Hi everyone! Just ordered a Springboard PCB and looking forward to messing with that.
I have most of the parts on hand and just need a few odds and ends, which is where my questions start. I'm hoping to get a one-stop shop sort of thing happening here, but it's looking unlikely UNLESS the following questions can get a little clarity...
- The parts list mentions a 150uf cap, but there's a small disclaimer in the BOM notes that 47u (which I have a decent amount of) would be fine. I just want to verify this is true before I scour mouser. I have a ton of 100u, as well.
- (this is the really dumb question, cause it feels very obvious, but I have to ask) I have 18v Zeners, but it looks like this VFE project asks for 16v - being less familiar with Zeners than I like to admit, I assume I can't sub an 18v here?
I'm throwing this into a 125b, so spacial issues shouldn't affect the build, and I've built a couple VFE boards before so I know some of the quirks there, but any advice for this one going in?
Thanks in advance! This place is the best!
Quote from: greysun on October 02, 2026, 12:51:42 PM- The parts list mentions a 150uf cap, but there's a small disclaimer in the BOM notes that 47u (which I have a decent amount of) would be fine. I just want to verify this is true before I scour mouser. I have a ton of 100u, as well.
That capacitor is there to smooth out and stabilize the +5v power connection between the voltage regulator and the brick. The value is not crucial, 47u, 100u, or 150u would all work fine. I'm guessing that the suggestion of 47u is due to the physical size of the component and the available space on the board.
Quote from: greysun on October 02, 2026, 12:51:42 PM- (this is the really dumb question, cause it feels very obvious, but I have to ask) I have 18v Zeners, but it looks like this VFE project asks for 16v - being less familiar with Zeners than I like to admit, I assume I can't sub an 18v here?
Yeah, I didn't look closely, but the build doc says 'for over-voltage protection', so I'd stick with 16v. There's probably something else in the circuit that can't handle more than 16v.