS]

What somnif says is very true. One thing about David's boards is space.  When he says you need a 1uf MLCC (example) a film cap will work but it might not fit so well. If you use a 100n film cap you may have to raise it off the board for it to fit depending on what components are around it.  If you're in the states you can get them from Arrow with free shipping and if you just need one pm' me your address and I will mail you one.

[fasteddie455]

somnif and BrianS thanks so very much for the help. I will order some from Mouser on Monday ( live 30 mins away) ! Thanks for the offer to send me one BrianS . Y'all are awesome!
fasteddie455

[somnif]

somnif and BrianS thanks so very much for the help. I will order some from Mouser on Monday ( live 30 mins away) ! Thanks for the offer to send me one BrianS . Y'all are awesome!
fasteddie455

Just a cautionary note. When shopping at mouser, make sure to check EVERYTHING. Lead spacing, width, height, etc. You can occasionally get some nasty surprises by assuming things. Like, a while back, I wanted a couple odd value resistors. Was being lazy and didn't feel like checking all my stock for some that were close so chucked a couple in the order. When they arrived, instead of nice blue metal film resistors, I got these ridiculous looking blobs:



which are both thicker and longer than a standard resistor (so don't fit in the tight spot I was putting them) and look ugly on the board. Boo.

[somnif]

Also, If I may ask, which cap in the twin peaks build suggests 100n ceramic? I'm looking over the build doc and the only things I see that should be ceramic are the two 22pF disks next to the crystal. All the 100nF look to be box type.

Unless you're using a Vero layout?  Then... well yeah I suppose size can be a mixed bag and sometimes you need the odd ceramic to fit in there.

[alanp]

Aren't Dale RN60D resistors quite spendy? How did you not notice that, at least?

[somnif]

Aren't Dale RN60D resistors quite spendy? How did you not notice that, at least?

I needed 2, and they were 13 cents a piece. Since I was already ordering a batch of 1/4" sockets, it seemed easier to tack 26 cents on to the order than paying shipping and handling for them separately elsewhere.

Didn't quite work out that way though...

[fasteddie455]

I am building version 3.1 if that makes a difference... I was gonna post a pic but I just spent like 2 hours trying to do so...I give up... I hate computers!! and help is worthless!
caps numbering :C10, C12, C13, C16, C21, C22, C23, C24, C25, C26  all use 100 n ceramic capacitors as well as: c20  is a 470n ceramic.

[fasteddie455]

maybe I can get this to work at least...
http://www.davidrolo.com/Build%20Docs/Twin%20Peaks%20Tremolo%203.1%20build%20doc.pdf

[somnif]

maybe I can get this to work at least...
http://www.davidrolo.com/Build%20Docs/Twin%20Peaks%20Tremolo%203.1%20build%20doc.pdf

Ah, I see I was looking at an older build doc. Ok looking at that board you want 5mm lead spacing, no more than 2.5mm thickness. Honestly looking at the board it looks like box film type would actually fit, but I bow to the wisdom of Drolo. If you have any 100nF box types on hand, test fit a few. If they work, use em. Save a few cents.

Here is a mouser search of MLCC 100nF caps that fit the bill:
http://www.mouser.com/Passive-Components/Capacitors/MLCCs/Multilayer-Ceramic-Capacitors-MLCC-Leaded/_/N-bw5t5Zscv7?P=1z0wqusZ1z0z7l5Z1z0vn48Z1z0wh3o

The final product:

[BrianS]

That build looks tight.  My comment about things being tight was purely precautionary and my problem came with 1uf box caps when I had no MLCCs on hand.  It works fine but not a tight looking build like your pic above.

[somnif]

Just a note, that is not my picture, it was just the first populated v3.1 board I could find on google images.

The 100nF's would go where the yellow block type ceramics are. They honestly look to be silk-screened to normal box specs. The mouser MLCC's are only 10 cents a piece so its not a huge expenditure, but if you had boxes on hand ready to go I'd say see how well they fit.

(Then again the fatass 1uf at C9 is also silk screened to normal box size, but its got enough space around it to fit)

[fasteddie455]

oh man, you guys are the best... if you are ever near Dallas lemme know and buy ya a beer!
fasteddie455