[sdiy] Becoming better at understanding difficult analog schematics

[Mike Bryant]

Oh boy do I remember the arguments at HP in the 70s when it was decided to add the dots and remove the jump-overs on schematics across the whole corporation.

________________________________
From: Michael E Caloroso <mec.forumreader at gmail.com>
Sent: 16 May 2024 06:03
To: Mike Bryant <mbryant at futurehorizons.com>
Cc: Sarah Thompson <plodger at gmail.com>; ackolonges fds via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Becoming better at understanding difficult analog schematics

Not a good idea to recommend Buchla schematics for student level EEs.  Buchla did not place dots on junctions.  You'd have to have a solid foundation of circuits to decipher those.

MC

On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 8:16 AM Mike Bryant <mbryant at futurehorizons.com<mailto:mbryant at futurehorizons.com>> wrote:
Those are exactly the types of circuits than production and test hate.  Nice separate blocks with clearly defined inputs and outputs make their lives a lot easier.
________________________________
From: Sarah Thompson <plodger at gmail.com<mailto:plodger at gmail.com>>
Sent: 13 May 2024 12:47
To: Mike Bryant <mbryant at futurehorizons.com<mailto:mbryant at futurehorizons.com>>
Cc: Donald Tillman <don at till.com<mailto:don at till.com>>; David G Dixon <dixon at mail.ubc.ca<mailto:dixon at mail.ubc.ca>>; ackolonges fds via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org<mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Becoming better at understanding difficult analog schematics

Buchla schematics (at least the few I've seen) are fascinating. There is an incredible economy of design -- where many/most designers' circuits can easily be broken down into blocks that can be understood separately, with Buchla circuits you'll see a weird resistor or capacitor (or something) that doesn't make sense until you really dig into it, and it turns out that the designer has merged the functionality of blocks together, or added something analogous to a fixed tone control or something. Definitely from someone who liked to get their hands dirty at the bench!

On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 8:34 AM Mike Bryant <mbryant at futurehorizons.com<mailto:mbryant at futurehorizons.com>> wrote:
Maybe that's the real difference between East Coast and West Coast synthesis :-)
________________________________
From: Synth-diy <synth-diy-bounces at synth-diy.org<mailto:synth-diy-bounces at synth-diy.org>> on behalf of Donald Tillman <don at till.com<mailto:don at till.com>>
Sent: 13 May 2024 08:20
To: David G Dixon <dixon at mail.ubc.ca<mailto:dixon at mail.ubc.ca>>
Cc: ackolonges fds via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org<mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Becoming better at understanding difficult analog schematics

On May 12, 2024, at 10:43 PM, David G Dixon via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org<mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>> wrote:
>
> I hear you, Paulo!  I have a very hard time reading some schematics.  One good example are Buchla schematics, which I find almost impossible to decipher.

I got no problem with them, man.  :-)

  -- Don
--
Donald Tillman, Palo Alto, California
https://www.till.com
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[s]
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________________________________
From: Michael E Caloroso <mec.forumreader at gmail.com>
Sent: 16 May 2024 06:03
To: Mike Bryant <mbryant at futurehorizons.com>
Cc: Sarah Thompson <plodger at gmail.com>; ackolonges fds via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Becoming better at understanding difficult analog schematics

Not a good idea to recommend Buchla schematics for student level EEs.  Buchla did not place dots on junctions.  You'd have to have a solid foundation of circuits to decipher those.

MC

On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 8:16 AM Mike Bryant <mbryant at futurehorizons.com<mailto:mbryant at futurehorizons.com>> wrote:
Those are exactly the types of circuits than production and test hate.  Nice separate blocks with clearly defined inputs and outputs make their lives a lot easier.
________________________________
From: Sarah Thompson <plodger at gmail.com<mailto:plodger at gmail.com>>
Sent: 13 May 2024 12:47
To: Mike Bryant <mbryant at futurehorizons.com<mailto:mbryant at futurehorizons.com>>
Cc: Donald Tillman <don at till.com<mailto:don at till.com>>; David G Dixon <dixon at mail.ubc.ca<mailto:dixon at mail.ubc.ca>>; ackolonges fds via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org<mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Becoming better at understanding difficult analog schematics

Buchla schematics (at least the few I've seen) are fascinating. There is an incredible economy of design -- where many/most designers' circuits can easily be broken down into blocks that can be understood separately, with Buchla circuits you'll see a weird resistor or capacitor (or something) that doesn't make sense until you really dig into it, and it turns out that the designer has merged the functionality of blocks together, or added something analogous to a fixed tone control or something. Definitely from someone who liked to get their hands dirty at the bench!

On Mon, May 13, 2024 at 8:34 AM Mike Bryant <mbryant at futurehorizons.com<mailto:mbryant at futurehorizons.com>> wrote:
Maybe that's the real difference between East Coast and West Coast synthesis :-)
________________________________
From: Synth-diy <synth-diy-bounces at synth-diy.org<mailto:synth-diy-bounces at synth-diy.org>> on behalf of Donald Tillman <don at till.com<mailto:don at till.com>>
Sent: 13 May 2024 08:20
To: David G Dixon <dixon at mail.ubc.ca<mailto:dixon at mail.ubc.ca>>
Cc: ackolonges fds via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org<mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Becoming better at understanding difficult analog schematics

On May 12, 2024, at 10:43 PM, David G Dixon via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org<mailto:synth-diy at synth-diy.org>> wrote:
>
> I hear you, Paulo!  I have a very hard time reading some schematics.  One good example are Buchla schematics, which I find almost impossible to decipher.

I got no problem with them, man.  :-)

  -- Don
--
Donald Tillman, Palo Alto, California
https://www.till.com
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--
[s]
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