DIY Build Instructions – KOSMODROM CHAOS DIVIDER

44 Pages·2016·5.61 MB·English

by  Aponte, Frank

DIY Build Instructions – KOSMODROM CHAOS DIVIDER [v 1.4 PCB SET]
First of, thank you for your purchase of the Tsyklon Labs KOSMODROM CHAOS DIVIDER DIY Kit [details below]. If you are a DIY Synth
Veteran [or, as we like to say at Tsyklon Labs - “Hero of Synthesizer DIY”], then this kit will be a fun build. If you are a DIY Synth Novice, you
have selected a build that will certainly strengthen your skills – but, follow the directions and take your time with this build. It is not
exceptionally complicated, but there are a lot of steps. During the build, you will put together many types of circuits – power, digital logic,
analog signal manipulation, high voltage DC [160V], and cold cathode tubes. If you are into coding, you'll even have the option of creating
your own alternate frmware for the Chaos Divider HV. Also, if you are not familiar with component naming, please check out page 37.
First, let's make sure that you have everything on hand before we heat up the iron. The tools you will need are as follows:
- Soldering Iron [if you have both a fne point and a chisel point, that will work well] and Solder
- Wire Cutters
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Fine Point Tweezers [ESD safe is preferred]
- 2.5mm Allen Wrench or Small Phillips Screw Driver for tightening M3 screws on PCB Standofs
- 10mm Deep Well Socket for tightening Potentiometer nuts and 7mm for Toggle Switch nuts
- Knurled Nut Tool [Xicon 382-0006] or 8mm Socket for tightening Jack nuts
- Insulated Trimmer Resistor adjustment tool
- Voltmeter w/ clip leads for trimming On Board Voltage Regulators [10VDC and 160VDC]
- Two pieces of electrical tape, both 2.5” [64mm] long
The following parts have been included in your kit:
Qty Part Description
1 Kosmodrom Chaos Divider Front Panel [WHITE Aluminum Panel with BLUE, BLACK, and RED screen printing]
1 Kosmodrom Chaos Divider Power/Logic Printed Circuit Board v1.4 [RED Solder Mask with BLACK screen printing]
1 Kosmodrom Chaos Divider Signal Printed Circuit Board v1.4 [BLUE Solder Mask, with WHITE screen printing]
1 Kosmodrom Chaos Divider Control Printed Circuit Board v1.4 [WHITE Solder Mask with BLACK screen printing]
9 Orange Water-clear 3mm Orange LEDs [2 pin]
1 Common Cathode 3mm Red/Blue LED [3 pin]
1 ИН-17 [IN-17] 10 Digit Nixie Cold Cathode, Common Anode Vacuum Tube
1 КМ155ИД1 [KM155ID1] Ceramic Nixie Driver IC [16 pin DIP IC]
1 Microchip PIC18F4520 Microcontroller Chaos Engine with Chaos Divider v1.4.x frmware [40 pin DIP IC] with 40 Pin Socket
DIY Build DOC/BOM KOSMODROM CHAOS DIVIDER V 1.4 Page 1
PART I – Unpacking the kit
1-1) Let us begin by inspecting the components that came with the kit. First is the RED Power/Logic Printed Circuit Board [PCB]. It is called
that because it hosts the power supply circuitry as well as the logic interfaces for the Microcontroller [front and back sides are shown]:
1-2) Next, take a look at the BLUE Signal PCB. It contains all of the circuitry for the Nixie Tube and its voltage boost power supply as well as
all of the circuitry that translates all of the real world, Eurorack system signals to those that work with [and more importantly, will not
damage] the PIC18 8-bit Microcontroller. Take note of the “Do Not Touch” screen printing images on the back of the PCB. That is the
location of the Voltage Boost circuitry for the Nixie tube – so, take heed and do not touch. And especially, do not lick the Nixie circuit either.
In fact, it is not safe to lick any side of any circuit board of any of your modules, the Chaos Divider included. Especially the Chaos Divider.
Seriously, stop thinking about it. [front and back sides are shown]:
DIY Build DOC/BOM KOSMODROM CHAOS DIVIDER V 1.4 Page 2
1-3) The third item that we will check is the WHITE Control PCB. All of the user IO and Control devices for the Chaos Divider are on this PCB
[front and back sides are shown]:
1-4) Next, we will inspect the Chaos Divider Front Panel. Check for chips or fakes in the powder coated panel as well as any issues with the
screen printing. It should look like this:
NOTE: The Chaos Divider's front panels are printed with solvent based inks. Do not use solvents such as Naphtha, VM&P, Isopropyl Alcohol
[or any other solvent or solvent based cleaners not listed] to clean the front panel. There is a really good chance that you will remove the
printing from the panel.
ALSO OF NOTE: There are four Mouser carts for this build. One for each of the PCBs and one for miscellaneous hardware such as fasteners
and stand-ofs. Be sure to get ALL of them.
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1-5) Finally, let us take a look at the miscellaneous parts. There are nine Orange Water-clear 3mm LEDs, one Red/Blue 3mm LED, one IN-17
Nixie Tube, one KM155ID1 Nixie Tube Driver IC, and one Microchip PIC18F4520 Microcontroller [w/ Open Frame 40 pin DIP Socket]:

1-6) If any of the components listed above are missing or damaged, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can arrange to get you
the replacement parts that you need! While each PCB's section lists specifc components for the PCB, below is a list of miscellaneous
hardware parts that you will need to assemble the Kosmodrom Chaos Divider:
Qty PCB Identifer Part Description
5 F/F Stand-of M3 x 11mm Hex Stand-of [Female/Female]
2 F/M Stand-of M3 x 11mm Hex Stand-of [Female/Male]
11 Screw M3 x 6mm Screw
1 Lock Nut or Short M3 Stand-of M3 x 3mm Hex Stand-of [Female/Female]
2 Header Pin Shunt Connector 0.1” Shunt Connector with Handle [Optional] – Used if you do not have a CD Sputnik
[For more information, look at page 5 of the Chaos Divider User Manual]
Miscellaneous Hardware - http://www.mouser.com/ProjectManager/ProjectDetail.aspx?AccessID=527bc5e99a
DIY Build DOC/BOM KOSMODROM CHAOS DIVIDER V 1.4 Page 4
PART II – Power/Logic PCB Assembly
Aside from the parts in the kit, you will need the following parts [listed in build order] to complete the Chaos Divider Power/Logic PCB:
Qty PCB Identifer Part Description
1 FB1 133Ω, 3.5mm x 8.9mm Leaded Ferrite Bead
1 D301 1N4001 50V Silicon Rectifer Diode
1 D302 1N5817 20V Schottky Diode
6 R302 – R307 10kΩ, 1/4W, 1% Metal Film Resistor
1 R301 47kΩ , 1/4W, 1% Metal Film Resistor
1 R308 470Ω, 1/4W, 1% Metal Film Resistor
1 R309 220Ω, 1/4W, 1% Metal Film Resistor
1 R310 560Ω , 1/4W, 1% Metal Film Resistor
2 C309, C310 15pF, 50V MLCC Capacitor
3 C307, C308, C302 100nF, 50V MLCC Capacitor [it may be labeled 0.1µF]
1 CLK_XTAL 20MHz Quartz Clock Crystal with HC49U Insulator
1 C301 47µF, 50V Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitor
1 C303 0.33µF, 50V Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitor
3 C304, C305, C306 0.1µF, 50V Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitor
1 VR301 5kΩ PCB Mount Trimmer, top adjust
1 10VREG LM317LZ Adjustable Voltage Regulator
1 PF301 RUSBF110 [Radial 5.8mm leads, PPTC Resettable Fuse 1.1A, 16V, 40A Max]
1 5VREG LM7805 5VDC Voltage Regulator with TO-220 Heatsink
1 POWER 2x5 Male 0.1” Shrouded Eurorack Power Header
1 MHDR_SPUTNIK 2x5 Male 0.1” Pin Header
1 MHDR_NBL 1x3 Male 0.1” Pin Header
1 MHDR_OUTPUTS2 1x5 Male 0.1” Pin Header
2 MHDR_OUTPUTS1, MHDR_ICSP 1x6 Male 0.1” Pin Header
2 MHDR_INPUTS, MHDR_NIXIE 1x10 Male 0.1” Pin Header
Power/Logic PCB BOM - http://www.mouser.com/ProjectManager/ProjectDetail.aspx?AccessID=37764c1f52
DIY Build DOC/BOM KOSMODROM CHAOS DIVIDER V 1.4 Page 5
2-1) Install the power supply components FB1 [Ferrite Bead], D301 [1N4001], and D302 [1N5817] into the PCB and solder them in place :
2-2) Next, install R302 – R307 [6 x 10kΩ] into the PCB and solder them in place:
2-3) Install the rest of the resistors into the PCB – R301 [47kΩ], R308 [470Ω], R309 [220Ω], R310 [560Ω], and solder them in place:
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2-4) Now that all of the resistors have been installed, we can move on to the MLCC oscillator C309 and C310 [2 x 15pF] and Microcontroller
power decoupling capacitors C307 and C308 [2 x 100nF]. Install them into the PCB and solder in place. None of these are polarised:
2-5) Next, prepare the oscillator crystal CLK_XTAL [20MHz], by installing the isolator onto the pins of the crystal and sliding it up against
the bottom of the crystal can:
2-6) Insert CLK_XTAL into the PCB as well as the 40-pin Microcontroller Socket into the PCB and solder in place.Once the 40 pin Socket
has been installed, pinch the decoupling capacitors together so that they will stay below the Socket so that the Microcontroller will sit
properly in the Socket.
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2-7) Next, install the rest of the Power Supply capacitors C301 [47µF], C302 [100nF], C303 [0.33µF], C304 – C306 [3 x 0.1µF] into the
PCB and solder in place,
NOTE: C301 is mounted horizontally [do your best to locate it within the screen printed capacitor symbol to give yourself enough room to
comfortably solder the Shrouded Power Header in step 2-13]. With the exception of C302 [MLCC, not polarised], the rest of these
capacitors are polarised Aluminum Electrolytic capacitors and must be installed with the correct orientation – the long pin on the capacitor
is the [+] terminal. Align this pin with the [+] marks on the PCB for each capacitor:
2-8) Next, install the last few components for the power supply that go onto the front side of the PCB – VR301 [5k], 10VREG [LM317L], and
PF301 [RUSBF110]. Prepare trimmer VR301 by turning it to the middle position. We will adjust it in Step 2-20 when we test and set the power
supply components:
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2-9) Gently, fold down the resettable fuse so that it is closer to the PCB and will leave enough clearance for the BLUE Signal PCB:
2-10) Here is a side view to show that the resettable fuse is not touching any of the other components:
2-11) Next, we will install the Power Supply components on the back of the PCB. Begin by bending down the leads of 5VREG [LM7805] in the
middle of the thicker portion of the leads. Use the pictures below and the screen printing on the PCB as a guide. Insert 5VREG into its Heat
Sink until the lead end of 5VREG is as fush as possible to the Heat Sink while ensuring that the leads are not touching the Heat Sink:

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2-12) Insert the leads of 5VREG into the back of the PCB and insert the M3 x 6mm screw through the Heat Sink side of the assembly,
through the PCB, and install the Locking Nut [or short hex stand-of] as shown in the picture below:
2-13) Solder the leads of 5VREG as well as installing the Shrouded Power Header and solder in place. Place the key opening according to the
screen printed component on the PCB. The “Red” stripe [actually a Black stripe, because the PCB is Red] denotes the end of the Shrouded
Power Header that has the -12VDC pins:
2-14) Next, install the 2x5 male pin header MHDR_SPUTNIK, and the 1x6 male pin header MHDR_ICSP into the back of the PCB and solder
in place.Tip: Solder one pin of each header, checking that the base of the header is fush against the PCB and that the pins of MHDR_ICSP
are perpendicular to the PCB. The other trick that might be helpful is to use a 2x5 pin ribbon connector to keep all of the pins in alignment –
some plastic bases used in pin headers may get soft during soldering and this connector helps keep everything aligned:

DIY Build DOC/BOM KOSMODROM CHAOS DIVIDER V 1.4 Page 10