Modular Synth Panels

Hi Friends,

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted info on 
drilling dotcom panels the other month. It went (mostly) perfect 
thanks to all of your recommendations! I will probably be picking up 
a drill press eventually so as i increase the bit size I don't stray 
from where I intended the origin.

so, on to my next question...
I've been doing PCB design and layout for this guitar effects pedal 
company for about a year now and our new design is quite bulky and I 
was asked to fit it on a very small PCB. I suggested moving 
everything to Surface Mount instead of the Through Hole that they 
were used to. 
I'm wasn't very worried about this because at my workplace we use 90% 
SMT components so I lay them out on a daily basis. Unfortunately, 
I've been able to find everything but Polyester Film Capacitors 
available in Surface Mount. 

Does anyone know if these exist in SMT or any other equivalent types 
of capacitors that would work great for audio applications? 

I know recently Paul at Synthesis Technology changed all of his 
modules over to surface mount, how did he handle the capacitors?

Thanks a bunch! 

-Andrew

Hello,

I haven't found the answer yet myself WRT polystyrene caps. But I do 
know that mixed-mode PCB's using both SMD and TH are still pretty 
common. We used to use a contract MFR that did those for us 
regularly. Might be a solution/workaround?

Hope this helps,

Ballendo

--- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "Andy" 
<squirrelmasterxx@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Friends,
> 
> I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted info on 
> drilling dotcom panels the other month. It went (mostly) perfect 
> thanks to all of your recommendations! I will probably be picking 
up 
> a drill press eventually so as i increase the bit size I don't 
stray 
> from where I intended the origin.
> 
> so, on to my next question...
> I've been doing PCB design and layout for this guitar effects 
pedal 
> company for about a year now and our new design is quite bulky and 
I 
> was asked to fit it on a very small PCB. I suggested moving 
> everything to Surface Mount instead of the Through Hole that they 
> were used to. 
> I'm wasn't very worried about this because at my workplace we use 
90% 
> SMT components so I lay them out on a daily basis. Unfortunately, 
> I've been able to find everything but Polyester Film Capacitors 
> available in Surface Mount. 
> 
> Does anyone know if these exist in SMT or any other equivalent 
types 

> of capacitors that would work great for audio applications? 
> 
> I know recently Paul at Synthesis Technology changed all of his 
> modules over to surface mount, how did he handle the capacitors?
> 
> Thanks a bunch! 
> 
> -Andrew
>

G'morning Andrew,

DigiKey stocks SMD Poly Film caps in sizes from 0603 to 6039.  49
pages of parts in stock.  Search Capacitors --> Poly Film. Then used
the filters to select the value, case size - 0805, 1206 etc, packaging
- cut tape if you need a few or tape & reel if you need them in the
thousands, and finally your desired tolerance and voltage.  Don't
forget to check the "Stoked Items" box or you will end up with a lot
of hits that they don't actually have on hand.  From the quick
look-see I just did most (all?) are made by Panasonic-ECG.

Hope this helps,

James
  

--- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "Andy"
<squirrelmasterxx@...> wrote:

>
> Hi Friends,
> 
> I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted info on 
> drilling dotcom panels the other month. It went (mostly) perfect 
> thanks to all of your recommendations! I will probably be picking up 
> a drill press eventually so as i increase the bit size I don't stray 
> from where I intended the origin.
> 
> so, on to my next question...
> I've been doing PCB design and layout for this guitar effects pedal 
> company for about a year now and our new design is quite bulky and I 
> was asked to fit it on a very small PCB. I suggested moving 
> everything to Surface Mount instead of the Through Hole that they 
> were used to. 
> I'm wasn't very worried about this because at my workplace we use 90% 
> SMT components so I lay them out on a daily basis. Unfortunately, 
> I've been able to find everything but Polyester Film Capacitors 
> available in Surface Mount. 
> 
> Does anyone know if these exist in SMT or any other equivalent types 
> of capacitors that would work great for audio applications? 
> 
> I know recently Paul at Synthesis Technology changed all of his 
> modules over to surface mount, how did he handle the capacitors?
> 
> Thanks a bunch! 
> 
> -Andrew
>

Thanks Ballendo & James,
I think you both hit very good points! I actually emailed Paul at 
Synthesis Technology and here was his reply (for the record).
"You can get SMT film caps, with 1 *big* issue. You *cannot* hand-
solder them. You have to use reflow ovens.
But it that is OK, then both Mouser and Digikey have them. Look for 
PPS film caps.
Paul S."

So it looks like those PPS Poly Film Caps will work hopefully. The 
only downside is most are reflow only. Some of them seem to be 
Flow/Reflow compatible but I'm not exactly sure how you "flow" (aka 
wave solder) surface mount components. I guess i'm not deep enough in 
the pcb manuf biz to know that detail.
I personally wouldn't mind doing everything in a reflow oven but as 
you guys know when you are prototyping it usually pays to be able to 
change capacitor parts on your design.

Thanks again, sorry if this was a little OT!
-Andrew

--- In 
ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "phantom_of_the_oscillator" 
<middlearthling@...> wrote:
>
> G'morning Andrew,
> 
> DigiKey stocks SMD Poly Film caps in sizes from 0603 to 6039.  49
> pages of parts in stock.  Search Capacitors --> Poly Film. Then used
> the filters to select the value, case size - 0805, 1206 etc, 
packaging
> - cut tape if you need a few or tape & reel if you need them in the
> thousands, and finally your desired tolerance and voltage.  Don't
> forget to check the "Stoked Items" box or you will end up with a lot
> of hits that they don't actually have on hand.  From the quick
> look-see I just did most (all?) are made by Panasonic-ECG.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> 
> James
>   
> 
> --- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "Andy"
> <squirrelmasterxx@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Friends,
> > 
> > I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted info on 
> > drilling dotcom panels the other month. It went (mostly) perfect 
> > thanks to all of your recommendations! I will probably be picking 
up 
> > a drill press eventually so as i increase the bit size I don't 
stray 
> > from where I intended the origin.
> > 
> > so, on to my next question...
> > I've been doing PCB design and layout for this guitar effects 
pedal 
> > company for about a year now and our new design is quite bulky 
and I 
> > was asked to fit it on a very small PCB. I suggested moving 
> > everything to Surface Mount instead of the Through Hole that they 
> > were used to. 
> > I'm wasn't very worried about this because at my workplace we use 
90% 
> > SMT components so I lay them out on a daily basis. Unfortunately, 
> > I've been able to find everything but Polyester Film Capacitors 
> > available in Surface Mount. 
> > 
> > Does anyone know if these exist in SMT or any other equivalent 
types 

> > of capacitors that would work great for audio applications? 
> > 
> > I know recently Paul at Synthesis Technology changed all of his 
> > modules over to surface mount, how did he handle the capacitors?
> > 
> > Thanks a bunch! 
> > 
> > -Andrew
> >
>