exxos's Atari, Amiga & retro forum

Hi All,

So today I've started building the STF Remake PCB. I've started by soldering in the sockets that I already had at home. I don't know why but I always seem to start my PCB's by soldering in the sockets first and then on to the smaller components.

Thoughts so far, the board is easy to solder, nice big solder pads so far. Although I have spotted an area where extra care is needed. Some of the vias around U60 are very close to the socket pads, so don't go too mad with the solder.

Not sure how much more I'll get done this week as I'm off up to Dundee for a few days for work.

Please post your pics of your progress here. It'll be good to see how you're all getting on whilst I'm away :-)

Here's mine, chips inserted just for the hell of it :D

:coolpics:

I spent my day doing the opposite, de-soldering a donor ST for some of the components.

Nice ! Yeah be careful of those close vias to pads. I did put a lot of space between those things, but doesn't look like it followed my rules :? They were ultra close around the ram area, but after the DRC was set, they seemed to move away.. But no idea why it made pads close to vias in other areas.. Really hate auto routers!

Looking well nice in any case!

Well here's mine so far, but as yet no soldering done, as I'm just checking everything off as it comes from the donor board:
There's a couple of issues I've hit so far in testing out component fit.

First is the keyboard connector, and I'm assuming that J12 on the remake board is the same as J12 on the real thing:
As you can see, either we're missing a hole, or a space, for the gap in the pins.

Second is the pitch of the MIDI socket ground connectors:
As you can see, the donor sockets have a wider pitch than the holes in the board.

Neither of these issues is insurmountable, I'm sure, but worth mentioning, unless I've missed a post here that covers both of these aspects.

Oh, and one thing I do have to say, is that the pitch on the ROM socket solder pads is FREAKING AWESOME!

Given the tight pitching of the pins on these sockets, it's a great job to have got them so perfect, mine dropped in with barely a wiggle :)

rubber_jonnie wrote: 03 Sep 2018 16:03 Well here's mine so far, but as yet no soldering done, as I'm just checking everything off as it comes from the donor board:

There's a couple of issues I've hit so far in testing out component fit.

rubber_jonnie wrote: 03 Sep 2018 16:03 First is the keyboard connector, and I'm assuming that J12 on the remake board is the same as J12 on the real thing:

Hmm, bugger,,

What I did matches the STF...
So why is the ST actually 1 pin longer :roll:

rubber_jonnie wrote: 03 Sep 2018 16:03 Second is the pitch of the MIDI socket ground connectors:

Yeah, posted about that earlier.. they were the ones icky sent, not the actually ones I purchased ages ago (lost in loft probably)

rubber_jonnie wrote: 03 Sep 2018 16:03 Oh, and one thing I do have to say, is that the pitch on the ROM socket solder pads is FREAKING AWESOME!
Given the tight pitching of the pins on these sockets, it's a great job to have got them so perfect, mine dropped in with barely a wiggle :)

Nice! hopefully everything else will line up..

As a note, pretty much alignment of everything is going to be out.. the PSU holes are not right either.. but this board is more to test everything works anyway.

ahhh, the "blob" is pin 8 :lol: I thought it just was a ink blob and never thought it was a pin.. :roll:


Actually "1,8" probably it supposed to say.. Can "see" it now, should have followed the STE one!

At least they are both ground connectors and can be easily linked.

I'm hoping for an easy job in Dundee, so I can get cracking on the next few parts of the PCB when I get home at the end of the week.

Incidentally, I don't have a falcon ram board but was wondering if it's still possible to use something like the market and your 4mb board in the meantime?

Forgottenmyname wrote: 03 Sep 2018 16:50 At least they are both ground connectors and can be easily linked.

Yeah, if both gnds are wired on the keyboard connector then probably not a issue really..

Forgottenmyname wrote: 03 Sep 2018 16:50 Incidentally, I don't have a falcon ram board but was wondering if it's still possible to use something like the market and your 4mb board in the meantime?

Yeah, my 4MB MMU kit should work.

Actually probably a good idea for someone to use that anyway.. just in case the falcon ram card template wasn't wired up right :lol:

LMAO, I'll probably buy a new one from you, as I have no idea where I put the other one.

Too much tidying to do, too little time.

OK cool, nothing we can't get round then 😊

One last thing I noticed, the reset switch pins are fine, but the metal can has no holes for its tabs. No biggie again, just something to consider for the next iteration.