7-Key Slider/Wheel Tutorial with Synthesizer

This is a tutorial for using the 7-Key Slider/Wheel Breakout from Rachel's Electronics.
I'll show you how to solder up the header pins for maximum usability. Rachel's has the QT1106 datasheet on their site, and a great arduino library for this breakout.

The kit from Rachel's Electronics comes packed with cool stuff:
      QT1106 breakout with header pins
      Slider Module with header pins
      Wheel Module with header pins
      1 3-position 12" jumper cable
      2 4-position 12" jumper cables
      10" of pre-tinned conductive tape

Our project will build a 7 touch key synthesizer and the slider will select different musical keys to play in. Links to libraries are included, and working code examples for testing your work and the final synth player as well. Let's get started!

Step 1 Soldering The Top Header Pins

Check the orange dot on the breakout board to orient yourself.
We will be soldering the header pins in two steps:

• First, the pins on the top side that connect to the jumper cables.
• Then the pins on the bottom side that go into your breadboard.

Here we go.
Cut the header pins into sections. I find that using a wire snip is the best method.
The two header rows that come in the kit have 9 pins. Break one into two sections: 2-pins and 7-pins. These will go on the left side of the board. Now break the other row into 3 sections one 5-pin, one 3-pin, and one lonely single pin.
Now we're ready to setup and solder the headers onto the breakout. We will do this in two stages, The first stage will flip the board upside down and solder the top pins in place. The 7-pin row goes into the holes labeled KEY1,KEY2, KEY3, KEY4, KEY5, KEY6, KEY7, and the 3-pin row into the holes labeled SNSA1,SNSA2,SNSA3.

The best way to solder in header pins is to put the pins into a breadboard first, then you can drop the board on and you'll know the parts are all lined up nicely. Check the pictures below to see how the pins get laid out for this first step. Then place the breakout upside-down onto the pins as shown.

• Make sure to examine the pictures closely so you get it right!

But that's not all. The GND pin needs to be accessible from both sides of the board. So strip and cut a piece of wire long enough to extend on both sides of the breakout
.
Remember that the breakout gets placed upside-down in this step. Warm up your iron and solder those headers! I have pics below of the finished solder points for you to follow.

Pull the breakout out of your breadboard very carefully. Rocking it back and forth slightly can help ease it off. Now take that length of insulation that you stripped off to make the GND pin and cut two tiny pieces that will serve to insulate either side of our GND pin.

Great! on to the next step.

Comments

[oweng4000]

This thing is pretty awesome.