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Chordata

Building a Chordata

Get everything together

photo of a Chordata PCB, a USB Type-C port, 2 18-pin headers and a 2x5-pin shrouded right-angle header, on a cork desk mat

You should have:

Soldering the USB port

  1. Remove the USB Type-C port from its package and place it in its footprint. The port goes on the opposite side of the board to the ghost.
  2. Rest the Chordata flat on the work surface with the pale slim ghost facing up, so the USB port sits flat. The mounting pins should be only just protruding through the holes.
  3. Ensuring the USB port is aligned, solder the mounting pins one by one.

Apply flux

Apply just enough flux to cover the USB port through-hole pins. We recommend a gel flux such as Chipquik SMD291NL.

Solder the pins

  1. Melt a blob of solder on your iron.
  2. Moving quickly but gently, run the tip of the iron along the USB port pins.
  3. Keep going until every pin is well-soldered.

Soldering the GPIO headers

Place the two 18-pin headers into breadboard, long pins facing down, making sure they’re the right distance apart (measure against the Chordata), flush with the surface, and vertical.

Solder the corners

  1. Place the Chordata on the headers, making sure it’s flat, level, and flush.
  2. Solder one corner. It’s very easy to accidentally pull the pin you just soldered out of the header, so make sure it’s level and flush.
  3. Solder the corner diagonally opposite. Again, make sure everything’s level after the solder is cool.
  4. Solder the other two corners.

Solder the rest of the pins

Solder the rest of the header pins. Once it’s cool very carefully remove the Chordata from the breadboard. Depending on your breadboard, the headers could be a tight fit.

Soldering the Eurorack power header

  1. Place the Chordata flat on the work surface, resting on the headers.
  2. Put the right-angle header in its footprint so it rests on the work surface. The notch should be facing downwards.
  3. Solder a corner pin, making sure the header is straight.
  4. Solder the opposite corner, then the rest of the pins.
  5. If there’s excess length of pins protruding from the board, trim them with flush cutters.

Cleaning flux residue

Clean any flux residue with flux cleaner or isopropyl alcohol spray.

You’re done!

Enjoy your newly-assembled Pale Slim Ghost Synthesisers Chordata. Have a look at the user manual while you’re here.