PCB: low voltage On-Off switch drives AC mains relay \ includes soft start .. H9KPXG

Any of your spare boards available Mark? I could use a pair.

I think Mark stated someplace that he was letting go only single boards—I needed 2 as well—and took the opportunity to go the through the PCB fab process.. Which was simple and fun—completely due to a full set of supplied gerbers in the first post! I did also open them in KiCad to poke around and learn some stuff. Recommended.

My exact cost for 10 pieces was $4.83 per board with shipping etc. from JLCPCB. I have built 4—for 2 pairs of mono blocks. My F5 has a burly front switch so no immediate need for Mark's creation. My AJ is getting converted to the second set of monos—for my "two system dream". That will leave me with a big chassis to try out a dual mono layout and see if 6L6 is right (he almost always is ;-). So.... I currently could spare a pair. PM if interested. My actual cost per board plus USPS shipping—which to you was around $8 and change if I remember correctly. Shipping is a killer!
 
Member
Joined 2011
Paid Member
Yes I'm asking $8.67 for a single board shipped to USA-50. That's $3.50 (my cost/board on the prototype run) for the PCB, $0.50 for the bubble mailer, $4.50 for First Class Parcel shipping, and $0.17 for PayPal overhead. Since the Forum software allows infinite amounts of editing to post#1 in any thread, I'll simply edit the AVAILABILITY paragraph of post#1 when the very last extra board has been shipped away.

But please DO experience the thrill of sending PCB Gerber files off to a fab and receiving quite a few boards in the mail shortly thereafter. It's easy, it's educational, it's FUN, and it gives you something to boast about when having a beer with audio hobbyist friends.

_
 
Last edited:
I have attached the Gerber CAD manufacturing files for this PCB; its unique identifier is H9KPXG . The suffix "-C" indicates revision C of the layout. Anyone can send the .zip archive of these Gerber files to a PCB fab and have boards made; the design is public domain and uncopyrighted. Use them however you wish. I hope if you end up with extra PCBs, you will consider giving them away for free, or selling them at low cost, to other diyAudio members.

_

First, thank you for such a detailed write-up! Was wondering if you'd be willing to share the KiCAD or Eagle files? As easy as the PCB ordering is these days, I'd love to take a swing at making this myself. Either way, thank you!
 
Member
Joined 2019
Paid Member
Yes I'm asking $8.67 for a single board shipped to USA-50. That's $3.50 (my cost/board on the prototype run) for the PCB, $0.50 for the bubble mailer, $4.50 for First Class Parcel shipping, and $0.17 for PayPal overhead. Since the Forum software allows infinite amounts of editing to post#1 in any thread, I'll simply edit the AVAILABILITY paragraph of post#1 when the very last extra board has been shipped away.

But please DO experience the thrill of sending PCB Gerber files off to a fab and receiving quite a few boards in the mail shortly thereafter. It's easy, it's educational, it's FUN, and it gives you something to boast about when having a beer with audio hobbyist friends.

_

The thrill is more like a learning experience for a newbie like me.:eek:
There are like 8 file extensions in the folder. Do I send them all? They want them zipped. Guess I should learn about Gerber.;)
As long as someone might be helping me, I kind of like the 2.0mm boards but it jumps the price up quite a bit. Suggestions? Thanks.
Thank you for the help.
Don
 
Member
Joined 2013
Paid Member
Yes take all the files provided in folder and use Zip or Winrar to place in a one of these compressed file formats. With zip, you can right click mouse and you should have option in drop down for a new zip file/folder. Download his files, then copy/drag each file into the the zip folder. To verify you did it correctly - go to jlcpcb.com and click quote and then upload that zip file and it will tell you if there was any problems uploading. You can also view using their gerber viewer and “see” that it all looks good.
Choose your preferred options (color, thickness of cob and amount of copper), then shipping and click add to cart. If anything wrong they will email you and advise of errors and ask if you want them to fix.
 
Member
Joined 2019
Paid Member
The thrill is on

Just did my first PCB buy from a manufacturer. Probably would have never done it if it wasn't for the encouraging words on this thread. Thank you all and especially Mark and Pfarrell.
Hardest thing I had to do was re zip the file my Mac kept unzipping. Normally that would be doing me a favor.:D
Don
 
Member
Joined 2010
Paid Member
Hello, I am planning to do a PCB order. If anyone in US50 like some boards, I can order sufficient quantity. It becomes economical when ordering 15+ boards. The cost would be about $4 - $4.50 per board depending on the shipping method from PCB house.

I will be placing the order sometime towards end of next week. If anyone is interested please put your name here or send me a PM.

Cheers!
Subbu
 
Member
Joined 2005
Paid Member
Mark,

My Mouser parts order is waiting in my postbox so I get started on building tomorrow. You're always pretty careful to design safe projects and you always provide proper warning when high voltage AC and transformers are part of the project. It's hard to overlook BR1 on the schematic for the APRSS. One thing is bothering me. Not being an EE I may say this strangely, I'm just learning. A pretty common UPS schematic is seen in the store's Universal PS V3 (see PDF #1). It has no special circuitry to block signals shorted to the input line GND coming back to do harm to the circuits. The First Watt 2005 PS has a In-rush Current Limiter between the input GND and the PS out GND. (PDF #2). You have posted other approaches (see PDF#3). My question is whether the APRSS functions to to eliminate the need for these protective circuits?

Audiobear
 

Attachments

  • PDF #1.pdf
    274.5 KB · Views: 280
  • PDF #2.pdf
    246.8 KB · Views: 238
  • PDF #3.pdf
    63.4 KB · Views: 211
Member
Joined 2011
Paid Member
No the GBJ2506 bridge on this board ONLY protects against catastrophic failures which occur within the little 2 watt, 5 volt AC-to-DC potted module ("IRM-02-5") mounted on this board. That's all it does.

A power amp containing one of these boards, probably also wants to include a moderate impedance, high current, series element between circuit ground and chassis ground. Just like many many other power amps. Sometimes that element is a couple of diodes, sometimes it's a bridge rectifier, sometimes it's a low resistance CL-60, sometimes it's a combination of them.

Gently, I suggest you study the photograph attached to post #16 of this thread. It's a stereo amplifier which uses this mains relay & soft start PCB (yellow arrowhead). But what ELSE do you see? Look hard.

Hint: look at the intersection of row_4 and column_4 of baseplate holes.

Another hint: some mounting bolts are silver colored because they are metal & conductive. Other mounting bolts are white colored because they are nylon & insulating. The photo includes some of each.

_
 
Last edited:
Hi,

not only for EU people. ;-)

Costs 10€ each pcb (because 2oz copper weight, DHL shipping and my favourite the customs fees :-( ).

Shipping in padded envelope (no tracking, no insurance) to
- Germany (without islands): 2€
- Shipping in EU: 4€
- other countries please ask
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4711D_kl.jpg
    IMG_4711D_kl.jpg
    187.9 KB · Views: 956