information and inspirationfor students, teachers and hobbyists

About Tools Products Activities Galleries Projects FAQ Links Contact

Assembly and Operating Instructions for HiViz.com Kits

For best results in viewing images, we recommend using the Firefox browser.

Assembly Instructions for the SK3 Sound Trigger

Assembly instructions for other kits Contents What you needParts guide (opens in new tab or window)A helpful reference (includes circuit schematic)Soldering the fixed-value resistors to the PCBSoldering the IC socket to the PCBSoldering the capacitors to the PCBSoldering the SCR to the PCBPreparing the microphone cableExternal input cable (optional)Preparing the trigger cableDrilling holes in the project box lidAdding the components to the project box lidWiring the box lidCompleting the assemblyTesting and operating the sound trigger About the images: Clicking on any image will open a larger version on top of the page. If you prefer to have the larger images open in a different tabor window, right click on the image and make the appropriate selection. What you need

These instructions show how to prepare and use the PC board and project box enclosure for the SK3 SoundTrigger. The kit comes complete with all the parts needed for assembly of a working sound trigger on a PC boardenclosed in a project box. Also included are the parts to prepare the microphone and cable. The PC board is shown to the right. Click on it for a larger view. You'll see that the locations for the components are labeled with symbols like R1,C1, etc. This makes it easy to find where to place the components. You'll need to solder the components to the back (non-printed side) of the PCB.We'll provide guidelines for getting good solder joints, but we recommend that you have previous experience soldering on a PC board. Withsoldering, you can't make changes easily like you can with a breadboard. If you solder something in the wrong place, repair can be time-consuming. Having the right tools will make the job easier. You'll need to provide your own. Here's what we recommend.

http://hiviz.com/index.htmlhttp://hiviz.com/about/about.htmhttp://hiviz.com/tools/tools.htmhttp://hiviz.com/kits/kits.htmhttp://hiviz.com/activities/activities.htmhttp://hiviz.com/gallery/galleries.htmhttp://hiviz.com/projects/projects.htmhttp://hiviz.com/faq/faq_home.htmhttp://hiviz.com/links/links.htmhttp://hiviz.com/kits/contact_kits.htmhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/HiVizcom/840179996004331http://www.linkedin.com/pub/loren-winters/76/251/232/https://www.flickr.com/groups/2730005@N25/pool/http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/instructions.htmhttp://firefox.com/http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/instructions.htmhttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#needhttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_parts.htmhttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#schematichttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#solder_resistorshttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#solder_socketshttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#solder_capacitorshttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#solder_semihttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#mic_cablehttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#externalhttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#trigger_cablehttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#drillhttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#add_comphttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#wire_lidhttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#completehttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#testing

For soldering

1. 15-30 W soldering iron (with a new or pointed tip) and solder2. Wire stripper (photo below)3. A small diagonal cutter (photo below) makes it easy to trim the legs of the components after you solder

them to the PCB, but other kinds of snipping tools such as scissors may work.4. Needle-nose pliers (photo below) make it easier to handle small components, especially if you have big

fingers.5. A heat sink (photos below) protects heat-sensitive components while soldering.6. A desoldering tool (photos below) helps in clearing solder from a hole. The cylindrical type works better

than the bulb.7. A magnifying glass is used to inspect solder joints.8. A lighter or matches to shrink heat-shrink tubing

Wire cutters and stripper Small diagonalcutter

Needle-nose pliers

Heat sinks Desoldering tools

Be sure to solder in a well-ventilated area. Keep the tip of your soldering iron clean by wiping it against a wet sponge. Once the tip is clean, touch abit of solder to the tip to tin it and improve heat conductivity. Inspect your solder joints to see if the solder flowed well to make good electricalcontact. If it looks like the solder formed a bead, that's likely a bad joint and will not conduct. Reheat to flow the solder. For the project box

1. Drill motor and bits to drill holes in the project box lid. Bit sizes are 3/32", 1/8", 1/4", and 5/16". (For metric equivalents in millimeters,multiply by 25.4.) You can substitute a 1/8" bit for the 3/32" one.

2. Hammer, punch (or nail), small round file3. Wrenches or sockets to tighten components onto the project box

Parts guide Click here for a detailed, illustrated list of all the parts you'll need. You can use this list to identify the parts and make sure you have them all. A helpful reference It will be helpful to print this pdf document for reference while you work. There are lists of component placements and jumper wire connections. Forthose who like to use circuit schematics, there's a complete schematic of the circuit. Soldering the fixed-value resistors to the PCB If you don't have your soldering iron heated up, do that now, because you'll be soldering before long. You'll be doing somedetailed soldering work, so an iron with a good tip will make it easier. Let's start with R1, a 1-kohm resistor. See the phototo the right, and refer to the Parts Guide as needed for parts to come. The resistors are identified by the sequence of 3 colored bands, read from left-to-right. (The 4th, gold band indicates that the actual value of the resistance is plus or minus 5% of the value given by the color code.) For the resistorshown to the right, the bands are brown-black-red.

1. Insert the legs of resistor R1 over the rectangular space labeled R1 on the PCB. See Figure 1. (Click on it for a closeup view.) You can flip theresistor either way in the holes; the orientation doesn't matter for resistors, since resistors work the same no matter which way current flows in

http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/tools/wire_strippers_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/tools/diag_pliers_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/tools/needle-nose_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/tools/heat_clip_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/tools/heat_sink_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/tools/desolder_tool_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/tools/desolder_bulb_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_parts.htmhttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/documents/SK3_schematic.pdfhttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_parts.htm

them.2. Push the resistor in until it's flush with the surface of the PCB. Then flip the PCB over. Figure 2 shows the legs protruding from the back of

the board.3. Next you'll solder. Tin the tip of the soldering iron by melting some solder on it. Then bring the point and the solder down to one of the holes

where the resistor protrudes as in Figure 3. Melt some solder around the base; it doesn't take much. The solder should flow down into the holearound the leg of the resistor to make a good electrical joint. Now solder the other leg.

4. Turn the board over to verify that solder filled the holes. See Figure 4. If you don't see that solder melted through to the upper side, it'sprobably a good idea to melt some more solder into the hole from the back of the board. You can melt solder onto the front of the board if youprefer.

5. When your solder joints are complete, snip off the legs of the resistor down to the solder joint.

Figure 1. Resistor R1 insertedinto dedicated space on PCB

Figure 2. Legs of resistor R1protruding from back of PCB

Figure 3. Soldering a leg of theresistor

Figure 4. Inspecting the finishedsolder joints

6. Solder the 10-ohm resistor (brown-black-black) into R2 on the PCB.7. A 1-kohm resistor is supplied for R3; however, you should only use this if you want the sound trigger to have particularly low sensitivity.

Otherwise, we recommend that you simply solder a jumper wire in place of R3. Cut a 1-inch section of hookup wire, strip the ends, and bendthem over as shown in Figure 5. Then solder the wire to the board.

8. The board with the two resistors and the jumper wire soldered into place is shown in Figure 6.

Figure 5. Jumper wire to replaceR3

Figure 6. PC board with fixed-value resistors mounted

Back to top Soldering the IC socket to the PCB The 8-pin IC socket will be used to seat the LM386 IC. The latter won't be added to the socket until later, since the IC can potentially be damaged byheat.

1. See Figure 7. Note that the socket has a notch on one end. You'll line this notch up with the one on the PCB when you seat the socket into theboard.

2. Place the 8 pins of the socket into the corresponding holes on the PCB as shown in Figure 8.3. Turn the board over and bend the pins down to the side to hold the socket in place as shown in Figure 9.4. Solder the 8 pins to the board. The finished result is shown in Figure 10. Check with a magnifying glass to make sure there are no solder

bridges or hairs between pins. If so, remove them by running the tip of the soldering iron between the pin.

http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-011_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-012_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-013_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-014_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-016_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-017_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#top

Figure 7. Notches on the socketand the PCB

Figure 8. 8-pin socket seated onPCB

Figure 9. Crimping the pins ofthe 8-pin socket

Figure 10. 8-pin socket solderedto PCB

Back to top Soldering the capacitors to the PCB

Something to be aware of before you do more soldering is that there is one hole on the board that is avia hole rather than a solder hole. See the circled hole above C3 in the photo to the left. The solderholes are for the component legs. The via hole, which is smaller than the solder holes, is a place wherethere are connections between the upper and lower conducting layers of the board. Don't try to solder acomponent leg into the via hole. If, however, you get solder in a via hole, that's not a problem.

There are two kinds of capacitors, ceramic and electrolytic. Two of them are ceramic capacitors.They all have a disc shape, are orange or tan in color,and are non-polar. The latter means that it doesn't matter whether the legs are switched when inserted into the holes on the PCB. A number on thedisc identifies the capacitor. The capacitor in Figure 11, for example, has the number 473. From the Parts Guide, you can determine that this is a0.047-µf capacitor. There are 4 electrolytic capacitors. These have cylindrical, blue cases, and they are polar. So you have to be careful of theorientation in which they're inserted into the PCB. The negative leg of an electrolytic capacitor is the shorter one. The value of the capacitance iswritten on the side. Figure 12, for example, shows a 10-µf capacitor.

1. Figure 13 shows the 2.2-µf capacitor beside the location C1 on the PCB where the capacitor will be soldered. The "+" sign printed on theboard indicates where the longer, positive leg is inserted. Insert the legs of the capacitor into the holes but leave about 1/8" of the legsprotruding as shown in Figure 14. Bend the legs over on the back. Then solder the legs on the back and snip them. The completed solder job isshown in Figure 15.

2. Figure 16 shows the 0.1-µf capacitor (104Z) resting on the PCB above the location C3 where the capacitor is to be mounted. Insert the legs ofthe capacitor into the C3 holes, again leaving about 1/8" of the legs protruding. Bend the legs over on the back, solder, and snip. Thecompleted solder job is shown in Figure 17.

3. Solder the remaining capacitors onto the board in the locations as indicated below:

C2: 10 µf (electrolytic)C4: 100 µf (electrolytic)C5: 470 µf (electrolytic)C6: 0.047 µf (473; ceramic)

Figure 18 shows all capacitors mounted on the PCB.

http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-018_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-019_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-020_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-021_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#top

Figure 11. 0.047-µf ceramiccapacitor

Figure 12. 10-µf electrolyticcapacitor

Figure 13. 2.2-µf capacitorbeside the location C1 where it

is to be mounted

Figure 14. Capacitor C1 insertedinto PCB

Figure 15. C1 capacitor solderedto the board

Figure 16. 0.1-µf capacitor onthe PCB above location C3

Figure 17. 0.1-µf capacitorsoldered into location C3

Figure 18. PCB with allcapacitors soldered in place

Back to top Soldering the SCR to the PCB

1. Slip the SCR (labeled TYN408G) into the three holes for the SCR on the PCB. Note the orientation of the SCR in Figure 19.2. The SCR is heat sensitive. While it has a metal backing that serves as a heat sink, it is nevertheless a good idea when soldering to clip a heat

sink on the legs as shown in Figure 20. Go ahead and solder the legs and snip them.3. The PCB with all components soldered is shown in Figure 21. Note that the POT and LED will be mounted on the lid of the project box rather

than on the PCB. Also jumper wires will be added later to connect to the PCB to the lid.

Figure 19. SCR positioned on thePCB

Figure 20. Using a heat sink onthe SCR legs

Figure 21. PCB with allcomponents soldered

Back to top Preparing the microphone cable

Here's what you'll need for the microphone cable:

http://hiviz.com/kits/images/components/capacitor_473_450.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/images/components/CAP10.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-022_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-023_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-024_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-025_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-026_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-027_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#tophttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-028_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-029_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-030_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#top

3-ft length of 2-conductor cable3.5mm mono connector (male)2 inches of 3/32-in heat-shrink tubing3 inches of 3/16-in heat-shrink tubingpiezoelectric disc

Begin by cutting the 3/32" heat-shrink tubing into two 1-inch lengths and slip them onto the red and black wires of the piezodisc. Then strip the ends of the wires about 3/4".

From one end of the gray 2-conductor cable, strip the gray insulation back 3/4". Then strip each of the red and black wires3/4".

Twist the red wire of the piezo disc around the black wire of the 2-conductor cable. Likewise, twist the black wire of the discaround the red wire of the cable.

Solder the connections.

Slip the heat-shrink tubing over the soldered wires and run a lighter or match flame under the tubing to shrink it but not soclose as to burn the tubing.

Slip the 3" section of 3/16" heat-shrink tubing onto the cable and over the spliced connections. Heat shrink it into place.

Remove the jacket from the 3.5mm connector and slip it over the cut end of the cable. The threaded end must be toward the cutend of the cable. Strip back the gray insulation on the free end of the cable about 1/4" and then strip the insulation on the redand black wires about 1/8".

Insert the stripped wires into the holes on the terminals of the 3.5mm mono connector. The red wire goes in the shorterterminal. Don't crimp the metal tabs around the cable yet, as this will cause the insulation to melt when you solder.

Solder the connections. Since there's so much metal, it will take some time for the soldering iron to heat the metal. Hold the tipof the iron flat on the metal to heat it up in the vicinity of where you want to solder. Touch the solder to metal and wait for it tostart flowing. This is the way to ensure a good electrical connection rather than a cold solder joint.

Clip off any stray wires and then crimp the metal tabs around the gray cable.

Screw on the jacket, and your microphone cable is complete. The cable will connect to the corresponding 3.5mm mono jack onthe enclosure once that part of the project is complete.

http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/MTE/mte-009_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/MTE/mte-010_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/MTE/mte-011_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/MTE/mte-012_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/MTE/mte-013_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/MTE/mte-014_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/mt-pcb/mtpcb-53_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/mt-pcb/mtpcb-54_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/mt-pcb/mtpcb-55_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/mt-pcb/mtpcb-56_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/mt-pcb/mtpcb-57_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/mt-pcb/mtpcb-58_600.jpg

Back to top Preparing a trigger cable The trigger cable isn't provided with the SK3 kit, because there are different methods of connecting to a flash unit. You may have purchased one ofour trigger cable kits to use with the SK3. If so, follow the online instructions for your kit to prepare the cable. Three versions of completed triggercables are shown in Figures 22 to 24 below.

Figure 22. PC plug to RCA plug Figure 23. Hot shoe adapter to RCA plug Figure 24. Vivitar 283-type plug to RCA plug

Back to top Drilling holes in the project box lid Note that due to some editing in the instructions, the figure numbers jump from 24 to 30.

1. The template is sized to fit snugly within the underside of the project box lid (that is, on the interior side of the box). Position the templateinside the lid as shown in Figure 30. Then use a nail or punch to mark the positions of the centers of the holes to be drilled.

2. Remove the template and drill the holes. We recommend drilling small pilot holes first, for example, 3/32" or 1/8". The plastic has a tendencyto grab the bit, so hold the plastic securely. We've found that spade bits work best for drilling the 1/4" and 5/16" holes.

3. Use a round file to clean up any burrs around the holes. The lid with holes drilled is shown from underneath (Figure 31) and from above(Figure 32).

Figure 30. Template placed inunderside of project box lid

Figure 31. Underside of projectbox lid after holes drilled

Figure 32. Top of project box lidafter holes drilled

Adding the components to the project box lid

1. We recommend adding the LED first, since people tend to have difficulty getting the holder to snap into place. The LEDmount has two parts, which we will call the collar and the ring. (See photo to the right.) The collar is first slipped into thehole on the project box from the top side toward the interior of the box and snapped into place. Then the LED is pushed upinto the collar from below and snapped into place. (Note the orientation of the legs of the LED in Figure 33.) It's importantthat you push the LED all the way up until it snaps into the collar. It may take quite a bit of extra force to push it the last bitof the way. You'll know it's in when it snaps. If you don't push the LED in all the way, it will be loose in the collar. SeeFigure 33 showing the LED after being snapped into place. Note how the bottom of the red case sits down inside the collar. Also see Figure 34which shows the LED from the top of the box. Note how far it extends above the collar.

2. Once you have the LED snapped in, push the ring over the collar from below. See Figure 35 for the completed assembly.

http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#tophttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/MTE/mte-059_600-black.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/MTE/mte-061_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/MTEPCB/mtepcb-022_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#tophttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-031_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-032_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-033_600.jpg

Figure 33. LED inserted intocollar from below

Figure 34. LED from top ofproject box

Figure 35. Completed LEDholder assembly from below

For the remaining components, we don't provide step-by-step photos. Refer to the Parts Guide if you need to identify parts. The completed assemblyof all components on the project box lid is shown in Figures 36 and 37 from below and above, respectively.

3. Remove the nut from the 3.5mm jack, insert the jack through the box lid from below, and screw the nut back on. Needle-nose pliers can behelpful in tightening the small, round nuts. In Figure 36, note the orientation of the tab on the side. This orientation will aid in wiring later.

4. Remove the nut from the AC/DC input jack, insert the jack through the box lid from below, and screw the nut back on. You can use a wrenchon this nut.

5. For each of the two RCA jacks, remove the nut and metal tab from the jack, insert the jack through the box lid from above, slip the metal taband washer on under the box lid, and screw the nut on. While you can use a wrench to tighten these, keeping the jack from turning whiletightening requires a strong grip on the jack. In Figure 36, note how the tabs circled by the yellow line are arranged so that the holes align.While this arrangement means that you can make the connection to both tabs with a single wire, it also makes soldering more difficult,because you have to heat up two tabs rather than one. You may find it easier when you get down to soldering to keep the tabs separated.

6. The switch has a retaining ring with a key tab, a washer, and a nut. Remove all three and then insert the switch from below. Orient the slot onthe threads to be on the same side as the 3/32" key hole. Then slip the retaining ring on so that the key tab slips into the 3/32" hole. Slip on thewasher and nut and tighten.

7. The potentiometer also has a key tab but this is on the body of the pot. Remove the washer and nut from the pot, slip it in from below andorient it so that the key tab passes up through the 1/4" key hole. Then put on the washer and nut and tighten.

Figure 36. Components mountedon project box lid (view of

underside)

Figure 37. Components mountedon project box lid (view of the

top)

Back to top Wiring the box lid Some of the components on the box lid will be hardwired to each other before making connections to the PCB. Here are some important tips aboutsoldering in addition to those given previously.

Soldering to the legs of the LED: The LED can be damaged by excessive heat; therefore, it's a good idea to clip a heat sink to the leg whensoldering. Soldering the switch: Solder quickly, because the plastic can melt and break the internal contacts. Soldering the 3.5mm jack: The lugs on the jack bend and break easily. Go easy on them. Soldering the AC/DC jack: Be very careful not to get too much solder on the lugs so that the solder drips down, particularly on the center lug. Ifthe solder drips down, it can create a dead short between the positive and negative power terminals. It may help to turn the box lid sideways whensoldering. Soldering the RCA jacks and pot: These components have a lot of metal and will take longer to heat up than the other components will. You're notlikely to damage a pot but you could soften the plastic in an RCA jack.

http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-034_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-035_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-036_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_parts.htmhttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-055_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-056_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#top

About cold solder joints: If you don't heat the metal before soldering the wire, the solder may not bond with it and you can get an open circuit.You can't necessarily tell by looking that you have a cold solder joint. The best approach is prevention by using good soldering techniques. Holdthe tip of the soldering iron flat against the metal surface that you're soldering to. Touch the solder to the metal nearby rather than to the solderingiron. When the metal is hot enough, the solder will flow. Flow enough solder on the connection to fill the hole and cover the connection, but don'tleave the soldering iron on the metal any longer than it takes to flow the solder. Examine the connection under a magnifying glass. If the solderbeaded up, you may not have a good connection.

1. The red hookup wire will be used for +9V connections. Cut a 4-in length of the red wire and strip one end back 1/2 inch. Then wrap the wirearound a small nail or similar object as shown in Figure 38. Pull out the nail and slip the wrapping down onto the longer leg of the LED asshown in Figure 39. Clip a heat sink to the leg before soldering.

2. Strip the other end of the red wire back about 1/4 inch and connect it to lug 3 of the AC/DC jack shown in Figure 40. Figure 41 shows anenlargement of the jack with the lugs numbered the same as in Figure 40. Don't solder to the AC/DC jack yet, as you'll be connecting anotherwire to lug 3 later.

3. The white wire will be used for ground connections. See Figure 42 for the connections that you need to make . If you arranged the RCA jackswith tabs separated, connect the tabs with a section of the white wire in addition to the other connections shown. Cut the wire to theappropriate lengths being sure to leave a 1-in length for later use. You can solder all connections now except the one circled in yellow. See thenotes in the yellow box above about soldering the various components.

4. Next you'll cut the jumper wires that will connect the parts on the lid to the PCB. Refer to the table below for the lengths that you'll need. Inthe next step, we'll tell you about the connections.

Color Length (in) Connection on lid Connection on PCB

White 1 Left lug of pot 1

Red 2.5 Lug 3 of AC/DC jack 3

Blue 3.5 Center lug of lower RCA jack (switch output) 4

Yellow 3.5 Center lug of upper RCA jack (pulse output) 6

Green 4.5 Microphone jack (+ pin) 7

Yellow 3.5 Center lug of pot 9

Green 3.5 Right lug of pot 10

Blue 3.5 Shorter leg of LED LED -

5. Figure 43 shows the connections of the jumper wires to the components on the lid. The numbers beside the wires refer to the holes on the PCBto which the wires will connect. You can solder the jumper wires now.

6. Use 4 of the 4-40 bolts to connect the 4 standoffs to the lid of the box as shown in Figure 44. Lay the four jumper wires shown (green, yellow,blue, white) to the left through the standoffs. These wires will pass under the PCB.

7. One of the standoffs should be wrapped with electrician's tape to insulate it from possible contact with one of the wires that will connect to thePCB. See Figure 45. Continue with instructions below the photos.

Figure 38. Wire wrapping Figure 39. Preparing to solderthe longer leg of the LEDFigure 40. Red wire connected

from LED to AC/DC jackFigure 41. AC/DC jack with lugs

numbered

http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-039_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-057_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-058_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/ACDCjack_inset.jpg

Figure 42. Connections of theground wires

Figure 43. Jumper wiresconnected to components

Figure 44. Standoffs connectedto box lid

Figure 45. Standoff insulatedwith tape

Figure 46. PCB oriented on lid Figure 47. PCB bolted down tothe standoffsFigure 48. Adding the battery

holder Figure 49. Seating the LM386

8. Orient the PCB on the standoffs as shown in Figure 46.9. Bring the jumper wires up through the corresponding numbered holes (see table above) and solder them to the board from the top. See Figure

47. Bolt the PCB to the standoffs using the remaining 4-40 bolts. If you haven't already clipped off the legs of the LED above the solder joints,do that now.

10. Solder the red wire of the battery holder to hole 2 on the PCB and the black wire of the battery holder to lug 1 of the AC/DC jack. See Figure48.

11. Orient the LM386 IC as shown in Figure 49. Note the location of the circular indentation in the upper left-hand corner of the IC. Make sure alleight legs are lined up with the corresponding holes and push down firmly to seat the IC.

Back to top Completing the Assembly

1. Remove the backing from one side of the hook-and-loop tape and stick it to the bottom of battery holder. Then remove the backing fromt theother side and slip the lid assembly into the project box as shown in Figure 51. Stick the battery holder down to the bottom of the project boxinterior on the opposite side as the PCB. Then close the lid being careful not to get wires caught under the lip of the lid. Don't screw down thebox lid until after you've completed testing in the next section.

2. Cut out the labels, remove the backing, and position the labels as shown in Figure 52. Tighten the knob onto the potentiometer shaft using theset screw.

Figure 51. Seating the batteryholder and PCB in the project

box

Figure 52. Sound Triggerenclosure with labels

http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-059_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-060_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-061_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-062_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-063_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-064_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-065_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-066_1000.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/sk3_manual.htm#tophttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-051a_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-052_600.jpg

Testing and Operating the Sound Trigger

Figure 53. Sound trigger withmicrophone cable and flash

trigger cable connected

LED on and flash tests

1. Open the box and put a fresh 9-V battery in the battery holder. Then close up the box. Turn the SENS knob about 3/4 of the way clockwise.Insert the microphone cable into the MIC jack and your flash trigger cable into the S jack as shown in Figure 53. Connect your flash unit tothe other end of the trigger cable and turn the flash on. By the way, the switch output (S) is protected with a 400-V SCR. Therefore, if yourflash has a high voltage trigger circuit, it won't damage the sound trigger.

2. Turn on the sound trigger. The LED should light.3. Snap your fingers. The flash should discharge. Walk away from the trigger across the room and snap your fingers. The flash should discharge.

If your trigger passed the tests, you're ready to use it. If not, turn it off, pull off the cover and touch the battery and the LM386. If either of them arehot, you have a short somewhere so you'll need to look for a place where two bare wires are touching that shouldn't be. Check the AC/DC adapter tosee if solder dripped down from a lug into the base of the jack. If the battery and LM386 aren't hot, the next thing is to look for things like missingwires, incomplete solder joints, and capacitors with polarity reversed. In the first two units that the author assembled, there was a capacitor withreversed polarity in one unit and a missing ground wire in the other unit. So mistakes can be made even if you've had a lot of experience buildingprojects like this. In fact, the more experience you have, the more you understand how easy it is to make mistakes. More information about using the trigger follows. AC/DC adapter You don't have to remove the battery if you're powering the unit with the optional AC/DC adapter or with any AC/DC adapter that has theappropriate plug and an output from 6V to 12VDC. The battery is automatically bypassed when the AC/DC adapter plug is inserted in the jack. Theunit should then work the same as when running on battery power. Adjusting sensitivity The sensitivity of the sound trigger is increased by turning the SENS knob clockwise. Using the pulse output Some flash units require a low voltage pulse for discharge. Use the pulse (P) output for such flash units. Connecting to a delay unit For most situations, the delay is adjusted according to the distance between the source of the sound and the microphone. Sound travels about a foot(third of a meter) in a thousandth of a second. By moving the microphone an inch at a time toward or away from the source of the sound, you canadjust the delay by tenths of thousandths of a second. In situations where you need a particularly long delay, it's more convenient to use an electronicdelay unit. The HiViz.com delay unit circuit can be used. Connect the switch output of the sound trigger to the input of the delay unit. For a Multi-Trigger enclosure, for example, you would connect to the external input. For a Multi-Trigger breadboard, you would connect to 13F and ground. Using other microphones Other types of microphones such as dynamic and condensor microphones will work with the sound trigger. Connect them to the sound trigger with a3.5mm mono jack. You may find, though, that the piezoelectric microphone works best.

http://hiviz.com/kits/instructions/images/SK3/sk3-053_600.jpghttp://hiviz.com/kits/ACDC_adapter.htm

About Tools Products Activities Galleries Projects FAQ Links Contact

copyright © 1995-2016 HiViz.com

http://hiviz.com/about/about.htmhttp://hiviz.com/tools/tools.htmhttp://hiviz.com/kits/kits.htmhttp://hiviz.com/activities/activities.htmhttp://hiviz.com/gallery/galleries.htmhttp://hiviz.com/projects/projects.htmhttp://hiviz.com/faq/faq_home.htmhttp://hiviz.com/links/links.htmhttp://hiviz.com/kits/contact_kits.htmhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/HiVizcom/840179996004331http://www.linkedin.com/pub/loren-winters/76/251/232/https://www.flickr.com/groups/2730005@N25/pool/http://hiviz.com/index.html