$20 LCR ESR Transistor checker project

[BlueBill]

I've got the same (Banggood) version, the original fuse settings were...
L   0xFF
H   0xD9
E   0x04
LB   0x3F

I enabled  the brownout detection using...
(I know that there have been problems reported when using brownout detection but if the power glitches I'd prefer to know and fix it - No problems so far.)
L   0xFF
H   0xD9
E   0x07
LB   0x3C

I used the precompiled .hex & .eep files.

Jim

What version did you find? 1.17m?

Would you mind attaching the .hex & .eep files here?

[madires]

Would you mind attaching the .hex & .eep files here?

There's a nice site (http://www.avrtester.tode.cz/index.php?p=firmware) with firmware files for most versions.

[BlueBill]

Thanks, I tried FW1.11M328 but it displays rubbish after the power on screen? Could this be because of incorrect fuse settings? Seems the Flash and eprom program fine.

[madires]

Thanks, I tried FW1.11M328 but it displays rubbish after the power on screen? Could this be because of incorrect fuse settings? Seems the Flash and eprom program fine.

It's possible. The fuses set the clock source (internal RC, external quartz or external resonator) and the clock prescaler. I assume the firmware is compiled for an external quartz and 8MHz.

[hapless]

Thanks, I tried FW1.11M328 but it displays rubbish after the power on screen? Could this be because of incorrect fuse settings? Seems the Flash and eprom program fine.

Flashed a firmware with a language that your display does not support?

[BlueBill]

Thanks, I tried FW1.11M328 but it displays rubbish after the power on screen? Could this be because of incorrect fuse settings? Seems the Flash and eprom program fine.

Flashed a firmware with a language that your display does not support?

Possibly, I used the EN folder, but it does say testing... on the powerup screen. Now I've got to build an HV programmer to reset the fuses! puddles of fun.

[hapless]

Why would you want to do that? Simply try flashing a different firmware.

[BlueBill]

Why would you want to do that? Simply try flashing a different firmware.

I've flashed pretty much any firmware I could find including the eeprom. Some power up with a bat & test screen but subsequent screens are garbage text. This is on a new ATMega328p, I didn't refresh the original with 1.05.

If anyone has an eep & hex combo (upload here) that works on a banggood board I'd be happy to try it.

[hapless]

I'd like to suggest two things. First, if you don't have much money to put into a decent AVR ISP programmer, just get the cheapest one from eBay. There is no need for HV to program fuses unless your chip refuses to be programmed via ISP, and it beats trying to get Arduino to do something that it doesn't like doing. Second, "garbage text" doesn't tell much. Images could help a bit in such cases.

[BlueBill]

I'd like to suggest two things. First, if you don't have much money to put into a decent AVR ISP programmer, just get the cheapest one from eBay. There is no need for HV to program fuses unless your chip refuses to be programmed via ISP, and it beats trying to get Arduino to do something that it doesn't like doing. Second, "garbage text" doesn't tell much. Images could help a bit in such cases.

I'm a PIC programmer with PIC tools, if this was a PIC based project I'd have it working by now. I've even considered porting it!

Here's the rub, there are several modifications to the original design, crystal, LCD- GLCD display, voltage reference, HV zener, rotary encoder, Mega8, 168, 328... the list goes on. This makes it a little daunting to anyone unfamiliar with AVR programming. Worse yet are 99% of the programmers for ATMEL are the LV serial variety, so if you mess up the fuse settings well that's that. I've messed up a couple of 328p when trying to set the fuses. This command -U efuse:w:0xfc:m would set the lfuse to 0x04 go figure.

I think the Arduino is a nifty bit of kit, simple IDE to setup & install, cross platform, and a no brainer workflow. On the other hand I have no real interest or use for ATMEL micro controllers or wish to blow $85 CDn on an AVR Dragon for what will amount to a one off endeavour. I simply want to upgrade a banggood clone to 1.11k or possible 1.17m (is one better than the other?). I'm using a bit pirate as a programmer. I might pick up a USBTiny programmer as they're supposed to work with OS X.

Seems I'm not the only person that had problems upgrading the firmware on an MK168. Based on this thread alone looks like most folks don't get it working without some help.

I've tried the files in the UK & EN directories (EN english? UK english? err what) FW 1.11K latest from this site. http://www.avrtester.tode.cz/index.php?p=firmware But without knowing what options were chosen it makes it tough to know if it'll work.

[hapless]

Here's the rub, there are several modifications to the original design, crystal, LCD- GLCD display, voltage reference, HV zener, rotary encoder, Mega8, 168, 328... the list goes on. This makes it a little daunting to anyone unfamiliar with AVR programming.

Not sure I understand how one follows from the other. The software options need to match your hardware, but that's how it would have been with any microcontroller. So, you simply use, for example the st7565 firmware if you have an st7565-based screen. Pretty straightforward in most cases.

I simply want to upgrade a banggood clone to 1.11k or possible 1.17m (is one better than the other?).

They are a little different, but it's best to try both first-hand to see which one you like better.

Seems I'm not the only person that had problems upgrading the firmware on an MK168. Based on this thread alone looks like most folks don't get it working without some help.

Which I find very strange. They seem to be just a rather vanilla implementation of the circuit, so the firmware from mikrocontroller.net, whether m or k, should just work if the flash and EEPROM are programmed correctly. Hopefully, you're not flashing M168 firmware into your 328p?

[madires]

I've flashed pretty much any firmware I could find including the eeprom. Some power up with a bat & test screen but subsequent screens are garbage text. This is on a new ATMega328p, I didn't refresh the original with 1.05.

For a brand new ATmega you have to set the fuses, since the default setting is to use the internal RC as clock source and the 1:8 prescaler, resulting in an 1MHz MCU clock.

[BlueBill]

I've flashed pretty much any firmware I could find including the eeprom. Some power up with a bat & test screen but subsequent screens are garbage text. This is on a new ATMega328p, I didn't refresh the original with 1.05.

For a brand new ATmega you have to set the fuses, since the default setting is to use the internal RC as clock source and the 1:8 prescaler, resulting in an 1MHz MCU clock.

Wouldn't the LCD work normally though?

[hapless]

Yes. Just slower.

[BlueBill]

What's the difference between the EN & UK versions? Spelling?

[hapless]

EN is supposed to be English. UK... I have no clue. Ukrainian? I doubt that it stands for United Kingdom.

[BlueBill]

Well I'll be, I was using the wrong UK firmware. 1.11K flashed no problem, thank you.

I'll still have to get the fuses working but that can wait, I'll flash the original chip tonight.

[BlueBill]

I've flashed pretty much any firmware I could find including the eeprom. Some power up with a bat & test screen but subsequent screens are garbage text. This is on a new ATMega328p, I didn't refresh the original with 1.05.

For a brand new ATmega you have to set the fuses, since the default setting is to use the internal RC as clock source and the 1:8 prescaler, resulting in an 1MHz MCU clock.

I got it working, it's an excellent bit of kit and I'm gobsmacked that you're the Markus that designed the thing

My noob level AVR experience got me into trouble as I had to get the hang of avrdude plus a bus pirate pressed into service as a programmer and sort out which firmware worked with the banggook kit.

Did I mention it's a great addition to the handy as anything tool collection.

FYI: a few years back I designed the Junebug kit, a PICkit2 programmer tutor, so I'm not completely...

[madires]

I got it working, it's an excellent bit of kit and I'm gobsmacked that you're the Markus that designed the thing

Great! And nope, I'm the Markus who does the m-firmware. The Markus who did the original design abandoned the project. Karl-Keinz (k-firmware) took over and I joined in.

[jimmc]

Glad you got it working, I had used 1.11k from http://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/#dirlist but I couldn't find the revision I had used (360?).

I believe there is now a version 1.12k (latest is always under 'trunk') but I haven't tried it yet.

Jim

[Radio Tech]

Nice going.
As far as my project I have given up on it  for the moment.
Just do not know much about AVR programming and got to see if I can find a better noob training video.
I do know I was not sending anything to my chip.  Read somewhere on this thread about the file size was too large. So that is most  likely my problem.
So think mine in blank and giving me just a bar when the test button is pressed.

Not sure if I even have the correct programmer

[BlueBill]

Nice going.
As far as my project I have given up on it  for the moment.
Just do not know much about AVR programming and got to see if I can find a better noob training video.
I do know I was not sending anything to my chip.  Read somewhere on this thread about the file size was too large. So that is most  likely my problem.
So think mine in blank and giving me just a bar when the test button is pressed.

Not sure if I even have the correct programmer

It looks like a USBTiny. If it's not a 328p get a 328p before you begin.
Assuming you're using an ATMega328p, from your command prompt try.
 avrdude -c usbtiny -p m328p

[jimmc]

Nice going.
As far as my project I have given up on it  for the moment.
Just do not know much about AVR programming and got to see if I can find a better noob training video.
I do know I was not sending anything to my chip.  Read somewhere on this thread about the file size was too large. So that is most  likely my problem.
So think mine in blank and giving me just a bar when the test button is pressed.

Not sure if I even have the correct programmer

I'm an AVR newbie too, I found that AVRDudess (http://blog.zakkemble.co.uk/avrdudess-a-gui-for-avrdude/) GUI for AVRDude made my life much easier.
I did have problems installing LibUSB until I used Zadig (http://zadig.akeo.ie/) which sorted the installation for me. (Windows 8.1)

Jim

[coromonadalix]

With windows 8.1  for me    the usbtiny v3 dongle works best, it has the 6 and 10 pins connectors, avrdude and avrdudess are great.

Had many troubles with Atmel products ( i have avr dragon, isp mkII, stk500  etc ...)  passed windows 8,  the damned drivers signatures ....  are a pain.

Be careful,  flashing some mega 328 with no crystal  may give errors ... depending of the programmed fuses,    learned the hard way.

[BlueBill]

I got it working, it's an excellent bit of kit and I'm gobsmacked that you're the Markus that designed the thing

Great! And nope, I'm the Markus who does the m-firmware. The Markus who did the original design abandoned the project. Karl-Keinz (k-firmware) took over and I joined in.

Do you have any documentation on your version of the firmware? Is it an enhanced K firmware or something alltogether different?