Oyvind's Circuit Tips: It's probably your fault

My friend Elias and I had just built a new circuit for a workshop we were doing: A 90-LED display that we could connect through USB to make the display do fun things. ​ We've built one before, but this was a new version with a new microcontroller. We soldered up the circuit. And we were eager to test it. Elias plugged it into his computer and... ...nothing! We checked a few possible mistakes, but all seemed good. ​ Then started "The Blaming Phase". It couldn't be us who made a mistake, right? It must be a damaged chip. Or maybe the PCB was not manufactured well? Or maybe DigiKey had mislabeled some components? ​ When this phase hits, it's usually time to go home. I went home. Elias went to the gym. ​ A few hours later, I got a message from Elias: "We didn't solder pin 36 of the chip properly!" We fixed it and the circuit worked perfectly. It had been our fault all along. ​ Sometimes it's just time to go home or do something else. Remember that the next time you're stuck ;) ​ Keep On Soldering! Oyvind @ build-electronic-circuits.com PS! It also helps to know the basics and have someone to ask when you get stuck. Join our electronics builder community Ohmify and you'll always have someone to discuss with. And you'll learn skills like PCB Design, soldering, microcontrollers, and much more.

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