Lesovoz Build Guide
Build guide for Lesovoz which can be purchased from https://www.squashkb.com/product/lesovoz
Before beginning, there are a few things you will need that are not included. These are:
- Soldering Iron and Solder
- Flux (Optional but recommended to solder USB port)
- Flush Cutters
- Type-C Cable
- Electrical Tape
- ~40 MX Switches and Caps
- Stabilizers (Optional)
- Solder Sucker and Solder Wick to fix soldering mistakes (Optional)
- Tweezers to bend through hole pins (Optional)
In the components bags you should find:
- 40x 1N4148 Diodes
- 2x Push Buttons
- 2x3 Pin ISP Header
- USB Type-C Header
- 28 Pin DIP Socket
- atmega328p MCU
- D41&42 Zener Diodes (These look the same as the 1N4148 diodes but it is important to keep them separated. These two are in the smaller anti-static bag, while the 1N4148s are in the larger clear bag.)
- 3 LEDs (Red, Orange, and Blue)
- 1x 500mA Fuse
- C1&2 22pF Capacitors
- C3 4.7uF Electrolytic Capacitor
- C4&5 100nF Capacitor
- 16MHz Crystal
- R1:7-8 1.5KΩ (Brown, Green, Black, Brown)
- R2 10KΩ (Brown, Black, Black, Red)
- R3&4 75Ω (Purple, Green, Black)
- R5&6 5.1KΩ (Green, Brown, Black, Brown)
In the box should also be a bag containing screws, standoffs, and a hex key, as well as an acrylic component cover.
The orientation of this component is important. Make sure that the black bar on the diode faces towards the line on the PCB and the square hole. Bend the legs as close to the diode as you can then insert into the PCB, pull the legs through, solder from the back, then clip the legs.
Important: Due to the minivan case standoffs not being in great spots for this PCB, there are a couple places where solder joints sit on top of standoffs and cause the PCB to sit higher in those areas. I have found that the best way to prevent this from happening is by soldering the joints as flush as possible to the PCB. I start by inserting the component, cutting the leg as close to the PCB as possible, then adding the minimum amount of solder to make the joint have contact. The result of this is a super flush joint that will not cause your PCB to sit higher on top of the standoffs. You will need to do this process on the square hole of D2, D26, and D27.
1N4148 Diodes Soldered
A Flush Joint
The orientation of this component does not matter. Insert the resistors into the PCB based on the number written on their strip of paper and match it up to the number written on the PCB. Solder then clip the legs.
Important: One pin of R8 has the same fate as the three diode joints discussed above, and will also need to be soldered as flush as possible. The hole that is affected is the one very close to the square pad of D2.
Resistors Soldered
The orientation of this component does not matter. Insert the set of blue 22pF capacitors into C1&2. Insert the set of orange 100nF capacitors into C4&5. Solder and clip the legs.
C1&2 and C4&5 Soldered
The orientation of this component is important. Insert the round black capacitor into C3. Make sure the grey line on the side of the capacitor lines up with the filled in area on the PCB or the C3 marking on the PCB. Solder and clip the legs.
C3 Soldered
The orientation of these components do not matter. Insert the fuse into F1, fold it down onto the PCB then solder. Insert the crystal into Y1 and solder. Clip the legs.
Crystal and Fuse Soldered
The orientation of this component is important. Make sure these are the two diodes that were in a separate bag than the 1N4148s. Insert the diodes into the PCB so that the black bar is facing the line on the PCB and the square hole. Solder then clip the legs.
D41&42 Soldered
The orientation of this component is important. Insert the shorter leg or squared off side of the LED into the square hole then solder and clip legs. Repeat for both LEDs. You can solder any two of the LEDs provided that you would like, just note that the blue LED is slightly brighter than the red and orange. If you would like the 2 LEDs to be similar in brightness, the red and orange LEDs are recommended.
LEDs Soldered
This component only fits in two ways, either is correct. Insert the buttons into the holes near the BOOT and RESET labels on the PCB. Solder, but there is no need to cut the legs on these.
Push Buttons Soldered
For the header, the longer side goes up. Solder one pin, then reheat while pressing towards the PCB to make it flush with the PCB. Solder the rest of the pins. Be sure to never place you hand on the pin that you are currently soldering. To be safe, handle the part with a rag while soldering.
For the MCU socket, line the semicircle on the socket up with the semicircle on the PCB, then solder one pin. Reheat the pin and press the socket towards the PCB to make it more flush with the PCB. Solder the rest of the pins.
MCU Socket and ISP Header Soldered
This is the most challenging step. Start by placing the port on the underside of the PCB. (Solder joints will be done on the top side) Solder one of the larger through holes and make sure the port is flush with the PCB. If it is not, reheat the joint and press against it towards the PCB. Solder the other 3 legs. For the smaller pins, start by applying flux across all of them. Doing this step without flux is not recommended. Next, add a small amount of solder to the tip of your iron and drag across the pins. Repeat until contact is made with each of the pins and the holes are filled.
Soldered USB C Port
The orientation of this component is very important. To insert the MCU into the socket, you may need to bend the pins to get it to fit. Once you have them bent enough to fit, line the semicircle on the MCU up with the semicircle on the PCB. Push it into the socket, this may require a bit of force. If any pins get too bent, use tweezers and get them back to their normal position.
MCU Socketed in the Right Orientation
Now plug in you PCB to you computer and use tweezers to make sure the keys work. The board should also show up in Vial.
If you are using any non-traymmount case, do not use the included plates for this step and instead use the plates that correspond to the case you will be using.
If you are planning on using stabilizers, now is the time to install them. Next, figure out which plate is which. The plate with only the 3u option is the left and the plate with the 2u and 3u option goes on the right. Insert your switches and make sure the screw holes line up before soldering. If you are using a metal traymount case, you will need to add a piece of electrical tape on the standoff in the middle right-ish shown below.
Electrical Tape Shown on the Correct Standoff
Now you can add the acrylic cover. Start by putting the standoffs on the top of the PCB and screw in the screws from the bottom of the PCB. Now peel off the protective layer on both sides of the acrylic cover and screw it into the standoffs.
Finally, you can screw the PCB into your case. Note that these are the 3 traymount points available, and if you are using the 3u/1u layout only the leftmost two are available.
Available Traymount Points
It is possible to access 2 more tray mount points by snipping the LED portion of two of your switches like shown below. This works for the bottom left traymount point, and the bottom right tray mount point that can be accessed normally with the 2u layout, but not the 3u and 1u layouts.
Switch Snip Mod to Access Traymount
Last modified 1yr ago