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This video demonstrates how to solder a QFN or MLF chip without solder paste or stencils.  While solder paste and a stencil will product the most consistent results, this demonstration only uses an iron, flux, hot air and regular solder to get the job done.  

Future videos will demonstrate how to use a solder paste syringe, as well as the recommended method of using a stencil.

Equipment used in this video:

• Aoyue 6028 Hot Air SMD Rework Station
• Tweezers for Surface Mount Devices (SMDs)
• Alcohol Dispensing Pump Bottle
• Chipquik No-Clean Paste Flux Syringe
• Liquid Flux
• Flux / Alcohol Bottle
• Desoldering wick/braid
• .02 SAC (lead free) solder
• Horse Hair Brush (ESD safe when wet)
• Hakko 50W Soldering Station
• 10X Magnifying Loupe

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Here's a quick demo of our new FM Radio Shield, featuring its ability to read the RDS text data off the radio stream and display it in the Arduino Serial Monitor. 

The FM Shield also:

• digitally control station, volume
• read station strength to find good stations, or empty bands
• head phone amplifier, uses headphone wire as antenna

The FM Radio Shield is available for purchase.

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On Saturday April 24th Travis Thatcher will be conducting a workshop on simple DIY electronics for music and the construction of a Voice of Saturn Synth. See more info after the jump.

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We're happy to release a new FM Radio Arduino Shield that lets you listen to and control FM Radio.  With its abilit to read RDS info, the station / artist / song names can be displayed, and with a bit of code, you could have it automatically change channels when commercials play.

You can also digitally change the station, volume, and read the signal strength to find the strongest or weakest stations.  Finding weak stations could help you find a good transmission gap for your FM transmitter.

If there's a station broadcasting traffic info via RDS, that would also be available. 

 

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A Frac Rack version of our Filter kit is now available: Voice of Saturn Voltage Controlled Filter

The VoS Voltage Controlled Filter is based around a CEM3372 filter IC (4-pole resonant low-pass filter)--the same chips found in the filters of such analog classics as the Sequential Circuits Prophet 600, Prophet T8 and Oberheim Xpander.  It features two inputs that are summed and then fed into the low-pass filter. The input and output volumes, cutoff frequency and resonance can all be controlled by VC (voltage control) or knobs.

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We've got a new look, what do you think?  We'll be transitioning parts of our old over to the new one gradually, so please let us know about any bugs!

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In order to get more out of your CV1 input on your VoS synth, we have come up with a simple mod that will help you do more with your synth. The mod should take only about 15 minutes and requires adding a new wire and moving an old one.

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Thanks for all the links to our videos, we just passed 1M views on our youtube channel, along with 1002 subscribers. Let us know if you'd like any videos on specific topics. Read More

Inspired by the desks at atlanta's hackerspace, we made a new work station with a white board as a surface. For $12, you can get a 8x4 foot piece of panel board from Home Depot / Lowes. Read More

For everyday tasks like tinning wires, it is difficult to hold the iron, solder, and wire in only two hands. To remedy this problem, you can jam the soldering iron in the coil of the iron holder. Read More

Jimmy silk screened his own steel panel for the VOS. Check out his sound/sculpture/performance harrier exhibit--the vos would have fit in well. Read More

Why is it easy to find 4.7k resistors, but not 4.8k resistors? Where do common values like 1.2k, 2.7k, 560, and 820 come from and who decides them? As you may know, resistors come in different tolerances, as indicated by the 4th band (gold = 5%, silver = 10%). A 100 ohm resistor with a 10% tolerance is expected to have a value somewhere between 90 and 110 ohms, so it wouldn't make much sense to buy a 101 Ohm resistor when it's actual value could be less than a 95 Ohm, 10% resistor. The Electronic Industries Association (EIA) is the primary body that standardizes the values for resistors, and they publish value lists called "E" series. In the 10% series, known as E12, each value is spaced so that there won't be overlap. The min and max values are listed:

(min)	value	(max)
(90)	100	(110)
(108)	120	(132)
(135)	150	(165)
(162)	180	(198)
(198)	220	(242)
(243)	270	(297)

The number following the "E" stands for the number of logarithmic steps per decade. Logwell has a table that lists common values from 10% through 1% Here is a neat resistor selection tool from uCHobby that allows you to select only legal values Read More

Voice of Saturn + PBR art entry from Travis Thatcher on Vimeo. Modified Voice of Saturn Synth I made for the PBR Art show tonight in East Atlanta. There's a speaker in the can and it makes lovely noise. Read More

If breadboard jumper kits seem too expensive, you can easily make your own with 22 AWG solid core wire. Just strip off a half inch of insulation from the ends and you'll be able to make hundreds of jumpers for the price of a small spool. Read More

JH Polymoog Resonator + voltage control and Voice of Saturn from Travis Thatcher on Vimeo. J.H. Polymoog Resonator clone with added voltage control and the Voice of Saturn synth/sequencer. More info: voiceofsaturn.blogspot.com. Read More