$20 LCR ESR Transistor checker project

[theHWcave]

My main suspect is the fuses not set correctly for external crystal operation. I think by default (new chip) the default setting is for a very slow internal oscillator.

These are settings that work for me:
fuses_lo = 0xf7
fuses_hi = 0xd9
fuses_ext = 0xfc
lock_byte = 0xff

[indman]

The firmware was 1.12k on it. I bought a new processor and a 20Mhz crystal and i upgraded to a 1.37m firmware version which i got online. The archive name is "AY-AT-Markus1.37En(20Mhz)" so it should work with the new crystal Found the source of this firmware after posting: https://disk.yandex.ru/d/yW8xa5NJgUo5z/GM328A (It should be compatible)
Now with the new processor and crystal the tester takes 10 seconds to boot up and everything is slow and laggy. My issue is that i don't know how to make the hex and eep files for this tester on my own.

WARNING!
All author's K- and M- firmware, which are presented for free use and download on my resource https://disk.yandex.ru/d/yW8xa5NJgUo5z, have been tested 100% in operation on 1000 and more similar devices! If the firmware on your clone does not work at all or very slowly, then this does not mean that your device is special and needs some kind of specially compiled firmware! First of all, check the correctness of the installed fuses and firmware, as well as possible options for malfunctioning the hardware stuffing. All this is discussed in detail in the author's manuals. Read carefully.

[madires]

But I was thinking, according to indman's table of clones, that it was already supported. Isn't it?

Possibly someone tested that already. I have just a few clones for testing purposes and don't know all the clones and their variants out there.

[rddube]

Hello everyone,

I have a mega328_MK-328 from Electronics Studio with version 1.31M of Markus. I would like to upgrade to version 1.45M but can't remember how to create the eep and hex files needed?

Does anyone have the eep and hex files for this model they could upload (mega328_MK-328 from Electronics Studio)?

Or does Indman's repository have the 1.45m version, I seem to have checked and don't see a directory for the mega328_MK-328 ??

Thank you so much!

[indman]

Or does Indman's repository have the 1.45m version, I seem to have checked and don't see a directory for the mega328_MK-328 ??

My repository for MK-328 clone only has a working k-firmware. I did not compile m-firmware for this clone.

[PKTKS]

Hello everyone,

I have a mega328_MK-328 from Electronics Studio with version 1.31M of Markus. I would like to upgrade to version 1.45M but can't remember how to create the eep and hex files needed?

Does anyone have the eep and hex files for this model they could upload (mega328_MK-328 from Electronics Studio)?

Or does Indman's repository have the 1.45m version, I seem to have checked and don't see a directory for the mega328_MK-328 ??

Thank you so much!

Have a look if still there the versions ..
git clone https://github.com/madires/Transistortester-Warehouse

Then just make all  in a properly setup system should be enough...

Tested again today.. holds fine

Paul

[DarthMalgus]

Thanks a lot for the help and your fast replies guys!
After looking around i found a program that will set my fuses.
Here is what is currently in the chip:

What do i need to change for an external 20Mhz crystal and to make the firmware work on my GM328A clone ?
Also if i manage to find a newer than 1.37m version will i need to reprogram the fuse along with eeprom and flash ?
Thanks

[indman]

theHWcave wrote to you in detail how to set the fuses correctly. Set your program to the same values.
Make sure that the new values ​​are written correctly in the program and do not touch them again, even if you have to install a more recent firmware!

[rddube]

Hello everyone,

I have a mega328_MK-328 from Electronics Studio with version 1.31M of Markus. I would like to upgrade to version 1.45M but can't remember how to create the eep and hex files needed?

Does anyone have the eep and hex files for this model they could upload (mega328_MK-328 from Electronics Studio)?

Or does Indman's repository have the 1.45m version, I seem to have checked and don't see a directory for the mega328_MK-328 ??

Thank you so much!

Have a look if still there the versions ..
git clone https://github.com/madires/Transistortester-Warehouse

Then just make all  in a properly setup system should be enough...

Tested again today.. holds fine

Paul

That's the problem, I don't have a proper setup to compile the code. Any one have it already compiled? Tks!

[DarthMalgus]

It seems i can not alter the extended fuse but i got the other two to match the provided values and it works now! 
I would like to upgrade it further to 1.45m but i don't know how to make the .hex and .eep files myself. I downloaded an archive and it has a bunch of files with .c and .h extensions.
Any further help would be much appreciated.
Thank you

[PKTKS]

That's the problem, I don't have a proper setup to compile the code. Any one have it already compiled? Tks!

Just do not blame me if the drive explode...   

Compiled again just now...  just fine..

Hope you know what you are doing.. your device may brick...
you need to identify things and do things by hand...


Paul 

[rddube]

That's the problem, I don't have a proper setup to compile the code. Any one have it already compiled? Tks!

Just do not blame me if the drive explode...   

Compiled again just now...  just fine..

Hope you know what you are doing.. your device may brick...
you need to identify things and do things by hand...


Paul 

Hi Paul, thanks a million. I know how to get it on the device with avrdude, I still have the .bat file I used for version 1.31m, so I'll give it a try. If it bricks, I have version 1.13k compiled that I transferred to another identical device and it works, so I'll let you know. Thanks again!

[PKTKS]

OK just care to not brick your device...

Paul

[wizard1]

Moving to 1.45m on an AY-AT clone I have started to experience phantom selections when scrolling through items in the menu. This doesn't happen with k firmware or the original 1.12k Chinese firmware that came with the tester. I'm using the internal 8Mhz oscillator if that matters at all. Is this expected? I don't see a timeout that would cause this.

[itkw_com]

Hello, everyone. If I want to DIY this device, but AVR MCU is expensive, can I replace it with other MCU? For example, 8051 or pic or stm8, STM32? 

[madires]

Moving to 1.45m on an AY-AT clone I have started to experience phantom selections when scrolling through items in the menu. This doesn't happen with k firmware or the original 1.12k Chinese firmware that came with the tester. I'm using the internal 8Mhz oscillator if that matters at all. Is this expected? I don't see a timeout that would cause this.

No, any menu item should only run when pressing the push button. And there's no timeout for the menu. Are you accidently pushing the rotary encoder's knob while turning?

[madires]

Hello, everyone. If I want to DIY this device, but AVR MCU is expensive, can I replace it with other MCU? For example, 8051 or pic or stm8, STM32? 

Sorry, ATmega only.

[indman]

Moving to 1.45m on an AY-AT clone I have started to experience phantom selections when scrolling through items in the menu. This doesn't happen with k firmware or the original 1.12k Chinese firmware that came with the tester. I'm using the internal 8Mhz oscillator if that matters at all.

Chinese rotary encoders are of poor quality and may cause firmware instability. This was noticed by many users of AY-AT and other clones. If changing the m-firmware encoder settings in config.h
#define ENCODER_PULSES
#define ENCODER_STEPS 
does not lead to the elimination of unpleasant effects, then you should simply replace the rotary encoder with a similar one of better quality.
Another important nuance is that the firmware that was compiled for an external 8MHz quartz is undesirable to use with an internal oscillator. It's my opinion.

[Klockaren]

Adrian_Arg.,I don't understand why you are going through every possible firmware for the tester?
What do you want to get out of your tester? If your clone has a hardware defect, no firmware can fix it!
Above is the link https://disk.yandex.ru/d/yW8xa5NJgUo5z to my firmware archive with m-firmware in English for GM328A - there's also a folder is called M328Kit+TFT(AY-AT). Look carefully and you'll find everything.

Thank you for the English firmware for the GM328A. It worked perfect!

[rddube]

OK just care to not brick your device...

Paul

Hi Paul, well it didn't brick it but the display is upsided down with a few scrarce pixels lit up.

I traced my config_328.h file that I had used for compiling version 1.31m (that's a long time ago on the mega328_MK-328 from Electronics Studio) and I seem to remember having made changes to the display part to get it right. Wonder if you could take a look and recompile 1.45m with the changes in the config_328.h I have uploaded?

Thanks again Paul!

[indman]

well it didn't brick it but the display is upsided down with a few scrarce pixels lit up.

Show me a photo of what an upsided image looks like on your display with firmware 1.45?
The display settings in your config_328 are no different from the settings in the Paul file.
In addition, there are settings in config.h from Paul that do not match the hardware stuffing of your clone.
For example, an external voltage reference is not included
//#define HW_REF25

[rddube]

well it didn't brick it but the display is upsided down with a few scrarce pixels lit up.

Show me a photo of what an upsided image looks like on your display with firmware 1.45?
The display settings in your config_328 are no different from the settings in the Paul file.
In addition, there are settings in config.h from Paul that do not match the hardware stuffing of your clone.
For example, an external voltage reference is not included
//#define HW_REF25

Hello Indman, here are pictures of my tester - hope they are clear enough. Tks.

[indman]

Your clone is called GM328(A+) on my resource and has nothing to do with the MK-328 clone except for the display controller on the ST7565. Remember that for the future.
Later I will build new test firmware 1.45m for your clone.

[rddube]

I took good note of the name of my tester in your resource directory.

Thank you for compiling the 1.45m version, as I am eager to test the resistance function!

Thanks again Indman.

[indman]

rddube, check the firmware and take new photos from the display. I have included almost all possible functions in the firmware, including continuity check, but in order to use it you need to make a hardware modification of the BUZZER which is listed in the madires manual.
P.S There is a special button on the forum to express gratitude for your help "Say Thanks"