Atari Punk Console Kit Building Instruction

Making Music with Tape – Mellotron to Motor Keys
March 14, 2010
Atari Punk Console PC Board
April 9, 2010
Making Music with Tape – Mellotron to Motor Keys
March 14, 2010
Atari Punk Console PC Board
April 9, 2010

Atari Punk Console

Assembly Instructions

Atari Punk Console
Atari Punk Console

Ok, so you finally decided to buy the Atari Punk Console kit from Synthrotek, congratulations! Now what? All there is are a bunch of loose parts! Luckily for you, I have made this awesome little guide to help you, the amateur electronics engineer, build this great little gadget.

First off, you should definitely go though a checklist to make sure we shipped you everything that you need to build the unit. Doing this will ensure that there will be no confusion when we tell you to place that LED that wasn’t included onto the board. If there is anything missing, don’t worry! We will gladly send you any missing components free of charge.

Atari Punk Console Components List
Atari Punk Console Components List

And now, onto the assembly!

The best way to start any project is to prepare for what you are about to do. Organize and place each part into an order that will be easy for you to grab parts when needed. If the kit you bought came with wire, strip each end of the wires to about 1/8 inch.

Wire Stripping
Wire Stripping

Now take one end of each wire and twist it. I find it easiest to do that with a pair of pliers.

Twisting the Wire
Twisting the Wire

Next, thread the untwisted end of the wires into each 1/8inch jack, and both 500k potentiometers.

Wiring the 1/4" Jack
Wiring the 1/4″ Jack
Wiring the potentiometers
Wiring the potentiometers

After that, take the 100k potentiometer/switch and wire it up, then solder all the parts you just wired.

Soldering The Wires
Soldering The Wires

Now you are ready to place the components onto the board!

The board is designed to have the parts soldered onto the back, so take a look at the chip and orientate it like so:

APC PC Board
APC PC Board
APC PC Board with 556 Timer Chip
APC PC Board with 556 Timer Chip

I recommend soldering the chip onto the board before putting on the other components.

APC PC Board with Chip
APC PC Board with Chip

Now take each resistor and place them in their designated spaces.

APC Board with Resistors
APC Board with Resistors

Bend each wire outward to keep them in their place before soldering.

APC Resistor Leads
APC Resistor Leads

Then do the same for the capacitors.

APC Board with Capacitor Placement
APC Board with Capacitor Placement

Flip the board over now, and solder each of the components into place.

Soldering the leads

Clip all excess wire off the front of the board. Save a couple of wire pieces, you will need them soon.

APC PC Board with Clipped Leads
APC PC Board with Clipped Leads

Now take the potentiometers and 1/8inch jacks and place the wires into the board like so:

Apc Pot and Jack Placement
Apc Pot and Jack Placement

Flip the board over and solder the wires onto it.

Solder Pot and Jack Leads on Board
Solder Pot and Jack Leads on Board

Take a piece of the wire you saved from earlier and use it to make a bridge between these two points:

Adding Jumper Wire
Adding Jumper Wire

The last step is to place the LED, this can be done in a few ways. Firstly, by placing the LED directly onto the board, either on the top or bottom.

Adding LED to APC Board
Adding LED to APC Board

And, secondly, by soldering wire onto the board which will extend the length of the LED so you can put it wherever you want in whatever container you decide to put it in! Just remember the longer lead on the LED is the positive lead.

Adding LED to APC
Adding LED to APC

Now, take a deep breath because you’re done! Your Atari Punk Console should look something like this:

Finished APC Kit Build
Finished APC Kit Build

All you have to do now is find a sweet looking case to put this baby in. Once again, thank you for your purchase and enjoy!  If you buy a complete kit the center pin will be positive, please be sure to remember this when buying an AC adapter.

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