$20 LCR ESR Transistor checker project

[mmagin]

So, I got one of these cheap on ebay ($10), without a case, but with a ZIF socket.  This is a prettycute knock-off, TFXTDOL:

[hapless]

TFXTDOL to you as well, brave Terran!

For those who may not know, 3M™ Textool™ is (most likely) what this was supposed to be an identical copy of.

[bitseeker]

Yeah, I saw TFXTDOL the other day on someone else's tester. Almost as good as the PIAOET and BOLEX watches I've seen.

[softfoot]

I have recently bought one of the M328 based testers (see attached pic) but wish to update the firmware.

The problem is that I cannot figure out what the LCD controller is - the display is 128x64 and the existing firmware
displays graphical device outlines.

Can anyone tell me which LCD controller is used ?? and/or suggest which schematic is used for it ??

TIA
Best regards,
Dave

UPDATE!! I guessed it was an ST7565 but when I tried the firmware pre-compiled for that it only worked partially (the display was scrambled) however the code in the GM328 directory worked - I suppose that makes sense given the name of the box is M328 ;-)

Anyway, all tweaked and tested - works very well given the price.

Dave

[daemon123]

Hi,
First of all thanks to the Author for making such great tool and making it public.
Had alot of bumps in making the hardware and after that i messed up the fuses, so had to use high voltage programming.
I built the stripe board. Flashed the firmware but it will only work while the button is pressed.

Pictures of the build and the high voltage programmer for resetting the fuses are attached,
and here is video of the tester in action

https://youtu.be/lUo0CBGCzDQ

And yes i know, the solder job is bad, the components are all cheap Chinese ones.

[madires]

I have recently bought one of the M328 based testers (see attached pic) but wish to update the firmware.

The problem is that I cannot figure out what the LCD controller is - the display is 128x64 and the existing firmware
displays graphical device outlines.

Can anyone tell me which LCD controller is used ?? and/or suggest which schematic is used for it ??

I'd guess it's a ST7565.

[madires]

Had alot of bumps in making the hardware and after that i messed up the fuses, so had to use high voltage programming.
I built the stripe board. Flashed the firmware but it will only work while the button is pressed.

Please see https://github.com/svn2github/transistortester/tree/master/Hardware/strip_grid for the strip grid board design. It seems that your board hasn't got all the components for the power section. I see just one TO92. Or have you modified the circuit for a fixed 5V supply?

Edit: I stand corrected, I see 3 TO92

[daemon123]

It has all components except the REF1 and R15 (R15 is replaced with R16 47K)

T3 was BC558C now replaced with A94 (transistor)

IC2 is 78L05

T1 and T2 are  (BC548) (could not find 547)

The LED never turns on, tried to short it and it was the same, will only work when button is pressed. The 78L05 gives correct 5V and so does PD6 when button pressed, but as soon as i let go of button it turns off.

[madires]

Mea culpa, missed the other two TO92s. Please check the power section again. The LED should turn on when the push button is pressed.

[daemon123]

hmm, i am trying to figure it out,
could you please recheck the stripe board version, i think it has error on T3
the pinout of T3 on stripe board using Row Colum
B J is the collector
A I is the Base
B H is the Emitter

according to schematic Collector should have 9+ from battery, but there is no connection
R10 (33k) should be on Collector and Base , but on the stripe board its on Emitter and Base

getting more confused now xd
will try more in the morning. I maybe wrong cause i am no electronics expert.

[stj]

this will happen if you fit the led the wrong way around.
someone learned this the other week while building a kit.

[casinada]

Clever repackaging?
http://www.banggood.com/LCR-TN-Multifunction-Tester-TC-V2_12k-TFT-Display-With-Electronic-Tweezers-p-1117485.html?rmmds=preorder
The tweezers look like made out of PCB
Zener testing to 30V
Rechargeable
IR
Is it worth $35 ?

[madires]

Nice! Transistortester Tweezers. It's the modified k-firmware "M-Tester".


Dear Transistortester Cloners and Sellers!

We don't mind if you produce and sell clones of the Transistortester. It provides an inexpensive great little tool for electronics enthusiasts and beginners, but PLEASE note the links to the project's webpage, source repo and documentation. You would add more value by giving users that information to be able to update the firmware and to understand all the features. If you do any modifications to the firmware, please send us a copy for the repo. And if you would send us your Transistortester clones, we would be able to keep the firmware as compatible as possible. Don't forget, this an OSHW project!

Best regards,
 Transistortester team

Project's webpage: https://www.mikrocontroller.net/articles/AVR_Transistortester
SVN repo: https://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/
GIT repo: https://github.com/svn2github/transistortester
English documentation: https://github.com/svn2github/transistortester/blob/master/Doku/trunk/pdftex/english/ttester.pdf
German documentation: https://github.com/svn2github/transistortester/blob/master/Doku/trunk/pdftex/german/ttester.pdf
Russian documentation: https://github.com/svn2github/transistortester/blob/master/Doku/trunk/pdftex/russian/ttester.pdf
German forum (English is also fine): https://www.mikrocontroller.net/topic/248078
English forum: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/$20-lcr-esr-transistor-checker-project/

[hapless]

Someone really ought to translate that into Chinese and post it all over their DIYer forums since most of the clones seem to be from there these days.
Haven't we seen a 1602 clone inside a pair of SMD tweezers earlier?

[Demmacs]

I hope someone in here can help me.
I bought a lcr t4 China model, and tryed to flash the 1,12k version to it.
But all i have now when i push the botton is a screen with nothing other then light in it.
Tryed to set a diode in it, and it flash it when i click the botton.
So iam thinking iam missing something in the flashing here?? (btw iam all new to this avr.)
If someone coulde help me with building the files and getting them flashed the right way.
I might even have fucked up in something with the lfuse, hfuse or efuse.

[madires]

Have you programmed the firmware from https://github.com/svn2github/transistortester/tree/master/Software/trunk/mega328_T3_T4_st7565 ? Another common problem is the default contrast, i.e. it might have to be changed for your display.

[Demmacs]

Have you programmed the firmware from https://github.com/svn2github/transistortester/tree/master/Software/trunk/mega328_T3_T4_st7565 ? Another common problem is the default contrast, i.e. it might have to be changed for your display.

Yea i did, where do i adjust the contrast?? I cant get the makefile to workm in the avrdude programmer program.

[madires]

The default contrast is set in the Makefile (VOLUME_VALUE). But you need avr-gcc and all supporting packages or some IDE (Atmel Studio for example) to compile the firmware. avrdude is the tool to program the firmware and to set the fuse bits.

[Demmacs]

The default contrast is set in the Makefile (VOLUME_VALUE). But you need avr-gcc and all supporting packages or some IDE (Atmel Studio for example) to compile the firmware. avrdude is the tool to program the firmware and to set the fuse bits.

Any guides in this??

[Demmacs]

I got wimavr.
So what do i do from here ??
Any way you can help me with it ??

[madires]

Somewhere in this thread there are some guides on using different IDEs. Sorry, I'm running a linux based tool chain.

[Demmacs]

This is the 1 i got.
Are the display the st7565??
what are the 2 solder pads for under the screen??

[jleg]

I got wimavr.
So what do i do from here ??
Any way you can help me with it ??

there's quite a nice manual, also containing WinAVR instructions:
https://github.com/svn2github/transistortester/blob/master/Doku/trunk/pdftex/english/ttester.pdf

[Demmacs]

i keep getting this error in programmers notepad when i try to makefile.
avr-objcopy -O ihex -R .eeprom -R .fuse -R .lock -R .signature  TransistorTester.elf TransistorTester.hex
avr-objcopy -j .eeprom --set-section-flags=.eeprom="alloc,load" --change-section-lma .eeprom=0 --no-change-warnings -O ihex TransistorTester.elf TransistorTester.eep || exit 0
      0 [main] sh 1776 sync_with_child: child 6252(0x180) died before initialization with status code 0xC0000142
  45005 [main] sh 1776 sync_with_child: *** child state waiting for longjmp
/usr/bin/sh: fork: Resource temporarily unavailable
make.exe: [TransistorTester.eep] Error 128 (ignored)
avr-objdump -h -S TransistorTester.elf > TransistorTester.lss
      0 [main] sh 5276 sync_with_child: child 6392(0x178) died before initialization with status code 0xC0000142
  35625 [main] sh 5276 sync_with_child: *** child state waiting for longjmp
/usr/bin/sh: fork: Resource temporarily unavailable
make.exe: *** [TransistorTester.lss] Error 128

[Demmacs]

I got this version working just the screen is the wrong way.
can any make me the files from this info
For the version 1,12.
I cant seem to get programmers notepad to work proberly.