Kosmo Specification

Let’s try to capture what we know of the Kosmo standard in this Wiki to help people interface with Kosmo modules or design new Kosmo-compatible modules.
Both electrical and mechanical information should be listed.
This is a first draft, feel free to correct any error and add missing information.

SPECIAL REQUEST: KiCad templates for front panels with mounting holes and example jack socket , trimmer and potentiometer holes would be greatly appreciated.

  • ELECTRICAL

    • Power Supply
      • +12V, -12V referenced to Ground.
    • Eurorack compatible 10-pin IDC Header 2x5 pins on 100mil (2.54mm) spacing.
      Male connectors on modules connected with flat cables.
      Shrouded polarized connectors recommended.
      Pin 1 with -12V towards the bottom off the module recommended.
    • Control Voltages (CV)
      • -10V to +10V typical
      • 0V to 10V for “normal” envelopes
      • 0V to -10V for inverted envelopes
      • 1V/oct for pitch/frequency control.
      • Input impedance
        • 100k typical
      • Output impedance
        • 1k typical
    • Audio Signals
      • -5V to +5V typical
      • -10V to +10V max
      • Input impedance
        • 100k typical
      • Output impedance
        • 1k typical
    • Gate Signals
      • Off: 0V
      • On: minimum 4V, typical 5V?, maximum ???
  • MECHANICAL

    • Front Panel
      • Height: 20cm
      • Width : Multiple of 2.5cm
      • Mounting holes
        • Size: 3.2 mm diameter with 4 mm pad, edited from MountingHole_3.2mm_M3_Pad
        • Pad is connected to ground
        • Distance from top: 3 mm to center
        • Distance from sides: 3 mm to center (Note: This reflects recent LMNC practice. The 1112 Performance Filter used different distances. Sam has said he may use slotted mounting holes in future modules.)
      • Mounting screws: M3
      • Component holes (hole diameter / pad diameter):
    • PCB
      • Maximum recommended height 175mm to clear front panel mounting hardware and rails(12.5mm minimum clearance).
      • Maximum recommended width 4mm less than front panel.
    • Module depth:
      • No maximum depth has been specified
      • Maximum depth of the modules available from the LMNC store is slightly over 25 mm
      • The 8 Step Keyboard Sequencer uses arcade buttons which typically result in a depth of a little more than 50 mm
    • Jacks
      • Audio and CV use ¼" / 6.35mm mono (TS) phone jacks.
20 Likes

Dude, this is awesome!

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yes excellent, it’s just a shame that Wiki like this one or the Glossary will get lost in the post pile. Is there no way to add them somewhere on the home page or make them a category for more visibility for new arrivals ?

there are starting to be a lot of threads, maybe add some categories or sub categories would be wise

3 Likes

A Leader can pin posts, or could create a FAQ category. (Sam is the only Leader, AFAIK.)

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Let’s ask @lookmumnocomputer if he wants to pin this Wiki and the glossary.

In the mean time, we can bookmark them for our own easy access.

5 Likes

After last week’s abortive experiment with an external wiki I find myself moving towards the position that a FAQ category should be created.

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Is @Caustic a leader too? I thought he was able to pin and maybe had a few other superpowers for some reason. (That’s not why I’m nice to him though. :grinning:)

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He has special powers alright, but he doesn’t gave Leader privileges

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yes i did it …

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hey! nice. yeah good to sort of figure out what the standard is and is becoming, I didnt realise you could pin more than 1 post, well consider it pinned! also another things is other forums you have roles. im not exactly sure how it works, but I dont think I can keep on top of it. so I guess some editor roles are up for grabs??? I think thats the term!

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i9 have this word document that I go back to for reference when I get to the pcb and panel. is this any help? the number after the capacitors and other components are the number in the standard kicad directory of the footprints I use.

Kicad

PCB REFERENCES

Hole sizes:-

JACK - 10mm 14mm

POT 7mm 9mm

SWITCH 7mm 9mm

FOOTPRINTS, the number after the component is the number the footprints are in that directory, for instance capacitors are in capacitor_THT

CAPACITOR 152

CAPACITOR POLARIZED 60

DIODE : 45

RESISTOR 9

Potentiometer 15

1cm top 1cm bottom

Mounting hole, I start Wirth the mounting hole in footprints :-

MountingHole_3.2mm_M3_Pad

and edit the ring size to 4mm, also make sure its connected to ground (except for the first filters and first run of oscillators when I did not realise they were not connected to the ground plane!)

Size x 4

Hole size 3.2

8 Likes

when I have a moment later ill put a blank kicad pcb file with a blank panel with some random holes the sizes of the above

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That would be super useful!

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Yes, very much so. Thanks.

That would be great!

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I vote for @fredrik (if he wants it).
He is knowledgeable, reliable, and level headed.

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@Caustic would be a good choice!

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I would love to but I vote Caustic, Fredrik, and Richard @analogoutput

All genuinely knowledgeable guys and a great asset to this forum!

4 Likes

Based on this I created a KiCad footprint library full of holes:

10 Likes

This is going to be useful for a lot of people, namely future me. Thanks!

4 Likes