Author Topic: $20 LCR ESR Transistor checker project (Read 3453021 times)

madires · « **Reply #6175 on:** April 01, 2020, 12:39:37 pm »

Nice DIY tweezers! Bonus points for the m-firmware.

BTW, there's a thread for pictures of DIY testers, cases and mods: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/show-us-your-$20-transistor-tester-enclosures-and-mods/

vivaT · « **Reply #6176 on:** April 01, 2020, 12:57:28 pm »

I haven't seen that post, great link madires! Posting more build pics over there

Thanks for all your hard work on the firmware, you rock !

avr · « **Reply #6177 on:** April 06, 2020, 11:57:41 am »

Hello

I have this transistor tester:

and when I proceed to update to 1.13k version, I found that the screen text is rotated 90°. The remaining features of the device are OK. I used the files from the ST7735 folder, I have tested firmwares from other folders, but they don't work.

Also, I have tried to compile with Winavr the makefile in order to change by myself the screen orientation but I only get compiling errors (something related with a .elf file).

Could you tell me if there is firmware version for this device with screen in correct orientation?

Thanks

indman · « **Reply #6178 on:** April 06, 2020, 12:23:21 pm »

avr look folder https://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/Software/trunk/mega328_color_kit/

avr · « **Reply #6179 on:** April 06, 2020, 02:47:27 pm »

Hello

I have tried with that firmware yesterday and it did not work well. But today I have download the firmwares from the web again and now it is working flawlessly. Probably yesterday I made a mistake. Anyway the device is working now with version 1.13k. So, it is solved.

Thank you for your help

blurpy · « **Reply #6180 on:** April 08, 2020, 10:04:56 am »

Quote from: timelessbeing on January 24, 2017, 12:43:47 am

I replaced the 7550 regulator in my ST7565 kit tester with a MCP1702 precision regulator, which is more precise than the included TL431 reference.

What should I do now? Remove the 431? disconnect pin PC4 altogether? Or is it enough just to change config.h

EDIT: I just found this in the manual: "If you don’t install the precision voltage reference and you don’t add the relay extension, you should install a pull up resistor R16 to PC4 with a higher resistance value (47k?). This helps the software to detect the missing voltage reference."

Quote from: madires on January 24, 2017, 11:14:43 am

Yep, the firmware measures the voltage at PC4 and if it's around 2.5V it assumes it's the external voltage reference. The pull-up resistor makes sure that PC4 is outside the expected voltage range, and 100k or 220k would be fine also. The m-firmware behaves the same way, but HW_REF25 (config.h) controls if the code get's included or not.

I have an AY-AT I would like to improve with the suggestions in this thread.

* 16MHz crystal
* 0.1% probing resistors - 680r and 470k
* MCP1702 instead of HT7550 voltage regulator
* m-firmware

From my understanding, the MCP1702 is pin compatible with the HT7550 so I can just replace that easily.

The consequences of this change seem to be:

1. I can remove the TL431 voltage reference
2. I need to disable HW_REF25 in the m-firmware
3. I have to change R16 from 2k2 to 47k?

Is this correct?
I'm confused about #3, because there is no mention of this in the README of the m-firmware, but it is in the k-firmware. Is it just a missing step in the m-firmware README, or does it no longer apply?

Relevant part of the m-README:

Quote

The external 2.5V voltage reference should be only enabled if it's at least 10 times more precise than the voltage regulator. Otherwise it would make the results worse. If you're using a MCP1702 with a typical tolerance of 0.4% as voltage regulator you really don't need a 2.5V voltage reference.

madires · « **Reply #6181 on:** April 08, 2020, 01:19:14 pm »

Quote from: blurpy on April 08, 2020, 10:04:56 am

1. I can remove the TL431 voltage reference
2. I need to disable HW_REF25 in the m-firmware
3. I have to change R16 from 2k2 to 47k?

Is this correct?
I'm confused about #3, because there is no mention of this in the README of the m-firmware, but it is in the k-firmware. Is it just a missing step in the m-firmware README, or does it no longer apply?

For running the m-firmware you can skip step #3 or remove R16 (no need to replace it). When HW_REF25 is disabled (default setting) the firmware will ignore any external voltage reference. The k-firmware handles external references a little different and always checks for a 2.5V reference (no setting to disable that). Therefore the k-firmware needs the resistor mod (step #3) to make it believe that there isn't any reference.

blurpy · « **Reply #6182 on:** April 08, 2020, 01:34:48 pm »

Quote from: madires on April 08, 2020, 01:19:14 pm

For running the m-firmware you can skip step #3 or remove R16 (no need to replace it). When HW_REF25 is disabled (default setting) the firmware will ignore any external voltage reference. The k-firmware handles external references a little different and always checks for a 2.5V reference (no setting to disable that). Therefore the k-firmware needs the resistor mod (step #3) to make it believe that there isn't any reference.

Thanks madires! I'll just remove R16 then.

blurpy · « **Reply #6183 on:** April 12, 2020, 04:40:55 pm »

Having spent so much time reading in order to understand how to upgrade and flash my AY-AT transistor tester I decided to document as much as possible of what I've learned: https://github.com/blurpy/transistor-tester

Maybe someone else will find it useful

madires · « **Reply #6184 on:** April 12, 2020, 05:16:55 pm »

I'm sure your documentation will help some users. The development of the k-firmware is on hold at the moment because of personal reasons, but that may change in the future.

Per Hansson · « **Reply #6185 on:** April 13, 2020, 06:55:15 am »

Nice writeup blurpy, a concise howto like that is a nice addition!
Don't forget to add information about the calibration of the device at the end too!

blurpy · « **Reply #6186 on:** April 13, 2020, 08:36:24 am »

Quote from: madires on April 12, 2020, 05:16:55 pm

I'm sure your documentation will help some users. The development of the k-firmware is on hold at the moment because of personal reasons, but that may change in the future.

Ah, didn't know that. I've updated my wording.

Quote from: Per Hansson on April 13, 2020, 06:55:15 am

Nice writeup blurpy, a concise howto like that is a nice addition!
Don't forget to add information about the calibration of the device at the end too!

Thanks! Good point. I think the readme explains it pretty well so I just added a short note about it.

panoss · « **Reply #6187 on:** April 20, 2020, 12:22:29 pm »

Hi guys.
I 'm thinking of building this version of the transistortester (from here):

Instead of the LT1004 can I use a TL431 as a voltage reference? Like this:

(from page 19 of the datasheet)

madires · « **Reply #6188 on:** April 20, 2020, 12:31:14 pm »

Yes, but you don't need it when using a MCP1702 voltage regulator.

panoss · « **Reply #6189 on:** April 20, 2020, 03:20:18 pm »

The Vcc will be produced by an SX1308 (boost converter) if I make it battery operated.
Otherwise, I will use an LM7805.
Vcc is 5V, right?

madires · « **Reply #6190 on:** April 20, 2020, 04:01:13 pm »

Yep, 5V.

zape · « **Reply #6191 on:** April 24, 2020, 06:36:22 am »

Quote from: madires on February 05, 2020, 01:57:01 pm

An AY-AT clone is still a good choice, and the Hiland M644 comes with several hardware options.

what about this one?
Will it work with open source firmware?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32643558421.html

madires · « **Reply #6192 on:** April 24, 2020, 10:12:01 am »

That's an AY-AT which works fine with both OSHW firmwares (k: mega328_color_kit, m: see Clones file).

Per Hansson · « **Reply #6193 on:** April 28, 2020, 03:35:56 pm »

Quote from: blurpy on April 12, 2020, 04:40:55 pm

Having spent so much time reading in order to understand how to upgrade and flash my AY-AT transistor tester I decided to document as much as possible of what I've learned: https://github.com/blurpy/transistor-tester

Maybe someone else will find it useful

Quote from: madires on April 12, 2020, 05:16:55 pm

I'm sure your documentation will help some users. The development of the k-firmware is on hold at the moment because of personal reasons, but that may change in the future.

So, each time I want to flash my transistor tester it feels like I am trying to learn a foreign language from scratch

Specifically I am always super confused about which firmware gets uploaded where.
If (and that is a big if!) I get it right as of now the latest k-firmware is at revision 798
And the latest m-firmware is at revision 815
But then the links that blurpy provided in his writeup below are wrong?

Quote

The k-firmware source is available here, with precompiled firmware for the AY-AT in the mega328_color_kit directory. There is also a Makefile there with the correct parameters. The source of the m-firmware is available here, but only as tarballs. There are no precompiled versions.

madires · « **Reply #6194 on:** April 28, 2020, 04:10:46 pm »

The latest k-firmware: https://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/Software/trunk/
The latest m-firmware: https://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/Software/Markus/ and https://github.com/madires/Transistortester-Warehouse/tree/master/Firmware/m-firmware

The revisions are created by the SVN repo and just indicate changes in the repo. That could be a change for the 1.13k firmware, documentation or something else. For the current k-firmware under development (1.13k) the directory revision of the trunk directory tells you about any new changes. The m-firmware is released as finished version without any revisions, but the SVN will add a revision automatically for each new version. Simply ignore any revisions for the m-firmware (latest is 1.39m).

Per Hansson · « **Reply #6195 on:** April 28, 2020, 05:14:53 pm »

Thanks, you both use the same repo and with the same login right? (user name kubi48 is what is shown but that is also Karl-Heinz Kübbeler username on the Mikrocontroller.net forum topic on the transistor tester).
But ok so the SVN revision numbers all belong to the k-firmware on the SVN repository and just one is "taken" when you upload a tarball to the Markus subdirectory.
So basically since revision 798 there has been these additions to the k-firmware:

Code: [Select]

Rev Last log entry
804 support for Chinese board hiland_m644
805 einige Doku Korrekturen
807 removing bad commas
808 Beseitigung m644 Fehler ...
809 ESR Messung bei m644 fuer kleine Caps
813 hex und eep nach Project umbenannt von Gottfried
814 hex und eep nach Project umbenannt von Gottfried
815 Korrektur Zeitschleife mega2560

And meanwhile the "taken" revision numbers that are missing above are because of these:

Code: [Select]

File 				 Rev.	 Age		 Author	  Last log entry
 ComponentTester-1.34m.tgz	 799	 18 months	 kubi48	  New Version 1.34m from Markus
 tt-res-e05.zip			 800	 18 months	 kubi48	  Fernsteuerung der m-Version, Widerstaende
 tt-cap-e05.zip			 801	 18 months	 kubi48	  Fernsteuerung der m-Version, Kondensatoren
 tt-bjt-e05.zip			 802	 17 months	 kubi48	  Fernsteuerung der m-Version, Transistoren
 tt-jfet-e05.zip		 803	 17 months	 kubi48	  Fernsteuerung der m-Version, JFETs
 ComponentTester-1.35m.tgz	 806	 14 months	 kubi48	  Version 1.35m vom Markus R.
 ComponentTester-1.36m.tgz	 810	 11 months	 kubi48	  neue Version 1.36m von Markus
 ComponentTester-1.37m.tgz	 811	 7 months	 kubi48	  Fehlerbehebung,reverse-HFe...
 ComponentTester-1.38m.tgz	 812	 4 months	 kubi48	  Version 1.38m von Markus R.
 ComponentTester-1.39m.tgz	 816	 4 weeks	 kubi48	  neue Version 1.39m von Markus

madires · « **Reply #6196 on:** April 28, 2020, 05:45:01 pm »

Not quite, Karl-Heinz manages the SVN repo, and I do the GitHub repo.

madires · « **Reply #6197 on:** May 11, 2020, 11:03:29 am »

I've started adding support for ATmega 640, 1280 and 2560 to the m-firmware. And since there are inexpensive and nice 3.5" LCD modules sold for Arduino I'm writing a driver for ILI9486. You can get them also with touchscreen, but only a few include an SPI touchscreen controller (ADS7843/XPT2046). Most modules simply wire the 4 lines of the resistive touchscreen to the connector. Other controllers used for those 320x480 LCDs are ILI9481, ILI9488, HX8357 and R61581, while the most common seems to be ILI9486. Unfortunately sellers rarely tell you which controller the LCD module comes with. Typical interfaces are SPI, 8 bit parallel and 16 bit parallel. If you like to sponsor some 3.5" LCD modules for development and testing please drop me a PM. I might feel inclined to write drivers for the alternative controllers too.

de_light · « **Reply #6198 on:** May 12, 2020, 12:49:37 am »

I have just purchased a BSIDE meter which I understand is based upon the same components as this open-source project.

Is anyone able to walk me through the steps required to update this to the latest firmware version?

z01z · « **Reply #6199 on:** May 12, 2020, 08:50:33 am »

Quote from: madires on April 28, 2020, 05:45:01 pm

Not quite, Karl-Heinz manages the SVN repo, and I do the GitHub repo.

Could you advise where/how to report firmware bugs?
In ttester-snapshot-20190319, in the file show_Resis_Cap.c line 231 should have #ifdef, not #ifndef (#ifdef RMETER_WITH_L)


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Author Topic: $20 LCR ESR Transistor checker project (Read 3453021 times)

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