Author Topic: Wellon VP-180 Programmer  (Read 2324 times)

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Offline ChrisLX200Topic starter

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Wellon VP-180 Programmer
« on: September 21, 2017, 02:14:21 pm »
I've had this Wellon VP-180 programmer for years and recently needed to program a small PIC. Sadly, when connected to the computer the programmer failed to initialise and produced an error suggesting a hardware failure. So with nothing to lose I take it apart and look at the PCBs. I notice on the underside of the top board (holding the ZIF socket) one small surface-mount transistor (Mosfet?) had tiny a blow-hole in it, I needed a microscope to spot it! This and all the similar nearby devices have the marking HY2D and nothing else, and I totally failed to identify what this component actually was.

So again, with nothing to lose, I unsoldered that device and replaced it (hand soldered) another no-name component salvaged from a scrap PCB (a DVD writer). It didn't work first time and I got the same error, however I repeated using a different component and I thought I was successful this time because now the programmer initialises correctly and also passes its self-test routine found in the programmer software. Success? I can't really say because it still failed to write code to my PIC chip. Maybe the chip is faulty but I still have the nagging doubt that - despite passing its self-test - that replaced component was not correct. I don't even know if it is (was) n-chan, p-chan, NPN, PNP or what the heck. The programmer definitely reads chips just fine, but whilst the self-test includes an 'Output Test' I'm not sure it actually tests output voltages or it's just a logic thing.

Yeah, this isn't the way to execute a repair, so if anyone knows what the specs are for the failed component (HY2D) I might have more confidence in it.

Edit: Ah.. no. It's a fail. I tried to test some simple logic ICs and it fails to recognise them. I'm guessing when it tries to apply voltages to the pins it fails.

Edit2: Squeezed a through-hole n-chan mosfet onto the SMD pads (don't have SMDs in stock) and still fails. I think I'm done with this, I have a MiniPro TL866A on order which is modern and better software.

ChrisH
« Last Edit: September 21, 2017, 09:43:33 pm by ChrisLX200 »
 

Offline ChrisLX200Topic starter

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Re: Wellon VP-180 Programmer
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2017, 10:28:38 am »
Just out of interest - I would still like to know what the component was that failed. In the photos below it is the SMD transistor (V37) lower-left  which is replaced in the first image with a no-name tranny allowing the programmer to pass a self-test (but failed to write), and shown again replaced with a THD mosfet in the second (failed the self-test). I would still be able to revive this programmer I think with the right component.

Also shown is its replacement - the TL866a, here I made a couple of ISP connectors from F-F patch cables, hot-glued and wrapped with heat-shrink. Work just fine.

ChrisH
« Last Edit: September 23, 2017, 10:31:46 am by ChrisLX200 »
 

Offline picburner

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Re: Wellon VP-180 Programmer
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2017, 05:40:23 am »
The HY2D isn't a MOSFET but pnp transistors of the mmbt8550 type.
In my Wellon vp-380 they are simply marked Y2 and they are just pnp.
 
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Offline ChrisLX200Topic starter

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Re: Wellon VP-180 Programmer
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2017, 08:40:07 am »
The HY2D isn't a MOSFET but pnp transistors of the mmbt8550 type.
In my Wellon vp-380 they are simply marked Y2 and they are just pnp.

Many thanks for that info, I can try a repair again now :-)

ChrisH
 

Offline ChrisLX200Topic starter

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Re: Wellon VP-180 Programmer
« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2017, 06:19:33 pm »
Follow-up.

Managed to salvage a suitable PNP transistor off a HD controller card). Trick was in identifying exactly what I'd recovered but it was just about possible using the cheap TC1 multi-function test (albeit like trying to attach the component tester clips to the legs of a dead fruit fly...)

Anyway, I soldered it in place and buttoned it up - success, the programmer tests OK!

ChrisH
 

Offline cowasaki

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Re: Wellon VP-180 Programmer
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2018, 04:31:38 pm »
Does your VP-180 work?  If so do you have any 74xx ICs about?  Will it test them?  My VP-180 has just been dug out and seems to read EPROMs but fails with NEARLY every 74 series IC I've only found one (74241) which actually results in PASS.
« Last Edit: January 27, 2018, 05:01:03 pm by cowasaki »
 

Offline ChrisLX200Topic starter

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Re: Wellon VP-180 Programmer
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2018, 05:57:06 pm »
Does your VP-180 work?  If so do you have any 74xx ICs about?  Will it test them?  My VP-180 has just been dug out and seems to read EPROMs but fails with NEARLY every 74 series IC I've only found one (74241) which actually results in PASS.

It works, but there are no drivers that will communicate with it under Win7-64. I had it running on an old Samsung NC10 netbook under XP but that has an 'issue' at the moment! Wellon stopped supporting the VP-180 so no new software available :(
 

Offline cowasaki

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Re: Wellon VP-180 Programmer
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2018, 06:37:58 pm »
Does your VP-180 work?  If so do you have any 74xx ICs about?  Will it test them?  My VP-180 has just been dug out and seems to read EPROMs but fails with NEARLY every 74 series IC I've only found one (74241) which actually results in PASS.

It works, but there are no drivers that will communicate with it under Win7-64. I had it running on an old Samsung NC10 netbook under XP but that has an 'issue' at the moment! Wellon stopped supporting the VP-180 so no new software available :(

I'm running it under Windows Vista using VirtualBox on two Macs!  You could run it under VirtualBox on a 64bit PC I would guess.  I'm thinking that maybe I could write a logic tester program in C for the Arduino.  The actual board would be simplicity itself and I've thought up how I could do each IC.
 



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