V1 Assembling instructions - sstojos/zynthian-mini GitHub Wiki

To assemble zynthian mini V1 version you will require:

• PCB that need to be produced based on KiCad design in this repository. You can find it inside repository branch called v1-4-buttons-no-audio-in
• All components that need to be soldered to PCB, screen and cable. For detail list of all components check V1 Components required page.
• Raspberry Pi 4

Do not be confused that some of the instruction images shown here do not fully align to V1 PCB version. This is because they are taken when V1 beta PCB was assembled and therefore has slightly different position of few components. Always read the label of the component on the PCB if confused.

First get PCB and all components sorted by their type. Check their values using digital multimeter to make sure that you have them properly sorted.

Heat up the solder iron and make sure that its tip is clean. If not put some solder on it and clean it with wet sponge. It has to be shiny silver tip.

Start by soldering back side of the PCB. Order of soldering is always from smallest to tallest components.

First solder resistors and diode.

Then solder microchips such as Digital optocoupler (H11L1M), hex inverting schmitt trigger (74HCT14) and I/O Expander (MCP23017). Pay attention to orientation of these microchips.

Then solder film and ceramic capacitors (orientation not important - they are non polarized).

Then solder sound card. First solder male header pins that came with the card and the solder it to PCB board. Solder at the same time also 2x20 male header pins connector for Raspberry Pi.

Then solder two electrolytic capacitors. Pay attention to their orientation.

Then solder three MIDI connectors.

You have now finished soldering components that are placed on the bottom part of PCB. Now it is the time to solder encoders and push buttons on the top side of the PCB.

You have finished the hard part - soldering. Now you just need to assemble everything together.

First connect short cable that comes with a screen to the screen. Then screw small hex mounts for Raspberry Pi. Do not connect Raspberry Pi yet. Finally connect PCB to the screen using 4 long 25mm hex screens. Make sure that screen cable went through the PCB opening as on the photo bellow. Do not be confused that screen top is on the bottom. We will fix this wrong orientation in Zynthian config. It has to be like that so that Raspberry Pi USB and network connections are easy to reach and screen cable is easy to connect to Raspberry Pi. The same orientation of the screen is on the original Zynthian V5.

Now attach Raspberry Pi to the screen with small M2.5 screws that came with the screen. Make sure that you have flashed latest stable Zynthian image to micro SD card and you have inserted micro SD card into Raspberry Pi before assembling. You can read more about flashing Zynthian image on Zynthian wiki. Finally connect screen cable to PCB and PCB and Raspberry Pi with short ribbon cable.

Now go to V1 Configuring zynthian mini page to configure Zynthian mini hardware.

Once everything is configured and working it is a time to put zynthian into the enclosure. Instructions how to create one and how to assembly zynthian mini into it can be found inside V1 Enclosure page.