# 8-Step Arduino Sequencer

**URL:** <https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467>\
**Category:** KOSMO MODULES\
**Created:** [March 28, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467 "2020-03-28T16:28:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![CTorp](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/ctorp/32/15023_2.png) [@CTorp](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/CTorp)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 10:09pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/62 "2020-03-31T22:09:55Z")

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Eh she’s working good now. Didn’t change anything lol.

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**Author:** ![Jos](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/jos/32/151_2.png) [@Jos](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Jos)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 10:14pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/63 "2020-03-31T22:14:20Z")

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Well might have been a loose wire then. Does everything stay working if you touch the wires (e.g. tick against them with a pencil)?

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**Author:** ![Riggidyboo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/riggidyboo/32/10_2.png) [@Riggidyboo](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Riggidyboo)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 10:31pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/64 "2020-03-31T22:31:27Z")

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@Jos There is a 1918 US Signal Corps crystal radio, as well as some other vintage test equipment,etc, and a very messy work station.

 ![20200331_152254](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/lookmumnocomputer/original/2X/0/03316bc33342d49224d57bb0791c3435a51511e9.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![Jos](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/jos/32/151_2.png) [@Jos](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Jos)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/65 "2020-03-31T22:35:39Z")

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And those drills must have been used to make holes for mounting radio tubes I guess 😉

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**Author:** ![Farabide](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@Farabide](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Farabide)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/66 "2020-03-31T23:19:21Z")

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Refloat, retest, repeat. A standard part of many a build. 😁

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**Author:** ![Maxhirez](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/maxhirez/32/42_2.png) [@Maxhirez](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Maxhirez)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 12:34am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/67 "2020-04-01T00:34:30Z")

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> [@Jokke](#):
>
> ell, individual gates give about 3.5v… Which doesn’t trigger my Korg ms-20… Apparantly. the general gate gives a constant 0.5v . Probably hooked up something wrong there… Maybe the 3.5v is normal? We’ll see… Had some fun with it this evening… Some sequenced filter action!

> [@analogoutput](#):
>
> 3.5V would not be normal from a 5V Arduino…

You didn’t get one of the old 3.3v Nano variants by any chance, did you? I don’t know if that would explain why it worked when you touched ground (taking ground “lower” or changing the capacitance or some such thing) but it would certainly explain a lot of misbehaviors.

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**Author:** ![CTorp](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/ctorp/32/15023_2.png) [@CTorp](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/CTorp)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/68 "2020-04-01T00:52:55Z")

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Getting it to misbehave again…hmmm not sure what else to try

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**Author:** ![Farabide](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@Farabide](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Farabide)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/69 "2020-04-01T01:16:33Z")

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Re-seat the nano and test it is doing what it should on a breadboard without all the hardware. After that it would be continuity and solder joint testing plus making sure all grounds lead to the ground on the nano.

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**Author:** ![CTorp](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/ctorp/32/15023_2.png) [@CTorp](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/CTorp)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/70 "2020-04-01T15:19:04Z")

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Ok got it fixed. Added 10k pull downs between the two switches and their inputs to the arduino. No theramin issues anymore! Yay

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/lookmumnocomputer/original/2X/a/abe4ee3e84ec4cfaa07ca4b99442625d5c8235b7.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![CTorp](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/ctorp/32/15023_2.png) [@CTorp](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/CTorp)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/71 "2020-04-01T15:26:15Z")

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Really appreciate all you guys for your help!

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**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/72 "2020-04-01T15:40:46Z")

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Weird because if things are connected like [8-Step Arduino Sequencer](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/50) then there already were resistors there, electrically but not physically the same place. But if it works it works.

[Edit] Oh wait, the zero switch position’s resistor is new since there isn’t a zero jack. Maybe that’s it?

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**Author:** ![CTorp](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/ctorp/32/15023_2.png) [@CTorp](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/CTorp)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/73 "2020-04-01T15:45:11Z")

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Oh I see what you’re saying, let me try with just the one in

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**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/74 "2020-04-01T15:51:19Z")

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What, and mess with a working circuit!?

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**Author:** ![Jokke](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/jokke/32/28866_2.png) [@Jokke](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Jokke)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 4:24pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/75 "2020-04-01T16:24:12Z")

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Nope. Don’t think so. Measured the voltage coming out of the gates of the arduino… And measured 4v. Also supply from the arduino’s 5v is 4v… Voltage coming in is 5v from the 78l05… Weird… Looking further on the interwebs in the direction of arduino’s giving 4v.

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**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/76 "2020-04-01T16:53:21Z")

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Hmm, I think I read the recommendation is to power a Nano off 7-12V on the VIN pin. I think it’s OK to power it on the 5V pin from an external regulator. But the onboard regulator needs more than 5V in to get 5V out.

But don’t take my word for it.

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**Author:** ![Jokke](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/jokke/32/28866_2.png) [@Jokke](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Jokke)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 5:16pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/77 "2020-04-01T17:16:56Z")

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Just quickly looked it up… You’re right… I’ll try it out. That means his stripboard schematic isn’t correct. Doh! Well… With every mistake you learn something…

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**Author:** ![CTorp](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/ctorp/32/15023_2.png) [@CTorp](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/CTorp)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/78 "2020-04-01T17:29:11Z")

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The strip board layout shows connecting to the VIN pin

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/lookmumnocomputer/original/2X/5/572503bb2f866b76e575ce0eb5a0e78c00710946.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/79 "2020-04-01T17:29:23Z")

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Is the external regulator really needed, I wonder?

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**Author:** ![Jokke](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/jokke/32/28866_2.png) [@Jokke](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Jokke)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/80 "2020-04-01T17:46:45Z")

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Yup that’s what I did… Just going to try it without the regulator and see what happens…

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**Author:** ![fredrik](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/fredrik/32/682_2.png) [@fredrik](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/fredrik)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 5:50pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/8-step-arduino-sequencer/467/81 "2020-04-01T17:50:04Z")

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Yeah, don’t feed 5V to VIN if you want 5V out, the onboard regulator will shave off ~1.2 V and while the AVR can run at lower voltages it’s only speced at 10 MHz for \<4.5 V (see [here](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/euclidean-rhythm-generator-arduino-based/470/3) and [here](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/euclidean-rhythm-generator-arduino-based/470/6) for a bit more on this). It probably works well enough in practice that you might not notice unless you really need 5 V out and pull out your scope/multimeter, though 🙂

If you should use an external regulator or not depends on your VIN and how much milliamperage you pull from the IO pins; the onboard regulator doesn’t have that much spare capacity, and is harder to replace than a separate one.

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