Voodoo Main Discussion

[6666]

Gerber files added to post #1.

Hi, thanks for the gerbers , this is a big pcb, 89x165mm, just before I order them so they get here before the book, are you reasonably convinced all is correct on the pcb ?

Is anybody in AUSTRALIA interested in one , getting them sent to me via DHL very expensive but postage is real slow across the world right now, at this stage cost will be around $10~ $12 per pcb plus postage

[ivconic]

Sorry to say; pcb is just awful.
Kind a war crime... the pcb!
Everything i hate to see on pcb... is there!
Very thin traces, small transistor footprints, traces goes between chip pins etc.
Pins are just too close, clearance is very small... THAT'S BAD FOR DIY AND HOBBY!
And yet ... PCB IS SO HUGE! Lot of unused space on it!
This kind of pcb standard is not suitable for hobby and diy. This is disaster.
One who makes lot of diys and solder too much joints; knows what i am talking about.
This is suitable only for manufacturer who makes devices and sells them without worries what happens later.
Even if this pcb is made by JLPcb in highest quality standard; it will be hard to solder components on it neat and clean.
Simple because footprints are so small, especially on transistors and regulators.
Like i said; not for hobby. Far from it.
Vias diameter is also too small.
Writing all this i am having all the time picture in my mind about what will happen later if we want to service it or mod it?
I am telling this from 32 years of experience in dealing with such stuff.
Obviously George is using some garbage software for drawing pcbs. Seems no triangular transistor footprint in there?
This pcb must be completed once and than never touched again. It must work correctly from a start.
Once completed; just "lock" it in enclosure and never again try to work around it.
So even now from this point; forget about any eventual modding on it. Simply because it will be total mess once you try to unsolder some of those components.
Or move some legs, pins, or replace something. Thin traces will break. Soldering will not be neat etc.
George please do not take this as attack, offend or anything similar. This is just very friendly constructive criticism.
It must be drawn another better and far smaller pcb for this.
I will do that. As soon as my book arrives. BTW i managed to obtain a book. A friend from CH bought it for me yesterday and will send it by bus to me these days.
So i will redraw firstly the schematic and transfer it into ExpressSch. Than looking to it i will draw my pcb. Suitable for my understanding of how it suppose to look like.
Of course; much smaller.
But!
Nothing of this will ever happen if MCU is some PIC model that i can not easy obtain here and also easy flash it with code.
Since i don't work with PICs. Only Atmegas. Maybe it will be hard for me to obtain suitable programmer and chip. Will see.
By now i can't tell, since we don't see component values and we don't know which MCU actually is.
Despite all written above; i am indeed looking forward to get a book. With great pleasure.
Making the detector is of much less importance than reading what's written in the book.
I am restless to get a book soon.
Cheers!

[ivconic]

While waiting a book...
(not finished yet)

[ivconic]

Plus voltage as ground plane?
Why?

[Qiaozhi]

Hi Qiaozhi, Hopefully Andy (Silverdog) will get enough interest to have some boards made,,,It's quite a large pcb but I'll definitely be building this Voodoo project,,I love the way you layed out the pcb. Can't wait for the book to arrive now so I have a Parts list available to start getting the components together. Thrilled to bits with this new project and can't wait to start building!,,Thanks again George for your kindness in presenting another great project to Geotech. Regards, Marty.

I've been in communication with Andy, and he will stocking the PCBs.
It is quite a large board, but was made to fit a particular enclosure. Obviously it could be made smaller, or even a different shape.
There are many ways to skin a cat, and people like to take different approaches. I'm sure there are other ways to implement the Voodoo concept (using different processors, etc.) and I look forward to seeing what others come up with.

[Qiaozhi]

Hi, thanks for the gerbers , this is a big pcb, 89x165mm, just before I order them so they get here before the book, are you reasonably convinced all is correct on the pcb ?

The PCB used in the book version is REV-B. and the Gerber files are for REV-C. The only difference is that REV-B had a connection missing to 0V in the audio oscillator circuit. I corrected that in REV-C.

[Qiaozhi]

Sorry to say; pcb is just awful.
Kind a war crime... the pcb!
Everything i hate to see on pcb... is there!

I would have been surprised if you'd said anything different.

Obviously George is using some garbage software for drawing pcbs.

I have the latest version of Easy-PC.
https://www.numberone.com/

Despite all written above; i am indeed looking forward to get a book. With great pleasure.
Making the detector is of much less importance than reading what's written in the book.
I am restless to get a book soon.
Cheers!

[Mdtoday]

Nice work George, thanks for sharing.
Will be interesting to see your approach.

Cheers

Mdtoday

[ivconic]

Eh... i can't fool you anymore!
I became too obvious and repeating.

[MartyJ1963]

Really glad there's a few more on board for this new project,,,Really looking forward to this thread! Having this new project has cured some of my 'Covid lockdown blues'!! Regards, Marty.

[Elliot]

Congratulations George on your work. I was literally thinking yesterday that an iron discriminating pi must be close, and then I was tipped off by someone else at 6am today about your new project! The science has been around for a while now, but to pull it together and publish it is fantastic! It must have been a mammoth effort to get it this far, so well done. By copy to 6666, maybe we can go halves in shipping to Melbourne to reduce postage costs?

[Elliot]

Congratulations George on your work. I was literally thinking yesterday that an iron discriminating pi must be close, and then I was tipped off by someone else at 6am today about your new project! The science has been around for a while now, but to pull it together and publish it is fantastic! It must have been a mammoth effort to get it this far, so well done. By copy to 6666, maybe we can go halves in shipping to Melbourne to reduce postage costs?

Postage was only $3.90 to Australia. Order has been made

[ivconic]

Shipment in CH appears to be free!
So final price was ~14e.
...
Elliot it is not pure PI, as i understood it is hybrid between I/B and PI.
Misty and spurious job done there, i tell you!
Until book arrives...

[Elliot]

... it is not pure PI, as i understood it is hybrid between I/B and PI.

Yes, I understand it's a hybrid. The big question for me is whether the CW part will work in Australian goldfields in highly mineralised soils, or whether it will suffer from the same fate as other CW machines. Also, does it have Ground Balance circuitry (presumably yes, given it claims to discriminate iron out).

[6666]

Postage was only $3.90 to Australia. Order has been made

Hi I have ordered some pcb's if you want one