Aleph-X Official PCB rev Beta & 1.0

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Final board layout isn't fixed in stone yet. There are subtle differences from what's posted... it will support multiple devices (off-board), and has potentiometer fooprints like below. Send me an email pronto if you'd like to get in on the Beta order before it goes out!
 

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I was under the impression that the compenstaion cap in parallel with the feedback resistor was something good to have and that its effect was readily visible in the square wave response.
Now this symbol :skull: by the master himself suggest something different...
On the other hand the layout traces could have some parasitic pF here and there.
 
message to Gina:

I have received your board request, and I've sent two replies to your messages. I'm not sure why you aren't receiving them, but please double-check that you've got your email address set correctly in your diyAudio.com preferences (user cp)... my replies can only go to whatever address you've got in there! You may also want to enable the email option so forum members can contact you. Right now you've got it turned off.
 
OK, just wanted to inform all our Beta board purchasers that the final board count was 30, at $18.73 per board. :) That doesn't include shipping from the fab house to me, but I'll know the exact total as soon as I receive the invoice.

In about two weeks, grataku and I will begin serious work on rev1.0, and I'll be sending out an email to everyone who's requested rev1.0 boards.
 
Update!

Beta:
Final cost after shipping from fab house was $19.67 per board. At this moment, they are en-route to me via UPS, but won't arrive till Monday (so much for "2nd day" air service!). That means Tuesday I will repackage and ship.

Rev 1.0:
Orders are now at about 120. Price estimate is about $9.50 per board, including the shipping from fab house to me. I've tentatively scheduled production for second week of December, which would mean they'd be shipped out to everyone before December 23rd. Note that I'll be away for an extended vacation until January 13th, so anyone who wants me to delay their order shipment till after Christmas will probably have to wait until mid January, unless I can make other arrangements wrt shipping. I'll be closing orders on rev1.0 boards soon (order closing will be 5:00pm PST, Nov. 26th) and sending out information to everyone to start collecting payments. There's still time to get in on this order, but I want to freeze the quantity so that the costs are fixed. I will order some spare boards, and those who submit a request after I've closed the order will go on a FIFO (first come, first served) list for spare boards / unclaimed boards.
 
You'll notice that I've provided a number of pads labelled "EXT" on the board. These are there to allow connection of off-board power transistor pairs. I'll provide a proper schematic at some point, but for now, please refer to the Aleph 60 service manual for a diagram showing how multiple output transistors should be connected. Note that the current sense connections only go to one transistor pair on each side of the Aleph-X. These connections must be taken from either the empty pad where Q1/2/10/11 would be installed, or the on-board power transistors should be installed in addition to the external transistors.

Beta testers: I'd appreciate feedback on this feature, and what you think could be done to improve the layout etc, so if you use more than the standard 4 power transistors, please provide me with some notes of your experiences hooking up to the EXT connections.
 
Very nice design inded.
But are there any reasons for placing the traces for C3 C5 C13 C9 and C10 on the top layer. They will become extremly hard to solder from this side. Even if a PCB is through plated, I like to solder components direct to its traces.

Claus
 
"They will become extremly hard to solder from this side. Even if a PCB is through plated, I like to solder components direct to its traces."

Uh? I have no idea of what you mean by direct to its traces. In any event the traces for c3 and 5 are on both sides. For the remaining caps I don't remember. The traces and the thru holes are 2 oz of Cu plenty of material to make everyone happy.
 
Sorry not traces but tracks,

One rev0.9 layout snapshot posted by HifiZen I see only Red tracks (normally top layer) connecting this components. if there is a malfunction in one the through platings, you have to solder on the top layer side to get a connection, and this is very difficult on components with radial footprints like C3,5 and 13.

Claus
 
I still don't see your point, the beauty of two or more layers is that traces can run independently from top to bottom, if you require direct soldering to the traces then you limit yourself to single layer.
I am almost hoping for a manifacturing error like that. It would mean free boards. Unfortunately, that never happened to me and I doubt it will in this case.
 
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