$20 LCR ESR Transistor checker project

[jh15]

Great, plus I wanted to buy from the designer's source, wasn't sure if he was in the forum long ago.

[stj]

Great, plus I wanted to buy from the designer's source, wasn't sure if he was in the forum long ago.

tough,
the original designer only had a 2line display and never made a comercial product.
and he is not on this forum, he is here:
https://www.mikrocontroller.net/topic/248078
and he based his on an even older design.
(it's called evolution.)
the chinese are the ones that adapted it for a graphic display, and then to colour.

[vinceroger]

I've got a MK-328 on it's way from HK, can't wait to have a play with it.

One question I have though, does anyone know where I can buy a AVR-ICSP 6 Pin cable to fit the Mini Pro TL866A? rather than knocking one up,
I would use this quite often and wondering if there is an off the shelf cable, buying the bits to make a cable costs more than buying a USBASP!

I have this tester too but mine does not have the conncetion or the hole in the case to fit the 6 pin lead but i could mod it if i wanted too but too programme my ic all i was doing was to remove the atmega 328p and flash the chip using the socket on the programmer which did work fine you just have to be carefull of the ic pins. I have not managed to find the lead hence have not done the mod to the cse etc i have brought a usbap and wired a header on to the ic pins which does the job just fine too.

[roli_bark]

I purchased this one.  Color lcd AY-AT, slowish refresh rate, kit has input protection but this one smds are not soldered
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2016-DIY-kits-TFT-LCD-M328-Transistor-Tester-LCR-Diode-Capacitance-ESR-voltage-meter-PWM-Square/32649811953.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.56.J7yA7x

Same from eBay - currently for a little cheaper price:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2016-TFT-GM328-Transistor-Tester-Diode-LCR-ESR-meter-PWM-Square-wave-Generator-/322186520645?var=&hash=item4b03d02845:m:m79XwjPQdDgykYr95zU8Nxw

Or even this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM328-Transistor-Tester-Diode-Cap-ESR-Volt-Freq-Meter-PWM-Signal-Generator-U3B6/391493964754?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38828%26meid%3D7ef3a27bb0944d19a5135100595df01c%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D322186520645

[roli_bark]

Beware that although this AY-AT kit comes with an optional external Supply Adapter connector (which is good to have), is seems to come WITHOUT the 9v Battery connector !

[madires]

Great, plus I wanted to buy from the designer's source, wasn't sure if he was in the forum long ago.

tough,
the original designer only had a 2line display and never made a comercial product.
and he is not on this forum, he is here:
https://www.mikrocontroller.net/topic/248078

You haven't read all posts of this thread  Karl-Heinz has an account for this forum too, but isn't a regular poster.

[stj]

Beware that although this AY-AT kit comes with an optional external Supply Adapter connector (which is good to have), is seems to come WITHOUT the 9v Battery connector !

the one i got came with the battery clip.

[tom666]

tough,
the original designer only had a 2line display and never made a comercial product.
and he is not on this forum, he is here:
https://www.mikrocontroller.net/topic/248078
and he based his on an even older design.
(it's called evolution.)
the chinese are the ones that adapted it for a graphic display, and then to colour.

Yes, the original project (by Markus Frejek) uses only two-line text LCD display. But an improved version of tester (Karl-Heinz Kübbeler) allows the use of graphic display and proof of this is a software repository and information in the manual (I recommend carefully studied the manual).
More or less all the chinese versions and clones are based on the software by Karl-Heinz Kübbeler.

Markus Frejek
http://www.mikrocontroller.net/articles/AVR-Transistortester

Karl-Heinz Kübbeler (kubi48)
http://www.mikrocontroller.net/articles/AVR_Transistortester
Karl-Heinz Kübbeler (kubi48) - forum
https://www.mikrocontroller.net/topic/248078

Markusa Reschke (madires) - alternative software
http://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/Software/Markus/

[stj]

sorry, but i do follow that forum.
the chinese added the graphic display on comercial products FIRST,
Karl Heinz added compatable drivers / fonts to the public code afterwards.

just like the chinese added colour before it was added to the public code.
infact the public code still does not have code for multi-colour images like the chinese TC-1 etc.

[madires]

And none of the Chinese clone vendors who modified the open source firmware released or submitted their changes. No hints about the project's web page, no credits, no documentation and so on.

[roli_bark]

For whatever it's worth, here's the [pretty lousy] manual for the AY-AT kit:

[hapless]

The Chinese cloners also had to design the interface for the display, and I think they actually did a fairly decent job of it with their "M-Tester." Too bad they decided not to share.

[TheBay]

Yeah the M-Tester/TC1 looks very interesting, have been keeping an eye on eBay to get one to mess around with.
These use the Atmel 324, the full Colour display looks great! shame none of the other so called "Colour" versions have this chip, though I guess this is fairly new so hoping a few more clones pop up.

The Chinese cloners also had to design the interface for the display, and I think they actually did a fairly decent job of it with their "M-Tester." Too bad they decided not to share.

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

For whatever it's worth, here's the [pretty lousy] manual for the AY-AT kit:

And in spelling but not grammar corrected Chingrish, here is a PDF of the doc file:

[stj]

and now FISH has a new colour model!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/222210243721

it looks pretty nice, good price too.

[roli_bark]

and now FISH has a new colour model!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/222210243721

it looks pretty nice, good price too.

Just 'cosmetic' changes. All of the same ...

[tom666]

Please, don't forget that an important feature of the original concept is easy reproducibility in the amateur conditions with the !! freely available source code !! (with uses of the classic THT or SMD components - see attached pictures). Color display does not bring any added value! Serve only to increase sales.

[stj]

colour display has better contrast actually, and also a higher resolution.

the fish unit is nice because the zif socket plugs in - and they do get worn.
also it looks like it may have a high voltage generator in it for testing zeners even though it's not mentioned.

i look forward to seeing what mcu they use - if it's got more than 32k of flash then it's automatically the best available so far.
even if it's only 32k, if they used a 44pin package over the 32pin one then it would probably be upgradeable.
i think the TC-1 is using a 44pin package.

[belzrebuth]

I'd like to test the function generator on mine but I wonder about something I read in the manual.


From the manual :"The frequency output is done with the 680 resistor at measurement port TP2"
So signal is TP2 and ground at TP1 but what about that resistor?

Should I attach this resistor between the scope and the tester or it's just that the tester has a 680r resistor at TP2 ?!

[stj]

the tester has a 680ohm resistor inline with the signal that will limit the output current - that's what it means.

feel free to poke it with a scope, i already proded one with a frequency counter without any issues.

[TheBay]

colour display has better contrast actually, and also a higher resolution.

the fish unit is nice because the zif socket plugs in - and they do get worn.
also it looks like it may have a high voltage generator in it for testing zeners even though it's not mentioned.

i look forward to seeing what mcu they use - if it's got more than 32k of flash then it's automatically the best available so far.
even if it's only 32k, if they used a 44pin package over the 32pin one then it would probably be upgradeable.
i think the TC-1 is using a 44pin package.

TC-1 uses Atmega 324

[all_repair]

Color display does not bring any added value!

They do add some value if you are using color wires that clip to your device-under-test.  You get to know which pin is what easily.

[TheBay]

Color display does not bring any added value!

They do add some value if you are using color wires that clip to your device-under-test.  You get to know which pin is what easily.

I agree with the comments regarding the "Full Colour" display versions, itching to get my hands on one.

[madires]

Color display does not bring any added value!

They do add some value if you are using color wires that clip to your device-under-test.  You get to know which pin is what easily.

It should be fairly simple to add color coding for the probe/pin numbers. Any more votes for that neat idea?

[flywheelz]

You got my vote for colored pins. I already soldered 3 pin header and received
 some push clips to add to my AY-AT tester to make some external leads.