ulanzi tc001

[Rodz]

Hi I have this clock
https://www.ulanzi.com/search?q=tc001&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&type=product

there is a fault with the internal regulator (attached data sheet)

this is from the manufactures
"When users connect a non-standard charging adapter, it can cause the chip to burn out. Because the USB power management chip at the front end has a voltage limit of 9V, if the voltage does not drop within 10ms, there is a certain probability that the 3.3V regulator chip will burn out. In the latest circuit, we added a self-recovering fuse to the USB input to protect the back-end circuit in the event of a high voltage. During our testing process, we have found that some fast charging adapters may output a voltage exceeding 9V during the protocol conversion. Some of them may only occur for a short period of time."

im looking to replace the regulator/buck converter but not sure of the best one to use. it can be an off board solution if needed.

regards

[pa0emm]

I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you, but I'm very interested in the matter as I have such a clock too, defective. I suspect it died from the same cause. I received a replacement clock, but it would be nice if I could repair the old one too.
Could you show me where the defective regulator would be located on the PCB?

Cheers!

Hi I have this clock
https://www.ulanzi.com/search?q=tc001&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&type=product

there is a fault with the internal regulator (attached data sheet)

this is from the manufactures
"When users connect a non-standard charging adapter, it can cause the chip to burn out. Because the USB power management chip at the front end has a voltage limit of 9V, if the voltage does not drop within 10ms, there is a certain probability that the 3.3V regulator chip will burn out. In the latest circuit, we added a self-recovering fuse to the USB input to protect the back-end circuit in the event of a high voltage. During our testing process, we have found that some fast charging adapters may output a voltage exceeding 9V during the protocol conversion. Some of them may only occur for a short period of time."

im looking to replace the regulator/buck converter but not sure of the best one to use. it can be an off board solution if needed.

regards

[Rodz]

Hi it's the small 5 pin above the inductor 2r2 in the center of the image. I received a replacement too, it's been running on a 1a5v apple plug for 2 weeks now. hopefully it will last.

ive seen some replace the board with a esp32 dev board, that might be an option or im thinking of just bypassing the onboard circuit and add a external buck converter straight off the usb or battery.

regards

[pa0emm]

Thanks! My replacement clock is also still running fine, from an Apple iPad adapter. But the first couple of days I had it connected to a universal charger with USB IQ+ ports. I suppose that same charger killed my first clock. So maybe my new TC001 is the new type with the added fuse. I'm not going to open the case though...

Of course I'd like to know how you or someone else repairs the defective clock. In case repairs are not feasible or too complex I'll consider replacing the PCB with an esp32.

Cheers!

Hi it's the small 5 pin above the inductor 2r2 in the center of the image. I received a replacement too, it's been running on a 1a5v apple plug for 2 weeks now. hopefully it will last.

ive seen some replace the board with a esp32 dev board, that might be an option or im thinking of just bypassing the onboard circuit and add a external buck converter straight off the usb or battery.

regards

[Rodz]

hi I haven't tried it yet but ive just order this STI3408B from AliExpress,

this guy had success changing this chip out

https://discord.com/channels/546407049148366859/1096822468737511574/1109481452023840889

but the guys over on discord have done some work on converting to a esp32

https://discord.com/channels/546407049148366859/1101071217986900049

regards

[pa0emm]

Thanks so much for following up on this!
But when I click those links I only get an ugly black screen with text like "NO TEXT CHANNELS" and "You find yourself in a strange place. You don't have access to any text channels or there are none in this server." I'm not familiar with Discord, as you can see. Do you have a clue for me how to access that information you mentioned?

hi I haven't tried it yet but ive just order this STI3408B from AliExpress,

this guy had success changing this chip out

https://discord.com/channels/546407049148366859/1096822468737511574/1109481452023840889

but the guys over on discord have done some work on converting to a esp32

https://discord.com/channels/546407049148366859/1101071217986900049

regards

[Rodz]

im quite new to it too, so I feel your pain.

https://discord.gg/cyBCpdx

try this link, you might have to sign up for an account. it will invite you to the awtrix channel. I think the links will work then.

if your not aware, awtrix is a open source software developed by Blueforcer, it basically replicates all the features of the clock and adds more functions and lets you link to home automation software Homeassistant. this lets you have custom notification.

any way, basically a lot of people have ordered this clock for this reason, and they have discussions on it in discord.

hope this helps

[pa0emm]

Great! I already had an account and with your link I was able to access that server and read the relevant messages. That helps a lot! I'm going to replace the PCB with a new ESP32.
Thanks again!

Cheers!

im quite new to it too, so I feel your pain.

https://discord.gg/cyBCpdx

try this link, you might have to sign up for an account. it will invite you to the awtrix channel. I think the links will work then.

if your not aware, awtrix is a open source software developed by Blueforcer, it basically replicates all the features of the clock and adds more functions and lets you link to home automation software Homeassistant. this lets you have custom notification.

any way, basically a lot of people have ordered this clock for this reason, and they have discussions on it in discord.

hope this helps