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Author Topic: New PCB for EP Tape? (Read 8534 times)

Offline MrPrise

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New PCB for EP Tape?
« on: 2019.May.11. 18:06:29 »
I have few broken devices and I see how easily the pads can come up. I wonder if we should manufacture new PCBs for the tape player? Is there anyone who are interested in that? Please let me know if you are and how many do you need.
I also wonder if we could do some improvement to the original schematic. For example I think it should have two layers to make it simpler, beside I do think the minimum number of layers is two these days. Maybe there are some other improvements too.
« Last Edit: 2019.May.11. 18:13:29 by MrPrise »

Offline pear

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #1 on: 2019.May.11. 18:50:31 »
To make a new PCB, it's no problem.
But who uses the tape recorder today ?

Offline MrPrise

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #2 on: 2019.May.11. 19:32:36 »
I would use it. Probably not regularly though, but I have some old cassettes that I like to check. I do not expect to have anything new on them though.

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #3 on: 2019.May.12. 14:41:20 »
I would use it. Probably not regularly though, but I have some old cassettes that I like to check.
I'm also.
And don't like to know some EP items don't work properly. I have least 5-6 deffective EP tape players :-(

Offline pear

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #4 on: 2019.May.12. 14:59:48 »
If needed, I can do a new PCB project.

Offline MrPrise

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #5 on: 2019.May.12. 16:56:58 »
That would be great.
I was experimenting with this tool: https://easyeda.com/

It is easy to use and you can also share your work with others, so multiple people can work on it.
Though I guess, if you are doing PCBs daily, you would rather do it with your own tools and on your own.
Anyway, let me know if there is anything I can help with. Eg if you do not have a cassette player, I can send photos of the existing PCB.

Offline pear

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #6 on: 2019.May.12. 17:23:17 »
Is there documentation available somewhere?
I do not have this model of tape recorder.

Offline SlashNet

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #7 on: 2019.May.12. 17:43:52 »

Offline MrPrise

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #8 on: 2019.May.12. 18:06:58 »
Here it is the schematic as a JPG file exported from the PDF. Though the players that I have have some extra components. Eg the schematic only has 3 470uF capacitors, but my players have 4 of them. There might be other differences too, but so far I have found this.

Offline pear

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #9 on: 2019.May.12. 18:48:04 »
Thanks.
A photo of a PCB would also be useful.
If this will shouldn't meant to be a 1:1 replica, it is enough on one side.
I need to measure it precisely.
Important: The picture should be taken perpendicular to the PCB.
« Last Edit: 2019.May.12. 18:56:38 by pear »

Offline MrPrise

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #10 on: 2019.May.12. 19:43:08 »
I will be off in the next days, but I can make some new photos around Thursday. I have some ugly photos that I used to label all the components in GIMP, but I doubt that would work for any kind of autotrace.
I do not think it is important to have 1:1, but of course, we should be able to put the new board into the place of the old board, eg holes should be at the same place and there are some other limitations, eg the big sliding thingy in the middle (labelled with S1,S2,S3,S4,S5,S6) and the jacks, but I guess you know that :-)

Offline pear

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #11 on: 2019.May.12. 19:49:18 »
In the 1:1 replicas, the nerds reproduce the tracks to look identical to the original :mrgreen:
There is no hurry. I also have what to do :)

Offline gflorez

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Re: New PCB for EP Tape?
« Reply #12 on: 2019.May.12. 21:26:24 »
Zozo, better send him one of your broken units. There are a lot of things that can go wrong cloning this.