Renard64 Futures

[P. Short]

Thinking about some of the issues and questions that have come up regarding Renard64, I'm starting a list of possible future changes to the board.

1) Add more mounting holes (one near where TP1 in the lower right corner, and possibly one near (or replacing J17).

2) Remove the useless Diag LED and R3.

3) Remove J1, R1, R2 and U6 (the H11AA1 zero-crossing circuitry). The reason for doing this is to make room for item 4 below, and because I think that having that circuitry on the board makes it too tempting for people to bring 110VAC onto the board.

4) Make a better provision for powering the board when the PWM firmware is used. This would involve increasing the size of the filter cap C1, making room for a heatsink on U1, and adding some diodes and a connector to allow a 12.6V, 1A CT transformer to be connected to the board for providing power. Various components would have to moved around, and U2 would probably need to be deleted. I'm thinking of using terminals like mouser 534-1287 or mouser 534-1265 for connecting to the transformer, so that you could just crimp a FASTON tab to the transformer leads (although this is quite open to discussion).

5) Perhaps moving the ground plane to the component side, to make soldering easier and bridges to ground less likely.

Any other suggestions? None of this is likely to happen this year, but I think that now is a good time for a discussion, while it is all fresh in everybody's mind.

--

Phil

[Mrplow123]

I agree with 1,2,4 and 5. Those are good ideas, that would make the board better. I am not sure I completly agree with #3. As you know, I populated my boards with the H11AA1 circuit, and have not had any problems with it. And as far as the fear of bringing 120 vac into the board, it is really only in the upper left sqaure inch of the board. The only way it would be aproblem, or danger to anyone, is if they are poking around the board while it is up and running. Which you should not be doing regardles of what voltage is present on any circuit board. Think about it, the Ren16 and Ren24 both have HIGH VOLTAGE present on them, all over the board, and it doesn't seem to be a problem. I personally like the board being self contained, and not having to build any extra external boards to run it. I am open to other ideas, but I don't think the board should be designed in a way that requires external devices to make it work.

Maybe 2 different vesions of the board are in order. Keep this version the way it is currently. And make the changes you speak of, and call it the Ren64V2 maybe. That way people will have a choice of which way they want to build it. If people don't want to have 120 vac present on their board, they would build V2, and if 120 vac does not bother them, they would use V1.

Just my thoughts.

[P. Short]

One of my objectives is to make it easier to support and less daunting to newcomers (even though this board is not really suitable for newbies). Having two versions is step in the wrong direction in my opinion.

--

Phil

[LRNeener]

I like #4 and think #3 should be removed. It will make the Ren64 alot easier to get up and running, by doing away with all the Power and Zero Cross options. You would still be able to generate the Zero Cross onboard it would just be at 12.6vac not 110vac. So doing away with #3 should not hurt the design at all.

Thanks
Camron

[Matt]

I agree with all the suggestions. I had some wire-wrapped boards last year with the H11AA1 circuit on them, and I think a wiring problem may have led to high voltage ending up at the wrong end of my computer's power supply. This killed my power supply and I didn't end up with a display last year.

However, I do think there should be provisions for an external zero-crossing signal to be brought onto the board, for any advanced user who has some reason for it.

-Matt

[wjohn]

I like #4 and think #3 should be removed. It will make the Ren64 alot easier to get up and running, by doing away with all the Power and Zero Cross options. You would still be able to generate the Zero Cross onboard it would just be at 12.6vac not 110vac. So doing away with #3 should not hurt the design at all.

Thanks
Camron

I agree with Phil's direction, and Cameron on this one.

I would prefer to see the 110VAC removed from the board. There is just to much risk. Even adjusting the WIKI to say using a 12VAC input and changing the resistors would be a good start before this revsion is finialised. Think safety Please.

# option 4, and improving the Pwoer supply design, I agree fully. I would recommend using the Euro style screw terminals used on the SSR, REN16, REN24 boards for connection of the 12.6VAC supply. They are easy to get hold of, and would suit the purpose.

Each REN64 would generate it's own ZC, and power itself from a local 12.6VAC supply.

Also, I still have 20 REN64 Version XB (ver 2) left over from the COOP. I would like these to be sold before a new version of the PCB is released.

[stempile]

Moving the ground plain to the other side will be great.

ms

[P. Short]

John,

I'm not in any particular hurry to design or release the proposed new board (especially since I don't think that all of the input is necessarily in yet). Right now I'm just a little frustrated by all of the difficulties that people are encountering, and want to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

--

Phil

[Macrosill]

Phil,
There is light at the end of the tunnel. I have seen it last night. The Ren-64 has been running my Halloween show for 2 nights now. Oh Yeah, I have dimming!!!! and I owe it all to you.

[Elmo2resc]

My halloween set-up has been in operation for 2 weeks. I assembled 2 64's with no real problems at all. I had problems programming the chips and the direction of the led's on the board. I guessed right thank god, lol. I believe the wiki was updated since though. I love the board, great job. Jerome

[P. Short]

Another thing that might be worth considering is to add a disk-drive power connector to the board so that it would be easier to use with PC power supplies. This will take a bit of room, though.

--

Phil

[Wayne J]

Another thing that might be worth considering is to add a disk-drive power connector to the board so that it would be easier to use with PC power supplies. This will take a bit of room, though.

--

Phil

Or could use just a couple pads, so if that option was chosen, then a pigtail could be used. To save on the room.

[wjohn]

Another thing that might be worth considering is to add a disk-drive power connector to the board so that it would be easier to use with PC power supplies. This will take a bit of room, though.

--

Phil

Or could use just a couple pads, so if that option was chosen, then a pigtail could be used. To save on the room.

Pigtails are good, Disk drive connectors generally connecter once and left, I think we are guilty of pluging power into our boards and removing the plugs all the time.

I find with Drive connectors you need to give them a 'wiggle' to disconnect them. The drive connector on a pigs tail would lessen the stress to the board.

[P. Short]

How about floppy drive power connectors instead?

--

Phil