Manual PixelnetSplitter
Contents
Introduction
WARNING! This device has been design for personal use as a means of education and entertainment. As such it is not rated, tested, or approved for any use and I assume no responsibility in the use or operation of this equipment or for the accuracy of any information made on part of itself. This device has been design for my use and my use only. This is simply an explanation of how I built my own personal one for informational purposes. I make no warranties written or otherwise to it. It should be considered an experimental device with possible unknown characteristics.
Preparing to Build
First, we want to make sure you are up to speed on soldering and electrostatic protection of the components in your kit. If you are not an experienced printed circuit builder I recommend you visit the site:
http://curiousinventor.com/guides/How_To_Solder
And check out there extremely good video on soldering correctly. Even if you are an expert it is a good video to watch.
Another issue you must be aware of is that some electronic components can be damaged easily by electrostatic charges that can build up in you or your equipment. We have all been shocked by walking on carpet and grabbing a door knob before. This is electrostatic charge in action. It takes much less than this to hurt some of our parts. If you are unfamiliar with procedures to protect from this please use the internet to research it before opening your parts up. You can damage your parts if handled wrong!
You will need a few tools that do not come with your kit to build the Pixelnet Splitter. You will need a good soldering iron. I can not stress enough that a good soldering iron makes a big difference in these projects. The little 15w cheap irons are more apt to hurt your parts by taking too long to get the parts up to soldering temperature than a good iron which can bring it up to temp very fast. Remember it is more how long you keep the part hot than it is how hot you get it within reasonable soldering temperatures. A good soldering iron can be had for very reasonable amounts of money. You can purchase one for $30 to $60 dollars. Most anything that is called a soldering station where there is a temperature control separate from the iron itself will more than likely be fine but make sure it is rated for more than 15 watts. I myself use a cheap Weller like this one
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-Soldering-Station-WLC100-120V/dp/B000ICEMYA
It works fine and is very inexpensive. I even saw this model on sale at Sears. Radio shack has a very nice looking digital model on sale but be careful as it does not allow you to replace the tip. Tips are a part that wear out and need replacing from time to time. While we are on tips get some. I recommend you get the smaller chisel shape as this work very well for all around board building.
You need solder so buy some. I recommend the .032 size as the larger sizes tend to cause you to put too much solder on. How much? Go ahead and get a 1 lb spool as it's cheaper in large volume and you will go through it faster than you think. Make sure you are getting rosin core for electronics they make some solder for plumbing that has acid as the core this is a bad mistake to make. Unless you are required by local regulations to use lead-free solder, I recommend 63/37 leaded solder. It is much easier to use.
You need some work area to work with good lighting. Do not attempt to solder circuit boards in poorly lighted areas. If you wear reading glasses go get them you will want them I promise you. I recommend a set of helping hands like this: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104639&cp=&parentPage=search
Locate the bare board. Components are mounted on the side with the white text.
Step 1
Locate 6 yellow 0.1uF capacitors. They may be labelled 104. Insert these as shown at C1, C2, C3, C4, C6, and C7. They can be inserted either way. Bend the leads on the backside of the board, and solder them in position. Clip the excess leads on the backside.
Step 2
Locate the bridge rectifier. It is a black 4-leaded component. In coops, it is packed with the ICs. This is a polarized component and must be inserted in the correct orientation. Locate the + mark on the part. It must line up with the + mark on the PCB at D1 (closest to C6). Solder one lead and verify the bridge is sitting flat on the board. Then solder the remaining three leads.
Step 3
Locate the four IC sockets. While they are not polarized themselves, the ICs we will be putting in them are, so they should be installed with the semicircular notch facing the right way. Place them at location U1, U2, U3, and U4, with the notch facing to the right. As with the bridge, solder one pin on each, check to make sure they are flat, and solder the remaining pins.
Step 4
Locate the green input connector. Place the connector at location P1, with the holes that the power cable will connect to facing the edge of the board. Solder it in place.
Locate the fuse. It is a brown rectangular component with two leads. It can be inserted either way. Place it at location F1 and solder both leads and clip off the excess.
Step 5
Locate the two 100uF electrolytic capacitors. These are polarized and will fail if loaded backwards. On the side over one lead is a white oval with a minus sign in it. This lead is inserted in the hole with the square pad, on the left side. The other lead is inserted in the hole with the + sign. Depending on the part, the leads may be too close to each other to let the part sit flush with the board. If that's the case, let them stand about an eighth of an inch (3mm) above the board. Solder the leads and clip off the excess.
Locate the voltage regulator. Insert it at U5 with the metal tab facing the upper edge of the board. Solder and clip the leads.
Step 6
Locate the 4 RJ45 jacks. Insert them in J1 - J4. They will need a bit of pressure to get them to pop in to the board. Make sure they are flush with the board and solder all leads.
If you are building a 110V version of the pixelnet splitter, locate the power transformer. Insert it in location T1. Make sure the terminals labelled 1 and 2 are located closest to the HIGH VOLTAGE label. Solder the leads.
If you are bulding a low-voltage powered version, take two of the cut-off capacitor leads. Using a lead as a jumper, connect the upper and lower left pad of the transformer footprint (bend it so it doesn't contact the middle pad). Solder and clip both ends. Using the other lead, connect the middle and lower right pads. Solder and clip both ends. Take a Sharpie or similar marker or paint and cover the 110V_AC note as a reminder that this board is powered by low voltage.
Step 7
Locate the four MAX490 (or equivalent) ICs. These are polarity sensitive and must be inserted the right way. Insert them in the four IC sockets with the notch or dot on the IC on the right side, above the notch in the IC socket. Make sure none of the pins got bent under the ICs.
Step 8
If you are powering the board with 110V AC, take a power cord (or the plug cut off a string of lights) and connect it to P1. If you are powering the board with low voltage AC or DC, 7 to 12V, connect your power source to the board. This input is NOT polarity sensitive and can be connected either way.
The board was designed to be mounted in a TA-200 case (the same one the DMX splitter or SSR4 uses).
The board is now completed
