potentiometers help? bu0836

[brian95]

Hi guys,
I recently got my BU0836 card from Leo Bodnar but I am having a little problem with the potentiometers.
All the other buttons work fine, however. As in I can connect a toggle to the card and it would work using FSUIPC.

The problem is with the potentiometers. I connected them as the diagram on Leo's website shows. However, I'm not to certain with the potentiometer I have. It's a multi-turn wire wound potentiometer I believe. I assumed the middle contact was the wiper contact that connects to the INPUTS on the card, the +5V contact was to the pin on the other side, and the GRD pin was the one beside the middle one (but close proximity to it)
At first using this arrangement, the potentiometer registered but did not respond, and as I was calibrating it using the game controllers from windows, there were only two values (0 and 1), instead of a smooth axis. It kept jumping from extreme left to right regardless of wiper position.
That was what happened the first few times. Now, as I connect the wires to the card and plug it into the computer, it fails (USB Port # is not working. Please remove the device) and every other USB port stops working (mouse also stops). The only way to get them back is to restart the computer.

Can anyone please help me here? I am not sure if I have it properly wired or if I have the right potentiometers (they are labeled WXD3-13)
Thanks,
Brian

[Mike.Powell]

Brian,

It's possible the pot is wired incorrectly. The only spec sheet I could find for the WXD3-13 has limited usefulness, but wire wound pots by other manufacturers have the wiper connected to the end terminal opposite the shaft. For example here's a link to a spec sheet of a Bourns pot http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/183548.pdf

When connected incorrectly, the pot can short out the +5 power on the USB port. That might explain the symptoms you're seeing.

[brian95]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your reply.
Indeed, the pot was wired incorrectly. Thank you so much for pointing it out.
I have re-soldered it correctly and it works now.
Again, thank you for your help.

Brian

[Leo Bodnar]

Hi Mike,
Thanks for your reply.
Indeed, the pot was wired incorrectly. Thank you so much for pointing it out.
I have re-soldered it correctly and it works now.
Again, thank you for your help.
Brian

Hi Brian,
It's lucky that you did not burn it. Multiturn pots are confusing because indeed their wiper is not in the middle. This is due to their construction.However most pots have the wiring diagram on the body.

This link has wiring notes inside: http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU...-mw22b-doc.png
Cheers
Leo