This is for informational purposes only. Please consult a professional as damage can ensue. Otherwise Please poke holes in this and advise. I was mostly a spectator. We did it in just over two hours with 45 minutes off in between.
Questions about the process:
Is there a best way to join the fb4 cable and Ethernet port?
On etherdream, technician added a jst pin header to the power. Seemed to have continuity but never worked. Attaching to expansion header works but wondering the purpose of this part of the etherdream? Do you glue this part for security purposes?
Buck converters have a small dial on them to pick desired voltage. Apparently you can buy them with powered leads on them already. Putting leads with jst end on them took two tries I believe. Used some kapton tape and shrink.
Understanding the color code took a little time. The FB4 cable need to be deciphered otherwise the required JST cables were included in the case and were plug and play.
It’s alive. We’re going need to tighten thing things next time with lock tight in the m3 screws. I had 6 mm m3 from external cases, but the second screw required is 4mm to make this tight.
Thanks @Eyes2theSkies for sharing! It’s so useful I broke it out into its own topic.
To answer your questions :
Network adaptor - yes I’m sure what you’ve done will be fine although do what you can to make it more mechanically sound. I have also created a PCB that can convert from the 10pin mini JST to a standard RJ45 socket, and I just uploaded the files (including Gerber files) to my GitHub.
Power socket - I think the footprint for the power input JST only works if you also attach a 7805 voltage regulator - the three holes behind the USB-C port I think. Disclaimer - I never tried this yet, and would be worried about over-heating. Best to stick with the step down buck converter.
Buck converters - yes most have a small “trimpot” but you can also get them with solder jumpers that you can bridge to choose a voltage. Either way it works.
I never thought to attach the Ether Dream to the lid before! But that works!
Two steps forward, one step back with my remaining ED. I have 4 total (3 now, unfortunately)
The parts ordered( jst / molex or whatever) unfortunately were the wrong size so these are built like the first one. Apparently JB Weld is the preferred fix for the holes if they get messed up.
First 3 installs went perfect but the last one had a smoke-out on Ic7. Not sure the cause exactly. Buck converter was supposedly correct before and after the incident. My buddy has the tools and skills to fix it but here is his last texts to me :“Without a full schematic there is no way I’m able to fix that board.”. “I pulled the burnt chip and it’s still pulling way too much current so something else is dead but not visibly so unless I can trace back using a complete diagram I’d spend many hours just trying to figure out the circuit.”.“I emailed etherdream to see if they would send a schematic for repair. All I can think is a voltage spike through the buck convert when it powered on.”
Not sure the quality of the parts used. It’s what was on hand. As an observer, was it a bad 3rd party part, bad part off the assembly line or a pebcad (problem exists between chair and desk)???
Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re working with (quite) serious (and potentially dangerous) equipment, and using some cheap step-up converter meant for small, low-demand loads really isn’t the solution. I’m not sure how familiar you are with electronics, but instead of writing a whole essay, it’s best to read this:
And that’s not even everything that can go wrong, especially with those cheap ready-made modules. Spikes, harmonics… everything that DACs don’t really like.
Really sorry to hear about the Ether Dream - that’s always a horrible moment. I’ve managed to kill a couple over the years too, so I genuinely know how it feels. One of mine died because I accidentally fed 24 V into the 3.3 V input (spectacularly bad idea lol there is literally a hole in the CPU now), and another one got zapped by a spike on a POE setup I was using at the time. I couldn’t repair either of them, although I wasn’t as confident with SMD back then. The only upside is that they’ve become handy boards I can throw around when I need to test clearances and fit
With yours, it might have been a flaky buck converter, but I’d lean more towards a simple wiring slip. When you’re working inside a laser that’s cramped and awkward, it’s incredibly easy to have one pin slightly out of place without noticing.
For what it’s worth, I really don’t think using a buck converter is a bad idea at all. They’re usually a better fit than a 7805, which tends to get very hot unless you sink it properly. The main thing is just to go for half-decent ones - the nicer modules are much more consistent. And if you’re using the generic ones, giving the output a quick check under load (or a peek on a scope if you have one) makes a big difference. The Ether Dream does have some filtering and on-board regulation on the 5V input, so it normally copes well with slightly noisy power, but sadly nothing survives every scenario.
I honestly don’t think the whole approach is particularly risky. Worst case is pretty much what you’ve already experienced - the Ether Dream ends up damaged or temperamental. Once everything’s wired nicely and the power is stable, they usually behave really well.
Good luck with the next attempt - I’m sure it’ll go more smoothly.
Got the last two running by myself! Was able to mount without drilling lid holes. Swapped the 12mm m3 for a 8mm and went into female screws at the ED ilda port. Sits well enough. Added a female m3 receiver to off -kilter bolt hole as a stop bar. Not going anywhere. Torque pulls it away from falling into lower components. Should have ordered these buck converters. Live and learn. Thank you team for your help and advice getting this running.
