Data Line Cutting?

[Tyler1144]

I know this strategy is a less popular part of circuit bending but i think it could be useful. Has anyone tried line cutting/re-routing before? And on what devices? Usually a cut line would ruin something but if its re-routed??

Im thinking of trying it on a speak

[SineHacker]

less popular? I thought it was a done and dusted thing 

my advice would be to carefully cut one line at a time, if you get no results, use some hookup wire to reconnect it to it's normal point - you will probably want a switch to connect it back to it's original point anyway!

be careful which tool you use, it's easy to do a lot of unwantd damage to the circuit board if you don't have enough control, speaking from experience!!

you should post any results, I'm sure plenty of people would be interested


aid

[Circuitbenders]

It usually works best on Yamaha FM machines where the FM synth chip has 8 data address lines from the main CPU that set up the new parameters when you select a new sound. If you cut or rearrange the data lines you get certain sound data not getting to the synth chip or controlling the wrong parameters etc.

I'm not sure it works on anything else but give it a go. If the speak & spell has data lines that set up the speach synth then you might get something interesting, i can't remember exactly how it works. My guess is you'll just get a load or normal S&S glitching.

[computer at sea]

I haven't had much luck cutting data lines on speaks.  The bends on the Yamaha FM synths are interesting but hard to control in a live setting.

[Gleix]

be careful which tool you use, it's easy to do a lot of unwantd damage to the circuit board if you don't have enough control, speaking from experience!! aid

Agreed! Get a nice little x-acto knife. Those are great for data line cutting.

[Gordonjcp]

For added bendy fun, use a single-pole double-throw switch with a centre-off position.  Cut the data line and add a pull-up resistor on the chip side of the cut.  Wire the switch so that one pole is ground and the other is data.  Now you've got a switch that gives you force low, force high or normal!

[voodoolikeudoo]

any chance of a diagram of that?

[Gordonjcp]

http://www.gjcp.net/~gordonjcp/dataline.png

[Bogus Noise]

Going to give this a try on a keyboard I've been working on - do you know a good UK source for pull up and pull down resistors, or are they ever known by another name? Been searching through my all component company links and Google but haven't found anything yet!

[Circuitbenders]

They're just normal resistors. They just happen to be called pull up or pull down because thats the job they do.

[Bogus Noise]

Ahh, gotcha! Thanks, that makes a lot more sense.  

Found this good little link, if anyone else wants to read up on it.

http://everything2.com/title/Pull-up+resistor

[sk-1]

So, how does that work then... for example, using an exacto knife?  Do you just slice along the lines and that is enough to separate them, or do you have to do like two cuts next to each other and then with the tip of the knife, carefully pick-out (or lift away) the remaining bit of line between the cuts?  In other words, would a single slice be good enough?

Also... once the lines are rewired and switches have been placed on them, would there be any benefit in creating a patch bay to mix those data lines around?  I mean, can data from one line be redirected to another line instead of just being switched on or off?  Again, the obvious answer to me would be 'yes', but has anyone experienced success with using a patch bay for the data-line cut mod instead of the standard on/off toggle?

[sk-1]

http://www.gjcp.net/~gordonjcp/dataline.png

That link doesn't seem to want to work anymore

[SineHacker]

So, how does that work then... for example, using an exacto knife?  Do you just slice along the lines and that is enough to separate them, or do you have to do like two cuts next to each other and then with the tip of the knife, carefully pick-out (or lift away) the remaining bit of line between the cuts?  In other words, would a single slice be good enough?

I use a dremmel with a thin drill bit or a engraving bit, providing there is enough space and only one layer to the circuit board. Using a hobby knife is very tricky - last time i used a stanley blade I kept chopping across lines I didn't want to by applying too much pressure, also if you are going to use a knife you need a magnifying glass to check for any remaining contact. copper lines are usually pretty thin and broken easily.

[Gordonjcp]

http://www.gjcp.net/~gordonjcp/dataline.png

That link doesn't seem to want to work anymore

It does now; some bloody annoying Chinese search engine kicked the shit out of my webserver at some point in the last day or so.  Time to start returning links to pro-Falun Gong and Tianmen Square memorial sites, I think.