ST4 DIY – VV Board

The VV board, or VCF/VCA controls board, does just that. It allows the musician to control VCF and VCA parameters. All potentiometer signals are multiplexed and sent to the MCU on the Arduino Due. Button presses are also transmitted to the Due. LED’s are driven by the 74HC595 shift register and controlled by the MCU. In other words: this board has no VCA or VCF on board or any analog peripherals. It is merely a front-end to the entire digital/analog signal path.

The Bill Of Materials:

Link to Google doc

The kit bag for your VCF/VCA controls board should look like the following photos:

VV board kit bag.
VV board kit bag.

vvboard_bagc_separate

Start with the SOIC IC, mind the orientation. Then group the resistors by value and solder each group…

vvboard_595_10k

vvboard_2k2

Now solder the bypass caps (100 nF ceramic).

vvboard_104

Solder the pot filter caps (1uF ceramic).

vvboard_1u

Solder the IC sockets. Mind the orientation. Insert them and bend 2 of the pins per socket to the inside to fasten them. Then just solder pins one by one.

vvboard_icsockets

Solder the buttons. Mind the orientation: flat side should be to the right. See photo:

vvboard_buttons

 

Now insert the LEDs together with the spacers. Mind the orientation and follow the example below (click to view full resolution):

vvledinsert

LED orientation on the VV board. Look inside the LED's lens and check the direction of gap.
LED orientation on the VV board. Look inside the LED’s lens and check the direction of gap.

 

vvboard_leds

The connector goes on the underside of the PCB. Mind (orientation of) the gap! See the photo.

vvboard_conn

Now do the pots. Note that the rightmost column is for panning, so WITH DETENT, and the rest is all without. Snap and solder.

vvboard_done

All done!