Delptronics LDB-1 Analog Drum Machine - Manual

LDB-1 Kit Instructions Page 1 of 8
Important Information
Congratulations and thank you for your purchase of the LDB- 1 “Little Drummer Boy” Analog Drum Machine Kit!
Before you start, please read the enclosed Electronic Kit Soldering Tutorial. It contains important and useful
information even for experienced kit builders. If this is your first electronic kit, you sure picked a big one. It is not
difficult to assemble, but there are a lot of parts. Take your time and be careful to put the right part in the right place.
It is not easy to de-solder parts if you make a mistake.
With some parts, it is important that the right lead goes in the right hole in the PCB (printed circuit board). For
example electrolytic capacitors are polarized (they have a positive lead and a negative lead). Ceramic capacitors are
not polarized, so it does not matter which of the two leads goes in which of the two holes. In these instructions the
symbol (±) highlights parts that must be inserted with a particular orientation.
The PCB is not marked with part values, but rather with reference designators (refdes). For example R1 refers to
resistor number one and C1 refers to capacitor number one. Once the part value is identified, it is easy to find the
refdes on the PCB.
The parts in the kit are in two bags. One bag contains discreet components like resistors and capacitors, and the
other bag contains electromechanical parts like jacks and switches. The discreet components are soldered first.
Before you start, separate the parts by type. When you are ready to solder parts of a particular type, then separate
them by value. In general, the order that the parts are soldered onto the PCB is shortest to tallest.
In the instructions below, each part type is followed by the PCB outline for that part. Refer to the enclosed
photograph of the completed kit for assistance with part identification.
Top Side Parts
The first group of parts are mounted on the “top” side of the PCB (the side with writing on it), and soldered on the
“bottom” side. Only the pushbuttons, LEDs, and potentiometer are mounted on the bottom side.
Chip Sockets (±)
There are four 8-pin sockets and three 14-pin sockets. Sockets are marked with a small U-shaped notch that must
line up with the outline on the PCB. Once the socket is soldered in place, the PCB outline will not be visible, so it is
important that the sockets are oriented correctly in order to ensure that the chips are inserted correctly.
Note that two of the 14-pin sockets go right next to each other to accommodate the 28-pin PIC18F26K22 chip.
Diodes (±)
There are 20 diodes. All of the diodes are the same value, so they have no refdes on the PCB, just a distinctive
outline. The diodes are red and black glass. When inserted into the PCB, the black side of the diode must line up
with the stripe on the part outline on the PCB. The diode leads need to be bent close to the body of the diode. Hold
the diode body and press down on each lead right at the body to make a U shape.