The step by step build of the Delta Pulse Rev. 5

[Infamy]

If you have a really good understanding of both electronics and PI operation then the Delta project should not be all that difficult. If you don't, then it will be a lot of frustration.

We will see.

What should be in chapter 1? I will expand the glossary on the next major rev.

Front runners at the moment, test equipment and how to use it.

Measuring Flyback, MPP beach and Barracuda have instruction that say,

"Monitor the signal across the damping resistor using an oscilloscope with x10 probe, where you
should see a flyback signal of about 350V or higher."

" If you have an oscilloscope, then monitor the signal across the damping resistor using a x10 probe,
where you should see a flyback signal of about -200V"

I've just bought x 100 probes and I wondering when is it safe to use x10 probes & the oscilloscope is not going to go up in smoke.

Soldering technique.

Good practice with regard to components, the right component, correct orientation etc.

Components, In Europe UK Maplins went out of business and the online store that is no run is expensive. Farnell Europe are the best of the big sheds. If you import components into Europe from the like of Digikey US, you maybe using a European site but the components are not in Europe and the tax on deliver is unknown and likely to more than what you save on the components. I use a place call E44 in Nantes they have a very an efficient search engine that for me is better than that of Farnell.

[Carl-NC]

From the Introduction:

One of the things this book does not attempt to do is teach basic electronics. It is assumed you know Ohm’s Law, those of Kirchhoff, transistor basics, opamps, filtering, and trigonometry. There are many books and on-line videos that teach these concepts.

Same with test equipment and soldering, those are basic skills. ITMD is already 634 pages, no way I can teach all those basic skills without making the book larger and more expensive. And most of the basics can be found online for free. Soldering is especially best learned with videos.

On the probe issue, your oscope should have a max voltage rating shown close to the probe jacks. My digital scope is 300v rms and my analog scope is 400v rms. Furthermore, the probes should also be labeled with a max rating. My 10x probe says 300v (150v in 1x) and my 100x probe says 2000v.

[Infamy]

From the Introduction:

One of the things this book does not attempt to do is teach basic electronics. It is assumed you know Ohm’s Law, those of Kirchhoff, transistor basics, opamps, filtering, and trigonometry. There are many books and on-line videos that teach these concepts.

That's the line I had in mind, you put something like that on a post of mine a few years back.
I think you will sell far more books if you do a beginners guide.
ITMD is what you find on a univeristy library shelf, and deservedly so.

I've printed out all the sections of the Delta Pulse schematic that Geomax put together and usually I'd have a manual with voltages to test, section 1 no voltages.
Knowing how to work out voltages would be useful, I get the feeling this is Ohm's Law territory.

My point about the probes was consistancey.

I can fix virtually anything on a car pre electric, but I don't do it often enough to remember all the procedured so I refer to relevant books becasue if you screw up on a timing belt for example that's a dead engine.
These books are structured in such a way that information is easy to find and reference other necessary information exactly. This is what I think a beginners guide should be based on. Law 's of Kirchoff great, I'm not going to go out of my way to remember that as I have other stuff to do but knowing where it is and a basic understanding well thats about as much as I want to know.

[Carl-NC]

ITMD3 is a beginner's guide -- but for metal detector design, not electronics in general. If you want to learn PI design (from nothing at all) then start with Ch 19, build the circuit in Ch 20, then Ch 21. The circuits progress from the simplistic to more advanced. If you don't know electronics (and Ohm's and Kirchoff's laws should be second nature, not something you need to look up), then building a metal detector circuit is a tough way to learn, and starting with an advanced circuit is a miserable way to learn. I would suggest starting out with more basic circuits, and for that there are tons of other books, web sites, and videos out there.

[Infamy]

You know Carl I once read a book about filming and it said to use zoom sparingly. I automated everything to keep the subjects in frame then hammered zoom.
Sometimes you need to experiment a bit and see what happens, this is an experiment.

Just a side note, are PI signals all 10, 10, 10, 10, or are they 9.98, 9.99, 9.97, 10, and the current setups just don't see that detail?

[Infamy]

This is from the KT archive on the DP. What advantages do you achieve with that pair of 10,000 uf caps. as I
I have a good pair that I have salvaged. Is there a schematic of this battery set up or could some one draw one as I can not trace all the cables.
I assume there is a fuse in there some where?
Are there any advantage of using Lipo batteries?

[Infamy]

Stage 1

Before arriving at stage 1 obvious mistakes.

The wrong component value.
Ordering SMS instead of through the hole components or vice versa.
Writing SMS when it should be SMD surface mounted devices.
Wrong size component, distance between legs.
Working from the wrong revision.
Not ordering all the components required.

Well this my layout for not messing up. On the side out of shot is a component list to double check values, and track down components like C10.
Image 3 is what I ordered and I still don't know what to do with that small board. any suggestions?
Soldering I will probably use 0.5mm solder wire as it gives the cleanest finish for my setup and
1mm for something big like those 10,000 uf caps in the background of image 1.

[GeoMax]

Hi Infamy

The wiring of the batteries/accus with on/off switch, fuse and battery charging socket should look like the circuit below.

[Infamy]

Hi Infamy

The wiring of the batteries/accus with on/off switch, fuse and battery charging socket should look like the circuit below.

Thanks that looks straight forward any idea for fuse value?
I guess the reason for the large caps is to reduce noise if that is the case the quality audio caps I have be a good fit as I understand they are designed to be smooth.

The value of 35v for the caps is that calculated or a guessetimate?
I ask because I know if you do not have the exact value you go up and never down. But is there a point where going up in voltage creates problems.
My caps are 71v I don't know enough to know if that is bad and I never found answer to the when I change caps on CD players.

[Carl-NC]

Just a side note, are PI signals all 10, 10, 10, 10, or are they 9.98, 9.99, 9.97, 10, and the current setups just don't see that detail?

I don't understand the question.

[Infamy]

I don't understand the question.

If you could analyse a PI signals more deeply maybe there is are difference which could be used to make a discriminating PI detector?

[Carl-NC]

This is discussed a bit in ITMD3. You can analyze the TX-on waveform (26.12) to get an idea of ferrous vs non-ferrous, that's what Minelab has done in the past. But the normal flyback signal does not contain a reactive target component so you can't do it there. It may be possible to look at decay non-linearity for ferrous targets but this is likely to work only in air, not ground.

[GeoMax]

Thanks that looks straight forward any idea for fuse value?
I guess the reason for the large caps is to reduce noise if that is the case the quality audio caps I have be a good fit as I understand they are designed to be smooth.

The value of 35v for the caps is that calculated or a guessetimate?
I ask because I know if you do not have the exact value you go up and never down. But is there a point where going up in voltage creates problems.
My caps are 71v I don't know enough to know if that is bad and I never found answer to the when I change caps on CD players.

This value is approximate, but 25V capacitors would also be acceptable. I usually use twice the power supply's battery voltage as a guideline for capacitors in the power supply (2 x 13.5V = 27V, the closest standard value would be 35V). If your caps have 71V is also okay.

[kt315]

Hi Infamy

The wiring of the batteries/accus with on/off switch, fuse and battery charging socket should look like the circuit below.

ideal just add a diode, polarity protection. it is in a shrink tube.

[GeoMax]

Hi KT315,

thanks. Here's an update with the diode...