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4ms Quad Clock Distributor Expander Builder's Manual

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Quad Clock Distributor Expander
QCD EXPANDER
This guide is for building a Quad Clock Distributor Expander (QCD EXP). It's an intermediate-level kit.
You should have basic soldering skills and a basic familiarity with identifying electronics components.
Note: The QCD EXP PCB is actually two PCBs that are V-scored so they can be snapped apart. It's
easiest to assemble the board in one piece, and then snap the boards apart afterwards in step 6.
Tools Needed:
•
Soldering iron, solder
•
Flush snips
•
Needlenose pliers (for removing a component if you make a mistake)
•
5/16", 3/8", and 1/4" socket drivers (optional: pliers will work too if you're careful)
•
Multimeter (for reading resistor values if you don't know the resistor color code chart)
Step 1: Resistors & Diodes
Insert and solder the resistors and diodes. There are forty-five 5% resistors (tan body) and two BAT-85S
diodes. Due to variations in components, you may find that some resistors are larger than others in your
kit. The size is irrelevant, only the color bands matter. The diodes must go in with the black band facing
the tip of the arrow. (see photo in step 3 for a more detailed view of this orientation)
After soldering, snip the leads nearly flush to the PCB (you'll be snipping the leads flush on all the
components after soldering).
Kit Builder's Guide for PCB v1.0
4mscompany.com

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Summary of Contents for 4ms Quad Clock Distributor Expander

  • Page 1 4mscompany.com QCD EXPANDER This guide is for building a Quad Clock Distributor Expander (QCD EXP). It's an intermediate-level kit. You should have basic soldering skills and a basic familiarity with identifying electronics components. Note: The QCD EXP PCB is actually two PCBs that are V-scored so they can be snapped apart. It's easiest to assemble the board in one piece, and then snap the boards apart afterwards in step 6.
  • Page 2 The 45 tan resistors (5%): The 2 diodes: • 1k x 4 (brown black red gold) • BAT-85S x 2 • 10k x 14 (brown black orange gold) Note orientation! Band=arrow tip (see pic in Step 3) • 22k x 1 (red red orange gold) •...

  • Page 3: Step 3: Voltage Regulator

    Step 3: Voltage Regulator Next, insert and solder the voltage regulator (7805). Bend it down flush to the PCB (as shown in the photo). The words must be facing upwards. • 7805 voltage regulator – Bend down flush to PCB x 1 Above (clockwise): BAT-85S diode (very bottom of image, note band points to the right), 7805 regulator, 20MHz crystal Step 4: Header pins...
  • Page 4 B. Insert the female headers as shown. Make sure the header pins are flush and vertical-- your QCD EXP won't fit together if the header pins are not perfectly vertical! • 2x4 female headers x 4 • 1x4 female header C.
  • Page 5 Step 5: Capacitors Insert and solder the capacitors. The 0.1uF, 0.01uF, and 20pF caps can go in either way, but the 47uF cylinder caps must go in with the long lead in the square hole. Above left: the 0.01 uF and 0.1uF caps are labeled “103”...
  • Page 6 D. Take apart the boards, then insert and solder the 10k trimpot. The trimpot goes on the opposite side of all the other components. E. Take a minute to carefully inspect the bottom (control) board. Make sure every component is soldered, and that you didn't miss a joint.
  • Page 7 Step 8: Mounting part 1 A. Remove plastic wrap from panel. B. Push the LEDs down close to the PCB. Take the panel and gently lower it down on the PCB. Wiggle it slightly so that it fits over the pot shafts, then the jacks. C.
  • Page 8 Step 10: Mounting part 2 A. Hold the unit so the panel is facing the floor. Gently guide the LEDs by their leads so their heads fit flush into the holes in the panel (see photo on left). Once positioned, you may want to slightly splay their leads so they stay in place.

  • Page 9: Step 11: Finishing Touches

    Step 11: Finishing touches Put the two PCBs together: just like you did before in step 6. Push firmly so the pins go all way into the headers and no metal is exposed on the pin. Install the 10-pin ribbon cable with the red stripe at the bottom (-12V) onto the POWER 2x5 header, NOT the 16 pin EXPANDER header.
  • Page 10 Step 14: Power up and calibration Make sure to plug the power cable into the 2x5 header, NOT the 2x8 EXPANDER header. If you connect the EXPANDER header to power, it will DAMAGE THE MODULE. Use the supplied 10-to-16pin power cable to attach the 2x5 “POWER” header to a standard Eurorack power supply.

  • Page 11: Test Procedure

    Test Procedure 1. Attach the 10-pin end of a 10-to-16 pin cable to the 2x5 POWER header, and the other end to a Eurorack power supply. 2. Attach one end of a 16-to-16 pin cable to the EXPANDER header, and the other end to the EXPAND header on a QCD 3.

  • Page 12: Calibration Procedure

    Calibration Procedure Calibration is completely optional. The only reason to spend time calibrating is if you require more precise duty cycles and Div/Mult CV response. There are natural variations in the resistance value of the potentiometers when they are set to the center detent position. The calibration procedure compensates for these variations.

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