XOXO MODULAR Hi Jack TRS Breakout Kit User Manual
- June 5, 2024
- XOXO MODULAR
Table of Contents
Hi, Jack! Build Guide
Hi, Jack! is a breakout board that helps you spy on the electrical signals
coursing through the tip/ring/sleeve of your audio and patch cables. Connect a
multimeter to the test
points on the board and you’re able to measure the voltage at those points.
The Hi, Jack! kit includes everything you need to make three complete breakout
boards. Use the included test points to make connections or solder a pin
header of your ownin place to attach Hi, Jack! to a breadboard.
Required Tools
- Flush cutters
- Soldering iron & solder
Included with the Kit
- Three Hi, Jack! circuit boards (on a single panel)
- Six stereo TRS jacks
- Nine test points
Manual v1.0 // Hi, Jack! v1.0
Build Instructions
Step 1: Use your flush cutters to cut the tabs, freeing one of the boards from
the panel. Step 2: Place the two stereo jacks in the areas marked with
rectangles Step 3: Solder the jacks from the opposite side of the board. (If
you’re on the correct side of the board, you will be reading “Hi, Jack!” as
you are soldering)
Step 4: Stick the included test points into whatever holes are convenient.
Step 5 (optional): If you want to use this particular breakout with a
breadboard, place a 3-pin male header inside the rounded rectangle on the
opposite side of the board and solder it in place. Since there are three
complete breakout boards, you can set each of them up differently and use them
for different purposes.
Hi, Jack! User Manual
It makes sense to consider the Hi, Jack! board to be the middle of a cable
assembly – with a cable plugged into the left side ofthe board, and a separate
cable plugged into the right side.
Using this board as part of a three-part cable assembly helps avoid plugging
and unplugging “hot” cables into its jacks. A good reason to avoid “hot
swapping” mono patch cables in these stereo jacks is that there can be a
momentary shorting of pins as the cable’s connector is inserted. Well-designed
Eurorack modules should not have any issues with such a momentary short, but a
best practice is to plug a cable into Hi, Jack! before connecting the other
end of the cable to a module or other piece of gear.
The included test points are a great way to temporarily connect the probes of
a multimeter or oscilloscope. They can also be grabbed by alligator clips. If
they’re too loose for your liking, you can pull them out and bend them a
little – or even solder them in place.
Usage Example #1 : Measuring a voltage offset
Connect the black lead of your multimeter to the Ⓡ point on the board and the
red lead to the Ⓣ point, then set your meter to measure a DC voltage. This is
handy for measuring a control voltage coming from a sequencer’s CV output or
other voltage source.
Usage Example #2: Viewing waveforms on an oscilloscope Connect your
oscilloscope’s ground clip to the Ⓡ point on the board and its X10 probe to
the Ⓣ point. For a stereo cable, both the Ⓣ and Ⓢ points can be measured since
they carry the left and right audio channels. With an oscilloscope, you can
view a signal that changes over time, such as the output of an oscillator.
Usage Example #3: Adding jacks to a breadboard circuit By soldering a
3-pin male header to the bottom of the breakout, you can easily access the
tip, ring, and sleeve of the jacks using a breadboard. The most practical use
for this configuration is to add a single TRS jack to a breadboard circuit
(ignoring the other jack).
NO WARRANTY
DIY kits from XOXO Modular, including the Hi, Jack! breakout kit are sold
without warranty. Users of the kit are at their own risk. XOXO Modular LLC
makes no warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, any
implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
XOXO Modular LLC shall not be liable for harm to person or equipment caused
through the operation of this product, or for any errors or inaccuracies that
may appear in this document.
By using this product, you agree to these terms.
Manual v1.0 // Hi, Jack! v1.0
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