Help needed wiring display board to expansion board

[phe]

I'm getting close! I have the expansion and display boards in the chassis. I'm not ready to run the wires. I've numbered the holes on the expansion board. I have a few questions:

1. How do you know which hole in the display board is which? Did you folks who have done this take out the display board?
2. Are the holes on the display board numbered? It seems there are more holes on the expansion board than are on the display board. Are all the holes used?

I'd appreciate any help anyone can provide for this crucial step. Thanks.

Paul

[Geoff Harrison]

Originally Posted by phe

1. How do you know which hole in the display board is which? Did you folks who have done this take out the display board?
2. Are the holes on the display board numbered? It seems there are more holes on the expansion board than are on the display board. Are all the holes used?

I left the display board in place to make sure the wires were neat and all the right length. The holes on the display board are numbered on the front, you have to peek down between the board and the frame. You can also see the numbers on some of the pictures in the assembly manual. Make the wires only long enough to reach from one board to the other, not 3 feet long as the Altair manual suggests, and remember the notes about the unmarked pad 53 and the duplicated pad 46 mentioned on pages 14 and 14a

Some of the holes on the expansion card are not connected to the display board, they are there so that you can connect two expansion boards together.

Hang in there.

Geoff.

[phe]

Originally Posted by Geoff Harrison

remember the notes about the unmarked pad 53 and the duplicated pad 46 mentioned on pages 14 and 14a

So true!! Thanks.

[Grant Stockly]

Originally Posted by phe

I'm getting close! I have the expansion and display boards in the chassis. I'm not ready to run the wires. I've numbered the holes on the expansion board. I have a few questions:

1. How do you know which hole in the display board is which? Did you folks who have done this take out the display board?
2. Are the holes on the display board numbered? It seems there are more holes on the expansion board than are on the display board. Are all the holes used?

I'd appreciate any help anyone can provide for this crucial step. Thanks.

Paul

1. Look on the front of the PCB, there are numbers by each hole.
2. Yes, there are more holes on the expansion board than the display board. There are TWO holes on the display board for the same signal. (The manual mentions this). There is also one unnumbered hole.

Since you have an early version of the kit I'm not sure you have the latest color guide manual. I'll upload it for you right now.

[Grant Stockly]

Paul, download this PDF file.

http://www.altairkit.com/manuals/Alt...nual%20016.pdf

Save it to your hard drive.

If you want I can mail you a printed version.

Does it help a little?

[phe]

Thanks. I see now what needs to be done. Page 14 of the altair guide is very important because it tell you things like the number of the unlabled pad. I wish I had followed the altair direction and soldering in all the wired with long lenghts and taped labels on the other end as it would have been easier.

One suggestion for future kit assemblers: get a pad of paper and list the hold number top to bottom along the side and left to right along the top. That would make it a lot easier.

Paul

[Grant Stockly]

Originally Posted by phe

Thanks. I see now what needs to be done. Page 14 of the altair guide is very important because it tell you things like the number of the unlabled pad. I wish I had followed the altair direction and soldering in all the wired with long lenghts and taped labels on the other end as it would have been easier.

I did it one wire at a time with the boards bolted into the unit. Cut them to length as I went. I didn't find this too hard. How are you doing it?

Originally Posted by phe

One suggestion for future kit assemblers: get a pad of paper and list the hold number top to bottom along the side and left to right along the top. That would make it a lot easier.

I could provide a 1:1 scale image like what you describe in the manual too. Or as an insert that people can cut out.

Would it help you RIGHT now to have that? I hope its not too late!

See the zip file below for a 300 dpi image of the back of the board with the silkscreen numbering for the wire holes in the image. I hope it helps!

Feel free to request ANYTHING that will help you out...

http://www.altairkit.com/manuals/Sup..._Guide_001.zip

At least download it and let me know if it WOULD have helped if you're done.

If you don't have a printer big enough you can clip the image into two pieces and print each piece.

[phe]

This is EXCELLENT! It is not too late. It DOES help.

I unbolted the front of the chassis to see the numbers down the one side and I wrote them on a piece of paper in order. But it was difficult to see all the numbers clearly so your diagram will make sure I get it right. And I did not really like the idea of removing the bolts once again because everything was lined up well. I figured I would look over the top to see those holes, now I don't have to.

I have just one more favor to ask: aren't there two holes on the other side (right hand side of your diagram) that need to be hooked up? Can you label those as well and repost the drawing?

Grant, thanks for the OUTSTANDING support you provide all of us.

Paul