Siteplayer-to-PIC and Siteplayer-to-BX modules

Parts | Assembly | Use

Once you've got the parts and the board, soldering it together is straightforward. The components are labeled on the component side of the board. Solder neatly and carefully on the bottom of the board. When soldering actual components on the board (resistors, capacitors, LED's, Ethernet filter, voltage regulator), apply the soldering iron as quickly as possible, to avoid damaging the components. Make sure you get a good solder joint, however. Be careful to avoid soldering over any holes or lines next to the hole you're soldering. This will likely cause a short circuit. Once you're sure you've soldered things correctly, clip off the excess leads underneath the board.

Notes on particular components (in the order I usually solder them to the board):

Don't fit any of the socketed components (PICs, BX-24, Siteplayer, 7404 Hex Inverter) until all the other components and sockets are soldered on the board.

Microcontroller sockets (24-pin IC socket for the BX-24, 40-pin for the PIC 16F877, 28-pin for the 16F876): Make sure the top of the chip (with the dent in the top center) faces the top of the board (the 7805 power regulator is at the top, and the 7404 hex inverter is at the bottom). Line pin 1 of the socket (top left) up with the square solder pad for the socket.

Hex Inverter Socket (14-pin IC socket): as with the microcontroller socket, make sure the top faces the top of the board. Line pin 1 up with the square solder pad for the 7404. Note that there is a line of 6 holes next to the socket's position. Solder a row of 6 headers there, with the long side of the headers facing up. Make sure to get them even and perpendicular to the board.

Detail of the Hex Inverter and DB9 sockets (L) and the Siteplayer socket (R)

Siteplayer Socket: Solder a row of 9 headers, long side up, in the rows of holes for the siteplayer. The siteplayer has female pins, and will slide onto these headers. Make sure to get them even and perpendicular to the board.

7805 regulator: Push the pins partly into the holes for the regulator, then gently bend the regulator back until the large hole in the tab matches the large hole in the board. This hole will be where you bolt the first of the standoffs. Once the large holes are lined up, gently push the regulator down until it's flat to the board, then solder. I usually hold it to the board with an alligator clip while soldering.

Capacitors for regulator (C5, C6): Note that the negative terminal for both capacitors is the hole that lines up with the center pin of the regulator. Pay attention: one of the caps is marked with its positive lead, and one is marked with its negative lead. Make sure to get them all the way down to the board before soldering. See the chart above to match the correct values of capacitors to the correct positions.

Resistors: Make sure to get them all flat to the board before soldering. Don't forget the 2.2K resistor that goes underneath the Siteplayer. (R3). See the chart above to match the correct values of resistors to the correct positions.

LED's: the long pin of each LED goes in the square hole. Make sure to get them all the way down to the board before soldering.

Ethernet Capacitors (C1 - C4): Make sure to get them all the way down to the board before soldering. See the chart above to match the correct values of capacitors to the correct positions.

Crystal and Capacitors (PIC only): Don't apply soldering iron too long, or heat will damage the crystal. Make sure to get them all the way down to the board before soldering. See the chart above to match the correct values of capacitors to the correct positions.

Power jack: You only need to solder the two holes that have lines connecting them to the rest of the board. You don't need to fill the entire hole, just enough to make sure it's connected solidly to the hole pad. Make sure to get it all the way down to the board before soldering.

Ethernet Filter: Be careful, as there's not much space around the holes on this one. Make sure to get it all the way down to the board before soldering.

DB9 Connector: Line the large holes in the connector up with the large holes in the board. The bottom one is where you'll attach the second standoff. Make sure to get it all the way down to the board before soldering.

Checking the board:

Before placing any IC's in their sockets, plug the board into a DC power supply, 8 - 12V. If the power light doesn't come on, or if the regulator heats up very suddenly, then check for a short circuit or a misplaced component before going any further.

Placing IC's:

Place the IC's (PIC or BX-24, hex inverter, siteplayer) into their respective sockets appropriately. The PIC or BX-24 and the hex inverter should face the top of the board. (pin 1 in the same place as pin 1 on the socket). Note that the BX-24 has a row of holes at the top of the chip that will overhang the socket slightly.

The Siteplayer's Pin 1 is marked with a large white dot next to it. Pin 1 should face the top of the board (i.e. should be on the upper right pin; the siteplayer socket is sideways relative to the other sockets).

Once all the components are placed, screw standoffs on the four corners of the board.

The final assembled board will look like this: