Breadboard 5V WHAT AMPERAGE??? still need HELP!!!

[jeremysdemo]

So I got my breadboard all wired up to look like the one in the MIDI Xbee radio tutorial http://www.ladyada.net/make/xbee/midibee.html and I plug it into my power supply (a DC step down regulator running at 5V fused at 3/4 AMP) and it blows the fuse, so unsure of what Amp draw this thing needed I replace it with a 2AMP fuse which doesn't blow, however a see a spark and some smoke coming from my board...

Can anyone take the time to look at my board and see what happened? it looks like I blew a hole in the CMOS Hex inverter, but what I don't know is where I went wrong with the wiring or if that thing had an orientation I should have had it plugged in to (like with the adapter).
In any event I would like to know what AMP this board needs at 5V so that I can fuse it at my supply in the future.

PS, I tried to use all the same color wires as ada, but two jumpers that were green on hers are yellow on mine, all the rest should be the same.
I am hoping I did not blow the Xbee or adapter I am going to try it on my arduino to see if it still works.






keep shinin

jerm

[adafruit]

its upside down

[westfw]

Your hex inverter is inserted backward (which is exactly the sort of thing that causes heavy current draw and exploded chips.)

You were probably fooled because the chip used in the adafruit tutorial use a "dot" to indicate pin 1, while the chip you have has a "notch" to indicate pin 1 (and has a dot on the other end!)

(BTW, nice job at making this easy to spot!)

[jeremysdemo]

Thanx guys! (and gal)

Ya know I contemplated over and over about that inverter before I clicked it in, then when I built the adapter I noticed it was mentioned that orientation was crucial, ignoring that and not putting the two concepts together was completely my fault.

thankfully for me I order everything in pairs (usually to make a back up model) but in this it looks like just to cover my stupidity.

Anywho, will be pluggin in the other inverter in the other direction today and try try again!
this time tho I'm keeping the 3/4 amp fuse in the line in the event something else is wired wrong because that worked great the first time, I do wish someone would have answered that question as to what AMP draw this board requires so I can safely protect the Xbee and my power supply.

keep shinin

jerm

[jeremysdemo]

OK, so I plug in the new HEX inverter the other way.

I turn on my power and the 3/4 amp fuse blows.

this leads me to suspect there is something else wrong in my wiring (what about the optocoupler?? is it orientated correctly>???) other wiring jumpers?

it is confusing in the tutorial, at least for me because in some of the pictures wires seem to go to one # hole then in other shots it is closer to being in another # on the grid.

Well rather than blow something else up I'm gonna wait to get the answer before I increase AMPs to the board, it's possible it tripped the 2/3 amp fuse simply because it needs a whole 1000ma in current.... but who knows? not me.

more pics





keep shinin

jerm

[franklin97355]

In the tutorial there is a schematic of the cirduit so you can tell where each wire should go.

[jeremysdemo]

thanx, I'm gonna take a look at that and get back.

keep shinin

jerm

[jeremysdemo]

there is a RED jumper in the picture connecting a pin of the 6n138 (19F on the breadboard) to 17g.

I do not have that wire on mine, and did not see the part were it told you to connect it.



I'm gonna go ahead and put in that red jumper were it is in the picture and see what happens.

keep shinin

jerm

[jeremysdemo]

Welp, that ^^^ didn't do it.

I hooked that red wire up underneath the pin of the 6N138 (which was not easy without bending it) and it still blows the 3/4 amp fuse as soon as it is powered.

Unless someone spots something obvious or tells me what the amperage is I'm gonna have to go back to the drawing board on this one, start all over, maybe use solid copper wire instead of the threaded steel I got.

the tutorial uses 4 AA batteries, according to some charts 1 AA battery can put out 1~2A and this is 4 in series...maybe capping my input at 3/4 amp is a little too low.....seems like such a simple question to ask in the title of the thread, can't imagine why no one here can tell me the answer.

keep shinin

jerm

[franklin97355]

Could you explain the red wire and where you found the instructions to connect it?

[jeremysdemo]

I did not find any instructions on it.

I followed the instructions, then when you look at the next picture ---it's the one BELOW with the GREEN wires on it--- there it is, a red jumper going from 17g to 19f, so I put it in mine above (the picture with NO green wires in it), also I may be worrying for nothing, if this board draws 1Amp I just need to switch to a higher fuse....

The second board attached to this post is mine, BOTH have an arrow pointing to the RED wire in question.

REdwire.jpg (104.81 KiB) Viewed 1985 times

myboard.jpg (100.89 KiB) Viewed 1985 times

keep shinin

jerm

[franklin97355]

It seems to be a scrap of red jacket that didn't get removed before the picture was taken. If you look at the second to last picture you can see that it is still there but NOT connected to row 19 and in the last picture it is not there at all. Remove it and try again.

[jeremysdemo]

thanx will do,



meanwhile....
MAN am I an idiot, none of the picture show it but I got my Xbee plugged in upside down!!!

I wonder if that had anything to do with the power build up on the board where it is? (next to the hex inverter)

keep shinin

jerm

[jeremysdemo]

Welp....

I got another adapter put together and completely rewired the breadboard with better wire (or so I am told).

I plugged in my Adapter and added the 5v to the power strip......this time NOTHING happened....

I guess nothing is better than sparks and smoke but isn't something supposed to light up on the adapter?

I have the voltage regulated and capped by a fuse at 3/4 amp and it didn't blow which indicates to me the board is not shorting or trying to draw any more than that.....however that is not a certainty since I still don't know the proper amperage this project board requires.

I don't have the FTDI cable (yep I'm dumb a$$) only some pretty crappy shielded FTDI break out boxes I got from England that flake out left and right and the computer says "USB device malfunctioning OR not recognized" half the time so I'm not even sure the remote Xbee on the breadboard is even getting a signal when I press PLAY on a midi file (although the DAW does not report the MIDI out devices is not working)

Anywho, I have not given up on this project just yet will post more pics in the event someone somewhere perhaps in another place in space and time will come and rescue me!!! The Doctor are you listening?...he's probably too busy fighting the Daleks this week...
DOCTOR, if you are listening I need an old school cat to relate to so send Tom Baker or someone else from the original series....until then don't blink.

keep shinin

jerm