Extralife Instruments SUPER SIXTEEN User manual

Super Sixteen Build Guide
Guide v1.1 - April, 2021
CPU Board (smaller PCB)
1.1 - Resistors
Install the through-hole resistors by bending the leads and inserting them through the
vias, bending the leads, flipping the PCB, and soldering them. They can go in either way
but it's good to keep all the color codes facing the same way.
1. Install the twelve 1K (1 kiloohm) resistors (brown, black, red,gold)
R103, R104, R105, R106, R107, R108, R109, R110, R111, R112, R113, R116
2. Install the five 10K resistors (brown, black, orange,gold)
R102, R114, R115, R117, R118
3. Install the one 1M (1 megaohm) resistor (brown, black, black, yellow,brown) (blue body)
R101
Install the resistors in this step in the highlighted locations.

2
1.2 - Diodes
Install the diodes like the resistors, but be
careful that they are polarized. The stripe
on the diode body must match the stripe on
the PCB silkscreen.
1. Install the two 1N4001 diodes - larger
black plastic diode with silver stripe.
D103, D104
2. Install the two 1N4733A zener diodes -
larger red glass diodes with a black
stripe.
D101, D102
Set aside the BAT85 diode (smaller red
glass diode) - it goes on the other PCB
1.3 - Ceramic capacitors
Install the ceramic caps - they are
non-polarized, so don't worry about
which way is which. Just be careful to
use the right values because they look
similar to one another!
1. Install the four 22 pF capacitors
(code 22J)
C105, C107, C113
and C114 (optional),
2. Install the seven 100nF /0.1uF
capacitors (code 104)
C103, C104, C106,
C111, C112, C115, C116

3
1.4 - ICs / Chips
First, install the smallest IC - the Winbond
W25Q80DV flash memory chip (U104) in the
corner of the PCB. This is an SOIC-8
surface-mount package. It is the only
surface-mount part in the project. It comes in
a small black plastic tray which is a piece of a
"reel" of chips.
1. "Tin" only one of the IC's pads on the PCB
by applying a small amount of solder to it.
2. Using tweezers, peel off the clear plastic
protective film and remove the IC from the
reel.
3. Locate the "dot" in the corner of the chip indicating which pin is Pin 1. Match this to the dot
on the PCB silkscreen to orient the chip properly. (see photo)
4. Hold the chip with tweezers and place it on the pads in the correct orientation. At the
same time, heat the tinned pad with the soldering iron to "tack" the IC in place. Hold it
down with the tweezers to make sure the IC sits flat against the board while the solder
cools.
5. Apply soldering flux on the legs of the IC and its pads.
6. Apply some solder to the end of the iron, then touch that liquid solder to IC legs and pads
to flow solder into the joints using the pre-applied flux.
7. If solder bridges form between pads, remove them using additional flux and a clean iron
tip, or use solder wick (aka desoldering braid).

4
Next, install the larger through-hole ICs. Straighten the
legs of each IC by pushing them against a flat surface.
Insert them into the PCB and be careful to install them
in the correct orientation by matching the "divot"
and/or "dot" at one end of the IC with the matching
symbols on the PCB silkscreen. If the chip falls out
when the board is upside-down, bend over the corner
legs with a screwdriver so it stays in place for
soldering.
1. Install the ATMega328P-PU microcontroller,
the large 28-pin IC. (Be careful not to confuse it
with the MCP23S17, another 28-pin chip which
goes on the other PCB)
U103
2. Install the MCP4822 DAC. It is the same size as the next IC,
so be careful to read the labels and get both of them in
the right place.
U106
3. Install the TL072 op-amp.
U105
1.5 - Crystal & Inductors (other)
Install the quartz clock crystal and
inductors. The crystal comes in a metal
can, and the inductors look like large
resistors with a darker color. Neither of
them is polarized.
8. Install the one 16mHz crystal
Y101
9. Install the three 220uH inductors
(red red brown gold)
L101, L102, L103

5
1.6 - Transistors and Regulators
Install the small TO-92 package transistors by inserting them into the board,
bending the leads out, and soldering them. The flat side of the device must
match the flat side on the PCB silkscreen.
1. Install the four 2N7000 MOSFET transistors
Q101, Q102, Q103, Q104
2. Install the one LP2950-3.3 voltage regulator
U102
On the larger TO-220 package regulator, bend down
each of the leads until they sit at a right angle to its
body. This will allow you to mount it flush against the
PCB.
1. Install the one LM7805 5V voltage regulator
U101
1.7 - Electrolytic capacitors
Electrolytic capacitors are polarized! Install them
by matching the white stripe the white semicircle
on the PCB silkscreen.
1. Install the three 47uF capacitors
C101, C108, C110
2. Install the one 1uF capacitor (C102)
3. Install the one 330uF capacitor (C109)
Note: If you have a very tall 330uF capacitor,
bend its leads first so it can lean over and lay
flat against the nearby IC (U105) and hot-glue it
in place. This will let the module fit in smaller
cases.

6
1.8 - Pin & socket header connectors
The dual-row connectors for power and ICSP, J101
and J104 are installed on the top of the PCB and
soldered on the back, like the other components on
the board. It can be tricky to get them to stay in place.
The easiest way is to use alligator clips, hemostats or
locking tweezers. Alternately, you can mount them
using tape, solder them in place, and remove the
tape. If you have a keyed (aka shrouded) 10-pin
power connector (J104), the key (or notch) should face
toward the lower edge of the PCB.
1. Install the two dual-row header connectors.
J101, J104
The single-row headers connect the 2 PCBs together. They (J102, J103) are installed on the
underside of the PCB and soldered on the top. It's easiest to install them by mating the header
pins to the sockets, and loosely fitting them in both PCBs at once to ensure they go in straight.
Place the Control board in your PCB holder, and loosely install the mated header sockets in their
positions on the backside of that PCB (J1, J2). Then set the CPU board on top and fit the pins
through so both connectors are held in place and parallel. Level both of the boards so the
headers sit straight up and down.
1. Solder the header connectors on the top
side of the CPU board.
J102, J103
Carefully remove the boards from your PCB
holder and flip them over so you can access the
top of the Control board.
2. Solder the header connectors on the top
side of the Control board.
J1, J2
Gently prise the PCBs apart by hand, being
careful not to bend or damage the header pins.
Then take a break! You're halfway there!

7
Control Board (larger PCB)
NOTE: You should have already soldered the pin headers
on the Control PCB in the previous step!
2.1 - Resistors
Install the through-hole resistors on the Control Board.
1. Install the twelve 100 ohm resistors
(brown, black, brown,gold)
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10,
R11, R12
2. Install the three 680 ohm resistors
(blue,grey,brown,gold)
R14, R15, R16
3. Install the three 1K (1 kiloohm) resistors
(brown, black, red,gold)
R13, R17, R18
4. Install the two 10K resistors
(brown, black, orange,gold)
R19, R22
5. Install the two 100k resistors
(brown, black, yellow, gold)
R20, R23
6. Install the two 1M (1 megaohm) resistors
(brown, black, black, yellow, brown) (blue body)
R21, R24

8
2.2 - Ceramic Capacitors and Diode
Install the ceramic capacitors and the one remaining diode. Near each IC you'll place a pair of two
ceramic caps, one 100nF and one 100pF. The BAT 85 diode mounts near the bottom of the
board, between the gate output jack and the
potentiometers.
1. Install the three 100 pF capacitors
(code 101)
C3, C6, C9
2. Install the three 100nF /0.1uF capacitors
(code 104)
C2, C5, C8
3. Install the one BAT85 diode (note the
polarity and match the stripe on the diode
to the stripe on the PCB)
D19
2.3 - ICs / Chips
Install the three through-hole ICs. Note that the
orientation of the large MCP23S17 IC is opposite
from the other two ICs. Match each IC so the
notch at one end matches the notch on the PCB
silkscreen.
1. Install the one MCP23S17 I/O expander IC
U2
2. Install the two 74HC595 shift register ICs
U1, U3

9
2.4 Transistors
NOTE - Updated April 2021
The transistors are easy to install - just bend the leads, and solder as usual. However, please take
note of the orientation of the 2N3906 transistors, which may not match the silkscreen.
On PCBs labeled version 2.2 and earlier, the
silkscreen orientation is reversed. While the
seven-segment display will still work with
reversed transistors, it will be much less bright.
On all versions of the PCB, the 2N3906
transistors should be installed with the flat side
facing *away* from the top edge of the PCB. This
will greatly increase the display brightness (and
also the electric current usage of the module -
adding roughly 60mA at peak).
The 2N3906 transistors in the photo above are installed in the
correct orientation on a v2.2 PCB with incorrect silkscreen.
1. Install the three 2N9306 transistors next
to the display, with the flat side facing
away from the top edge of the PCB.
Q1, Q2, Q3
2. Install the two 2N3904 transistors next to
the large IC, orienting them as marked on
the silkscreen.
Q4, Q5

10
2.5 - Tactile Switches
Next you can install all twenty-one 6mm tact switches.
It's very important that they all sit flat against the PCB
so that the button caps line up properly with the front
panel. Push them down and they should "click" against
the PCB as the "gull-wing" bent leads should hold them
firmly in place. The leads can sometimes be bent during
transit so don't force them too hard, and bend the leads
gently back into position if necessary.
This step requires making 84 individual solder joints!
Take it slow and take a break in the middle.
1. Install the twenty-one tactile switches
S1, S2, S3 … S21
2.6 - Potentiometers, Encoder, Hex Standoff
At last, it's time to install the through-panel components! The potentiometers and encoder should
be installed into the PCB, and then aligned using the front panel before and during soldering.
Otherwise it is possible to misalign the pots, and it will be very difficult to fix!
Before fitting the front panel, install the 10mm hex standoff via an M3 screw in the hole just below
the encoder (see diagram). This will keep the panel at the proper height and angle.
1. Install the hex standoff near the encoder (SW3)
2. Press-fit the encoder and potentiometers into
place. You may have to bend the mounting tabs
inward slightly.
3. Install the front panel, clamp it in your PCB
holder and flip the assembly over. If you don't
have a PCB holder, install the hex nuts on the
potentiometers and the M3 screw into the hex
standoff to hold the panel in place during
soldering. Do not put a hex nut on the encoder.
4. Solder the 3 control pins of each potentiometer
and the rotary encoder.
SW3, RV1, RV2, RV3, RV4