[sdiy] Hey all: first post

[Ken Stone]

The answer in its simplest form is Yes, there is a common ground wire also.

Usually this common ground is there as part of the power supply wiring,
where all modules are powered from the same power supply. It should also be
noted that this ground line would better be termed as a 0 volt line, as it
is not always tied to true ground. Admittedly that is not good practice, but
it does happen.

Ground wires are a science to themselves. 

Ken

>Hey all.  This is my first post on this thread.  I subscribed the
>other day and have been enjoying just lurking and reading the
>messages.  I have been doing electronics as a hobby for at leat nearly
>10yrs now, and while I'm not an EE, I have done my share of building
>projects.  I am currently putting together plans for a modular
>analogue synth using other peoples schematics and I have what may be
>considered a stupid question.
>
>In many schematics I have looked at, the inputs and outputs of each
>module are shown as simply one wire in/out.  I had been unsure, but
>had decided that it must be implied that the other node of the jack
>would go to the common gorund.
>
>However, I have been doing some digging and have noticed people using
>banana plugs rather than phone jacks to connect some modules; also, I
>have noticed designs which seem (at least to me, with my limited
>electronics expertise) to not make sense to complete the circuit with
>a jack connected to common ground.  So my "stupid" question is this:
>in the following schematics (and in modular analogue synths in
>general) are phone plugs using only one wire, or am I supposed to
>connect the jacks to common ground?
>
>Some schematics I've been looking at:
>http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/keybrdcontroller.html
>(no jacks, and no explanation of whether the jacks should be
>"grounded")
>http://musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/norgate_adsr_001.html
>(another schematic from the same site, with jacks inserted and
>grounded)
>http://www.abacom.com/~ivanohe/synth/ivanohe1e.html (A guy using
>banana plugs [those have only one wire, am I correct?])
>http://www.sowa.synth.net/modular/vco4m.gif (a schematic with jacks -
>implied that they should be "grounded")
>http://hem.bredband.net/bersyn/VCO/VCO%20Buchla%20core.gif (no jacks at all
...)
>
>You get the idea.
>
>Hope someone can help.
>thanks in advance
>~~Ponyboy
>
>
_______________________________________________________________________
Ken Stone   sasami at hotkey.net.au or sasami at cgs.synth.net
Modular Synth PCBs for sale <http://www.blaze.net.au/~sasami/synth/>
Australian Miniature Horses & Ponies <http://www.blaze.net.au/~sasami/>