CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

Lobby => DIY => Topic started by: AstralStorm on April 14, 2015, 05:47:19 AM

Title: DIY ortho IEM
Post by: AstralStorm on April 14, 2015, 05:47:19 AM
Hello. The goal of this project is to attempt a DIY IEM orthodynamic driver.

Current approach will probably attempt to miniaturize HE-6 design into a 16 mm diameter form factor - 10x shrinking.
The required metallized foil can be had here: http://shackman-esl-diy-catalogue.reromanus.net/contents/en-uk/d34_Shackman_esl_diy_parts.html
Here are the magnets I'll have to use: http://www.amazon.com/MyMagnetMan%C2%AE-Smallest-Neodymium-Miniature-Electronic/dp/B00J53I988 - stack 8 of them lengthwise, separate by 1 mm.

Mounting will be made out of acrylic on our fresh new shiny laser cutter - PCB is too hard to cut this tiny.

The one part I cannot yet figure out is how to make traces on this film - etching specifically, hard mask can be made from acrylic using said laser cutter.
I don't know which etchant would be appropriate - mylar is not really acid resistant - nital for instance will probably damage or dissolve it.

EDIT: I'm also considering an attempt to apply traces using a process similar to laser trimming resistors.
Title: Re: DIY ortho IEM
Post by: MuZo2 on April 14, 2015, 07:17:13 AM
Thats one area which prevent DIY ortho. I think electrostatic are much easy in comparison.
But there was lot of info/ideas on etching.
Did you see post from guy who made DIY ortho?
Title: Re: DIY ortho IEM
Post by: Armaegis on April 14, 2015, 03:23:09 PM
I wonder if in such a small scale, using two ring magnets would suffice.
Title: Re: DIY ortho IEM
Post by: MuZo2 on April 14, 2015, 03:25:55 PM
Should be ok, same like OPPO ?
Title: Re: DIY ortho IEM
Post by: AstralStorm on April 14, 2015, 07:19:35 PM
I wonder if in such a small scale, using two ring magnets would suffice.
From the strength point of view, yes, but the field will be much less homogenous, therefore the driver will bend more like a dynamic and less like a planar.

I'll find a way to safely convert metallized foil into traced membrane.
Title: Re: DIY ortho IEM
Post by: AstralStorm on April 15, 2015, 02:07:16 AM
Haha, it's simpler than I thought - you can just use iron (III) nitrate like for ancient black and white photos with a photoresist mask. Time to rock on!  headbang
Also this patent from Kodak is very applicable: https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US3186883 - phenol-2,4-disulphuric acid etchant.