Author Topic: Express Manual issues.  (Read 1163 times)

Offline CaptKirk

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Express Manual issues.
« on: January 10, 2011, »
RJ or Manual owners,

I'm just about finished with the LE board I bought from you as a PCB (need to make a heat sync I have a nice chunk of extruded aluminum that is very close in size and shape to the really nice one you provide in the kits).  Having been fresh through the process and the manual, I though I might point out some opportunities for improvement in the current manual (which is already extremely good).  Here are my ideas:
 

Maybe add a section on the LEDs that shows the internal structure that you can use to determine polarity in addition to the "longer leg" tip.  Something like you see here: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
or more specifically here You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login  I used some repurposed LEDs that did not have their factory length legs to be able to rely on that for polarity.

To prevent issues with the heat sync install, you might add a side drawing of the heat sync screws showing the order: Screw head, insulator, triac tab, "spacer" (what is that just a fiber washer???), heatsync.  I am doing a do it yourself heat sync so the detail would be helpful and we want to be sure everyone doing the 600 EXs soon will get that right!!

Final assembly / chips section- the optos from Mouser (just got a batch) are the weird ones with the whole chip notch which slowed me down- might be nice to mention that style to help people locate pin 1 (it is on the side of the chip with the grove/notch down the edge of the top.)

How about adding a section on the self test capability in the new firmware.  Maybe explain the ZC, DMX and DONE indicators, and explain the different modes the test offers?

Pic Kit instructions have pictures of an older rev 3 board- no biggie but I did stop and think when I saw that...  (Am I in the right manual??!?!)

Appx B 240V mod seems to be some non-V5 instructions (which one had 32 180 ohm resistors???)

That is all I see so far, and I was hoping the big batch of LE DIYers would not need bug you so much with these additions/changes to the manual./

THX, Kirk
« Last Edit: January 10, 2011, by CaptKirk »
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Offline Jeffl

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Re: Express Manual issues.
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2011, »
I built 4 kits before I finally found out why I had two extra screws and 4 extra plastic washers.  That was a great idea to mount the heat sink to the board before soldering the triacs.

Offline CaptKirk

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Re: Express Manual issues.
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2011, »
I just realized I was even more confused about the washers and the screws than I comprehended.  I reviewed the video and saw that the plastic washer was to isolate the screw head for the heat sync mount to the PCB, not to isolate the triac from the heat sync.  So my suggestion would be to show a drawing of the heat sync mounting (with screw head, plastic washer, PCB, spacer, heat sync AND one for the screw head, triac tab, heatsync, nut).

THX!!!
« Last Edit: January 11, 2011, by CaptKirk »
"Beam me up Scotty- there is no intelligent life on this planet."