- Sun Dec 20, 2009 9:21 pm
#87599
You guys are awesome, thank you for the tips! MichaelN, I will definitely try the smaller parts eventually. I'd love to try the skillet or hot air gun but I'm afraid I can't right now, I'm sure my fiancee would not approve! 
I may be stretching it with even the soldering iron and the tiny electronic parts everywhere. She didnt know what she was getting into... LOL!
zarcondeegrissom, awesome tip! I will see if I can move that trace and re-post.
The part provided in Eagle for the mini usb didnt have a connection to ground for the case, but I'm sure that's not necessarily proof that you don't have to ground it.
The one time I encountered that term was when I installed an aux input in my car stereo system. When I try to charge it at the same time as I play it through the aux in, I get noise. From what I understood their grounds are at different potentials, causing extra noise in the system. You could use an isolation transformer to eliminate this problem. I think this was a 1:1 transformer that decoupled the aux input.
I looked it up here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)
This isolation transformer also mentions ground loops:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AA3085
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, just trying to learn.
Also: I partially populated the second copy of the original circuit board i had created, but this time added a 33uF decoupling capacitor between Vdd and Vss, and the USB seems to work fine now. As someone had said earlier, even though it was suboptimal it should still work... well it does seem to work. Haven't added back in the FT232RL yet though; hopefully that will not cause any problems.
I may be stretching it with even the soldering iron and the tiny electronic parts everywhere. She didnt know what she was getting into... LOL!zarcondeegrissom, awesome tip! I will see if I can move that trace and re-post.
I read that your dealing without a solder mask, so I understand the "Floating" copper areas between stuff. I'd try to find a way to ground them with more clearance, or remove the free floating tiny antennas/tuning forks. example under the "0.1" label for C3 I think.I think BatchPCB does provide a soldermask, but I would definitely rather be safe than sorry. You guys are the experts so I'm glad to have all the advice I can get.
The part provided in Eagle for the mini usb didnt have a connection to ground for the case, but I'm sure that's not necessarily proof that you don't have to ground it.
To ground loop, or not to ground loop, that is the question... lolForgive my ignorance, but what do you guys mean by "ground loop" used as a verb?
The one time I encountered that term was when I installed an aux input in my car stereo system. When I try to charge it at the same time as I play it through the aux in, I get noise. From what I understood their grounds are at different potentials, causing extra noise in the system. You could use an isolation transformer to eliminate this problem. I think this was a 1:1 transformer that decoupled the aux input.I looked it up here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_loop_(electricity)
This isolation transformer also mentions ground loops:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AA3085
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, just trying to learn.
Also: I partially populated the second copy of the original circuit board i had created, but this time added a 33uF decoupling capacitor between Vdd and Vss, and the USB seems to work fine now. As someone had said earlier, even though it was suboptimal it should still work... well it does seem to work. Haven't added back in the FT232RL yet though; hopefully that will not cause any problems.
