I have for some time thought about getting a circuit board to work for most of the Aleph circuits with just a few jumpers here and there and a set of silkscreen for each Aleph. I have been busy on my drawing board with such a pcb design. 
It can handle the 2, 3, 4, 5, 30 and 60. It comes with a couple of 3"x12" boards with a max of 6 mosfets on each spaced at 2.25". The fets are mounted directly on the board and onto the heatsink. It will be a nice foundation for a 3/30 and easily upgraded up to the Aleph 2. Nelson Pass design purists (me included) will find the PCBs keep the integrity of his designs for each Aleph. For the more experimental types the variations can be made easily with the different input impedances.
If this generates a lot of interest I would like to have this etched professionally and offer it to you. It will of course be fairly and reasonably priced (just enough for carpal tunnel surgery and Tylenol for migraine) and made in the USA🙂 Anyway, anyone interested can e-mail me on the address listed on my member profile. As always many thanks to Mr. Pass and all who inspire to make us perspire even more. I will attach an AutoCAD drawing next time around.
It can handle the 2, 3, 4, 5, 30 and 60. It comes with a couple of 3"x12" boards with a max of 6 mosfets on each spaced at 2.25". The fets are mounted directly on the board and onto the heatsink. It will be a nice foundation for a 3/30 and easily upgraded up to the Aleph 2. Nelson Pass design purists (me included) will find the PCBs keep the integrity of his designs for each Aleph. For the more experimental types the variations can be made easily with the different input impedances. If this generates a lot of interest I would like to have this etched professionally and offer it to you. It will of course be fairly and reasonably priced (just enough for carpal tunnel surgery and Tylenol for migraine) and made in the USA🙂 Anyway, anyone interested can e-mail me on the address listed on my member profile. As always many thanks to Mr. Pass and all who inspire to make us perspire even more. I will attach an AutoCAD drawing next time around.
I am definately interested. Please put me down for 6 sets of boards. PLEEZE make the traces at least 2 oz copper, and gold plated of possible. If you can't do 2 oz copper traces then count me out... I know the gold plating is a luxury....... but a very nice touch!! But as long as the traces are 2 oz I'm fine with it.
Thanks,
Mark
Thanks,
Mark
my email is now open for all interested.
highbias, six sets! wow just your order overwhelms me. anyway, the manufacturer specifies their pcbs to be 1.25oz or a thickness of ~0.0432mm. The traces carrying the full 3A bias on the Aleph 2 is at least ~8mm width (just 7mm long in one stretch) and on most 20mm width double sided. 8mm=0.315" which converts to about 682 circ mils and about AWG#22. AWG#22 can max out at 12A. I can safely call that overbuilding. Looking at my excel table 2oz at 8mm width will be equivalent to AWG#20 at max of 14A.
For uniformity in pricing and production I think we can't do gold plating. 6sets will be 24 boards for 6 stereo channels. Remember it's 2 boards for a channel. Or is it 3 stereo sets you need?
Check out the drawing if I can get it to attach.
highbias, six sets! wow just your order overwhelms me. anyway, the manufacturer specifies their pcbs to be 1.25oz or a thickness of ~0.0432mm. The traces carrying the full 3A bias on the Aleph 2 is at least ~8mm width (just 7mm long in one stretch) and on most 20mm width double sided. 8mm=0.315" which converts to about 682 circ mils and about AWG#22. AWG#22 can max out at 12A. I can safely call that overbuilding. Looking at my excel table 2oz at 8mm width will be equivalent to AWG#20 at max of 14A.
For uniformity in pricing and production I think we can't do gold plating. 6sets will be 24 boards for 6 stereo channels. Remember it's 2 boards for a channel. Or is it 3 stereo sets you need?
Check out the drawing if I can get it to attach.
Hi Blues,
Post the boards for us to make comments and provide design feedback.
Personally I like 2oz traces as well. There are tons of really great vendors who provide 2oz as standard or a low cost upgrade.
Also routed edges, drilled, solder masks, and slilkscreen is pretty standard these days.
Green masks are the standard, but Kristian's blue mask boards look really great! The blue mask does cost a little bit more, but with enough interest he board costs should be rather low.
Just my $.02 worth.
Thanks,
-David
Post the boards for us to make comments and provide design feedback.
Personally I like 2oz traces as well. There are tons of really great vendors who provide 2oz as standard or a low cost upgrade.
Also routed edges, drilled, solder masks, and slilkscreen is pretty standard these days.
Green masks are the standard, but Kristian's blue mask boards look really great! The blue mask does cost a little bit more, but with enough interest he board costs should be rather low.
Just my $.02 worth.
Thanks,
-David
All the standard trimmings will be there. I'll have to ask for 2oz if they'll consider. I'll try to post some drawings, with its size I don't know if you'll make sense of it once shrunk and posted here. Interested parties will received an attachment drawing in their e-mail though.
I'll have to shrink the drawing some more...
I'll have to shrink the drawing some more...
There have been a number of Aleph board layouts. Mine is still here somewhere in the dim mists of the past. It was good for anything from an Aleph 2 (i.e. 6 device pairs) on down, but then few people have gone as far as the Aleph 1 (12 pairs).
And of course MikeW did a dandy board for the Mini-A, which can be scaled up, in theory.
Speaking for myself, I used 1oz board for the front end and 2oz for the output board. Small signal stuff doesn't really need 2 oz.
Grey
And of course MikeW did a dandy board for the Mini-A, which can be scaled up, in theory.
Speaking for myself, I used 1oz board for the front end and 2oz for the output board. Small signal stuff doesn't really need 2 oz.
Grey
You must be almost as much of a packrat as I am. Can't believe anyone would be able to come up with that thread that quickly. I know it would take me a month of Sundays to find it.
Grey
Grey
I did a lot of research when i built my Aleph 2.
Unfortunately I didn't find your thread until after I had purchased
pre made PCBs. It would have been more satisfying to have
etched my own PCBs. The PCBs i purchased were excellent, but
it's fun to make your own if you can.
If I ever build another Aleph i'll give it a go.
You guys did some excellent work way back when 😉
This board and Pass DIY had been my only electronics education,
(besides that green paper book you can buy at Radio Shack)
so thanks for all the hard work!
Unfortunately I didn't find your thread until after I had purchased
pre made PCBs. It would have been more satisfying to have
etched my own PCBs. The PCBs i purchased were excellent, but
it's fun to make your own if you can.
If I ever build another Aleph i'll give it a go.
You guys did some excellent work way back when 😉
This board and Pass DIY had been my only electronics education,
(besides that green paper book you can buy at Radio Shack)
so thanks for all the hard work!
Way back when...!?!
Harrumph!
As soon as I can toddle over there, I'm gonna whack you with my cane, you impertinent imp.
Grey
Harrumph!
As soon as I can toddle over there, I'm gonna whack you with my cane, you impertinent imp.
Grey
Here are some design details on the board:
1. Configurable to Aleph 2, 3, 4, 5, 30 and 60 with a few jumpers.
2. The silkscreen will be Aleph 2 since this the most popular and the cream of the Alephs. I am considering silkscreening per Aleph but that really depends on the manufacturer if it can be accomodated. If we go with the former, anyone starting out with any Aleph besides 2 will be sent a printout of component layout and jumper positions. I will provide the necessary jumpers.
3. The design of right channel boards are mirror images of the left channel boards, so wiring will be neater, less fussy and with same lengths on both channels.
4. The design is based mostly on the Aleph 60 as seen on Nelson Pass' website. The resistors used to match the differential pair in situ will be there for all the Alephs. Resistor to ground as in the 30/60 is there. The only thing that's missing with the original Alephs (2,3,4 and 5) will be how the LED is wired. This design the LED is wired as in the 30/60...straight to ground (bummer). All circuit designs are followed with integrity as NP designed it.
5. The fets can be mounted two ways depending on how the DIYer wants to occupy his chassis estate. One way is to mount them Zen v4 style...flat on the heatsink with the fets' flat front surfaces supporting one end of the PCB and two spacers at each opposite corners. Another way is to bend the fet legs like a one-legged small letter "h" and the pcb is at right angle with the heatsink.
6. Terminal blocks will be provided through-out for all the outboard connections.
7. Finally I would like to name this board the "Hotrod Aleph" board. To pay homage to hotrodding which is much like our hobby.
Again, thank you for all who expressed interest. I am looking forward to this project coming to reality.
1. Configurable to Aleph 2, 3, 4, 5, 30 and 60 with a few jumpers.
2. The silkscreen will be Aleph 2 since this the most popular and the cream of the Alephs. I am considering silkscreening per Aleph but that really depends on the manufacturer if it can be accomodated. If we go with the former, anyone starting out with any Aleph besides 2 will be sent a printout of component layout and jumper positions. I will provide the necessary jumpers.
3. The design of right channel boards are mirror images of the left channel boards, so wiring will be neater, less fussy and with same lengths on both channels.
4. The design is based mostly on the Aleph 60 as seen on Nelson Pass' website. The resistors used to match the differential pair in situ will be there for all the Alephs. Resistor to ground as in the 30/60 is there. The only thing that's missing with the original Alephs (2,3,4 and 5) will be how the LED is wired. This design the LED is wired as in the 30/60...straight to ground (bummer). All circuit designs are followed with integrity as NP designed it.
5. The fets can be mounted two ways depending on how the DIYer wants to occupy his chassis estate. One way is to mount them Zen v4 style...flat on the heatsink with the fets' flat front surfaces supporting one end of the PCB and two spacers at each opposite corners. Another way is to bend the fet legs like a one-legged small letter "h" and the pcb is at right angle with the heatsink.
6. Terminal blocks will be provided through-out for all the outboard connections.
7. Finally I would like to name this board the "Hotrod Aleph" board. To pay homage to hotrodding which is much like our hobby.
Again, thank you for all who expressed interest. I am looking forward to this project coming to reality.
Hi Blues,
A couple of suggestions...
"hotrod" aleph tends to imply that the board is extra high power or current or something other than the original Aleph designs. What about labeling it "Multi-Aleph"?
Also what if a solid white silk screened rectangle is added on one of the corners for labeling with a Sharpie pen? This way the builder can label it "Aleph 2" or "Aleph 60" or something that describes what was built.
Just my $.02,
-David
A couple of suggestions...
"hotrod" aleph tends to imply that the board is extra high power or current or something other than the original Aleph designs. What about labeling it "Multi-Aleph"?
Also what if a solid white silk screened rectangle is added on one of the corners for labeling with a Sharpie pen? This way the builder can label it "Aleph 2" or "Aleph 60" or something that describes what was built.
Just my $.02,
-David
hi dw8083! As with any design, all have its limits. Aleph 2 is the ceiling on this but you can always boost it to higher rails and/or bias current (hotrodding) so long as you put in the required power ratings on components and can deal with the outcome. With this PCB you can go as high as 5A IMHO...and be ready to cool it properly.
If we silkscreen everything Aleph 2, I can have Aleph silkcreened with a square blank next to it for whatever you desire.
First five with true DIYer intentions get the boards for a special price. Just e-mail me.
If we silkscreen everything Aleph 2, I can have Aleph silkcreened with a square blank next to it for whatever you desire.
First five with true DIYer intentions get the boards for a special price. Just e-mail me.
I think it would be difficult to ask a single heatsink to dissipate the power from a single Aleph 2 channel. That is why most boards support separate Gain and CSS boards. Kristjan K, had the same idea as you but changed his design. Have a peek at http://web.vip.hr/pcb-design.vip/aleph-2.html to see what I mean.
Kilowatski is definately right about that!!! A higher biased Aleph 2 would never work on one sink unless it was water cooled. Splitting into ccs and output is almmost a must with room for 6 devices on each board. I am still in for 6 sets though once this is settled on... and 2 oz pleeze, pleeze, pleeze..... very conservative traces are better. The last batch of Aleph x boards made last year were all 2 oz!! BTW: Will be building an Aleph 3 for my own use prety soon and these boards should fit the bill.
Mark
(Highhbias)
Mark
(Highhbias)
Output and CCS
Two 3"x12" boards make up a channel of Aleph. One board holds the front end ckt and the output ckt with its 6 fets. The other board holds the CCS circuit and its 6 fets. If you want to go monoblock and mount each board on its own heatsink that is entirely your decision. Terminal block mount pads will be there for ease of wiring. The picture I attached are the two boards mentioned above. Another pair of these boards for the other channel.
Highbias: The manufacturer just replied they'd do only what's specified which is 1.25oz. I'll check out others though. You'll have to please e-mail me to be counted and for other pertinent questions. The numbers I provided for amperage and wire gauges are true though and needs a second look from you. Unless you have other technical reasons I'm not aware of.
If Mr. Pass will permit I'll have these words silkcreened: "Nelson Pass Circuit Design Copyrights" "For DIY Use Only".
Two 3"x12" boards make up a channel of Aleph. One board holds the front end ckt and the output ckt with its 6 fets. The other board holds the CCS circuit and its 6 fets. If you want to go monoblock and mount each board on its own heatsink that is entirely your decision. Terminal block mount pads will be there for ease of wiring. The picture I attached are the two boards mentioned above. Another pair of these boards for the other channel.
Highbias: The manufacturer just replied they'd do only what's specified which is 1.25oz. I'll check out others though. You'll have to please e-mail me to be counted and for other pertinent questions. The numbers I provided for amperage and wire gauges are true though and needs a second look from you. Unless you have other technical reasons I'm not aware of.
If Mr. Pass will permit I'll have these words silkcreened: "Nelson Pass Circuit Design Copyrights" "For DIY Use Only".
The only problem that I can see with that, is if one wants to mount the main board on a heatsink on one side of the chassis, and the CSS board on the heatsink on the other side of the chassis and the chassis is fairly wide it will cause alot of wire that is carrying some hefty currents to go between the two boards. In some cases this run of wire could be as much as 17 inches or more. Just something to think about.
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