Electron Engine ™
Printed Circuit Boards by Emissionlabs
Preliminary page.
EE60 Universal Experimenter PCB
Board Order Number: 311-060-90
Users of older version1, Click here.
WE SUPPLY ONLY THE BARE PCB.Tube sockets can be ordered with it.
User side of the board, for experimental parts.
For Plate cap tubes use the pads called N.C. These are only solder pads, and "Not Connected" to anything. Or, with Octal plate cap if only one, normally this is the 9th "Pin", so pad #9.
Back Side, for permanent wires.
I actually made the previous version V1 for myself, but it is also a nice product to sell. It reduces the mess on the bench very much. However it was said to be too tiny, and some more requests.
- Double Sided PCB with ground plane at each side. Size 14.5x 10cm.
- Can be used for pentodes or double triodes.
- Use a 9 Pin noval socket, or 8 Pin Octal or Loctal socket.
- CONNECT THE HEATER: At the back side are solder pads, for some permanent components, or for permanent wire connections on the tube. Look at the picture below with the green wires. This is for 6SN7, it needs the heater at Pin 7+8. By this method, the top side of the PCB becomes less messy, when the permanent connections are made with wire pieces, at the back. With a pentode, connect G3 to the Cathode, all such permanent connections are made at the back.
- X1 and X2 are two universal connections. With a pentode, X1 may be connected to G1 of the tube, measuring AC or DC voltage there, with the banana plug. While X2 is mostly used to apply the screen voltage to G2. In case if a Triode, X1 and X2 can be used to make permanent connections to any desired parts of the circuit.
- The High Voltage (Vb) has a blue warning LED, so you won't get zapped any more by mistake when the High Voltage is on. I appreciate this myself :)
- The heater has an orange warning LED, which burns at AC, or DC. When heated DC it burns only when the heater voltage is connected the right way.
- FOR each amplifier stage, use it's own board. You will like this system! Amplifier boards are blue. The power supply board is red.
Connectors:
- Use connect low cost Chinese banana plugs to the board. You need the ones with a very short, 4mm screw at the back. These are amazing low cost in quantities of 20pcs, directly from China. Here is a picture. Or, use solder terminals instead. Or, just solder wires in. Any way you like it.
- The signal plugs (IN and OUT) have the right distance to connect a banana to BNC adapter to it. (See below)
Initial testing of a 6SN7 circuit
- I always make a rough (messy...) test first, as shown here, with old parts from the junk box. When that works, I re wire the board with final parts. This is a DC couples dual stage amplifier, to drive an 300B tube. Still refining the circuit, but the PCB is fine.
- The distance of the In-1, In-2, Out-1, Out-2 to GND, is such that you can plug in a standard banana/BNC adapter, as shown above in the picture.
Connecting the heaters of a 6SN7 tube