16nx
This is my attempt to build https://16n-faderbank.github.io/16nx designed by Tom Armitage
Fair warning
My build was completed on October 15 2024, and should only be considered one person's log of the experience. Please refer to the original links in case things have updated.
Getting the project
I went to the project repo and downloaded the latest release. This was "Revision C" at the time I downloaded.
Parts Ordering
Unless I reported something specific down below, I used default settings for each of the sites parts were ordered from.
PCBs
I uploaded the "16nx-gerbers-revc.zip" into the JLPCB website and kept all the settings at default except I changed the board color to black. The minimum order was 5.
I selected the "PCB Assembly" toggle to indicated I wanted the SMD parts attached at the factory. In the next screen I was prompted to upload the BOM and CPL file. I used the "bom.csv" and "positions.csv" from the release.
After processing, an error message shows up reporting: "The below parts won't be assembled due to data missing. R52,H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6,H7,H8 designators don't exist in the CPL file.", these are the through hold parts, so I clicked the continue button on that modal.
A list of parts is shown next. The bottom four say "no part selected". These are the through-hole parts that will be ordered from Mouser and Thonk. They are ignored.
One part called "CD74HC4067M" said "5 shortfall" so I clicked the magnifying glass and some replacement options are offered. The one called "CD74HC4067M96" was in stock, so I selected that. You may have to do this for multiple parts.
A warning came up about the unplaced parts, I selected "Do not place parts".
The next screen shows a rendering preview. Nothing looked wildly out of place, so I clicked "next"
The following screens are about billing and shipping. My order total was around $125.
Plates
For the top and bottom plates, I used send-cut-send. I uploaded the 2 ".dxf" files and picked "CRS A36/1008 Mild Steel (.059")" and the final order total was around $76. Changing the material to something like Acrylic would reduce the price. The top plate with all the holes cost more than the bottom plate.
Mouser parts
From Mouser I ordered: two of these audio sockets, 16 of these sliders, and one of these switches.
Thonk Parts
From Thonk I ordered: 16 of the mono jacks (WQP518MA) and a bag of hex nuts and washers (same page).
Parts I already had
I'm using screws and brass spacers that I already had from previous projects.
Assembly
I did a dry fit of the plates, everything lined up.
I soldered small midi/i2c jacks on the sides and the switch first. I taped them to keep them in place. Next I placed the 16 jacks along the top and held them in place by attaching the top plate temporarily (using spacers). After soldering them, I removed the top plate and placed all the sliders. I put the top plate back on and soldered them in as well. Then I put the washers and nuts on the jacks, attached the bottom plate with smaller spacers, and added some small rubber feet (little bump style that attach to the bottom plate like a sticker).
Firmware
The firmware was downloaded from the "Releases" part of this repo. Keep in mind that most of the readme text in that repo is about building it so you can modify. None of that is needed, all you need is the uf2 file from the release. Plug in the USB to a computer and it will show up as a drive. Drag the uf2 file into the drive and it will reboot itself. You can then go to the web editor at https://16n-faderbank.github.io/editor/ to see/check that your sliders are registering values. It works!