Your Source for DIY Pedal PCBs and NostalgiTone! › GuitarPCB Forum › General DIY Pedal Discussion › Identify capacitor types. Please help.
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April 12, 2022 at 8:44 pm #24080
Anonymous
GuestI’m working on the muffin and it is my first project not in kit form. On my parts list I see the values but I don’t see any indication of which type. In the pcb some boxes are larger than others and I’m sure this must be an indicator but I can’t find a way to translate this info. Thanks
April 12, 2022 at 11:09 pm #24082
ChuckParticipantOllie, In the banner at the top of this page you’ll see “GUIDES PAGE” following a list of build documents you’ll find a blue header “MUST READ GUIDES” the second guide on the list is Beginners Guide to Components that discusses different components. Generally you’re looking for 1/4 watt metal film resistors, film capacitors 7.2 x 2.5 mm (or 3.5mm for 1uf) (https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-sxoup5r/images/stencil/1280×1280/products/2426/3507/Topmay-Box__29639.1409778261.jpg?c=2) , electrolytic radial capacitors at least 16v with lead spacing at 5mm (https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-sxoup5r/images/stencil/1280×1280/products/3104/4400/1404__13518.1418933235.jpg?c=2) If you order from Small Bear (looks like they are back up), Stomp Box Parts or Tayda you generally be able to get what you need. Ordering from Mouser can be successful with a lot of study since they carry a very wide range of electronic parts in very wide ranges of sizes and capacities.
Good luck.
Chuck
April 13, 2022 at 7:29 am #24084Anonymous
GuestThanks for your reply Chuck. One thing that still confuses me is for example, on the muffin pcb c12 and c13 are in different size rectangles but are both valued at 100n. What gives? Then I look over to c9 and it is in a 3rd size of rectangle. All three of these seem to have the same distance between solder pads. Next c5 and c8 are in a much smaller rectangle with much closer solder pads. I get that the round ones with the positive point marked are electrolytic and all though I’m probably still mistaken I feel like I have a handle on them. I have a set of ceramic capacitors going from 10 pf upto 10 uf in a wide range of values that seem to match the solder pads on the wider caps.
April 13, 2022 at 9:51 am #24086
ChuckParticipantRemember that the Muffin board is for just one version the build document covers 10 different variants and several people have built other versions. For C12 and 13 a Violet Ram uses 100n in both but a Ram uses 100n in C12 and a 1u in C13 – in a standard film box cap a 100n is dainty compared to the rather huge 1u but the lead spacing on both caps is the same. As long as the values are correct and they fit the hole spacing pretty much anything will work. If you look at MLCCs they are all tiny but have the same lead spacing. I used them in this build (the Muffin is on the left):
April 13, 2022 at 9:57 am #24087Anonymous
GuestThe different rectangle sizes are due to the different variants you can build. For example, dependent on the variant, the value C13 can be 100n or 1u (usually a larger box film cap). So, because a larger sized cap “could” be used the area on the PCB was made large enough to accommodate.
In my experience, except where a polarized electrolytic is used, you can usually use a film or ceramic. Generally, anything from 1n to 1u (when non-polarized) I use film caps and anything below 1n I use ceramic. That said, I have a lot of film caps in values lower than 1n and in the Muff’n I have used a lot of MLCC caps for the many 100n values in that circuit.
Brooks
April 13, 2022 at 10:02 am #24088Anonymous
GuestGuess I am slow typist (or thinker)…decided to reply to the thread because I saw no one was logged in. By the time I post my reply, Chuck has logged in, written a better reply AND attached pictures as an example!
I like those MLCC in the muff builds too…I always seem to be running low on 100n film caps and the muff will eat them up quick.
April 13, 2022 at 5:41 pm #24097Anonymous
GuestThanks so much guys. This clears up a lot of confusion. I tried to find answers on the wed but I kept getting the same answers no matter how I phrased the question. That being said I’m not great at the internet and not very tech. I guess that makes this kind of a strange hobby but here we are. Kit builds are more easy because everything is numbered etc but I imagine I’ll get the hang of it soon enough.
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