Author Topic: All you need to know about the Chinese AD9959 eBay board (Read 16863 times)

SouthPark · « **Reply #25 on:** October 04, 2019, 09:29:41 pm »

Hi Bud. Once again, as previously mentioned - fantastic post and article.

Based on your experience with this one --- is there a chance that any of those boards (purchased straight from say 'ebay') will actually work without modifications?

rprr · « **Reply #26 on:** October 06, 2019, 02:16:55 am »

Quote from: SouthPark on October 04, 2019, 09:29:41 pm

Hi Bud. Once again, as previously mentioned - fantastic post and article.

Based on your experience with this one --- is there a chance that any of those boards (purchased straight from say 'ebay') will actually work without modifications?

Based on instructions from @edigi in another thread (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/ad9959-ebay-board-troubleshooting/25/), I was able to get one of my boards from aliexpress to work. No hardware mods needed.

ironcurtain · « **Reply #27 on:** October 07, 2019, 12:55:17 pm »

This is awesome :-)

Bud · « **Reply #28 on:** October 08, 2019, 01:00:22 am »

Quote from: SouthPark on October 04, 2019, 09:29:41 pm

Hi Bud. Once again, as previously mentioned - fantastic post and article.

Based on your experience with this one --- is there a chance that any of those boards (purchased straight from say 'ebay') will actually work without modifications?

Think about calling ADI or going to their support forum and saying "I want to purchase a board with your chip wired in a bizarre way. Will it work?"

What do you think what kind of answer ADI will give you? I can't give you a better answer.

And i do not know what the folks meant who said their boards "worked". Did they mean it "generated something"? They did not bother verifying the device performance against the specification.

SouthPark · « **Reply #29 on:** October 11, 2019, 03:40:14 am »

Quote from: Bud on October 08, 2019, 01:00:22 am

And i do not know what the folks meant who said their boards "worked". Did they mean it "generated something"? They did not bother verifying the device performance against the specification.

Thanks Bud! I think that the meaning of 'worked' (for some of them, or some of us) could be considered as workable - as in at least functions - generates some dds waveforms - controllable --- rather than immediately a DOA or totally lost cause.

I was certainly interested to know whether or not at least some, or the bulk of these modules were workable ..... eg. if order 5 of them, then 3 or 4 of them might have a chance of functioning - right off the bat, without modifications. Not necessarily elite grade performance.

The work you did with it is excellent. Definitely very useful.

At the moment, I'm still in the process of figuring out the programming/SPI communications and commands side of things from the AD9959 pdf document ---- and hopefully get all that understood -- just to see if any one of my three boards are alive. I figured that hopefully 3 boards improves chances to see 1 functioning.

One thing that would be (or would have been) nice is knowing whether these modules have a default setting --- so that at least 1 channel (eg. channel 0, or 1 or 2 or 3) can just be generating a sinewave straight from start-up ..... by default. Then at least us newbies would be able to tell if it's alive or not.

Right now, my understanding (even if it might be wrong) is that the four channels are enabled by default ----- but the frequency tuning words (for controlling the frequency) are all zero. So I'm assuming that we're not going to be seeing any sinewave by default because the frequency is 'zero' for start-up, right?

Quote from: Bud on October 08, 2019, 01:00:22 am

Think about calling ADI or going to their support forum and saying "I want to purchase a board with your chip wired in a bizarre way. Will it work?"

I don't think I would want to burden them with that particular question, as any issues with poor design in the ebay module is really end-user fault. I was initially having thoughts about purchasing their evaluation board module, which looks quite large, but has a nice chance of working properly right off the bat.

SouthPark · « **Reply #30 on:** October 11, 2019, 03:56:25 am »

Quote from: rprr on October 06, 2019, 02:16:55 am

Based on instructions from @edigi in another thread (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/ad9959-ebay-board-troubleshooting/25/), I was able to get one of my boards from aliexpress to work. No hardware mods needed.

Thanks for that link rprr! There's some promise and hope yet (for my boards). That link was greatly appreciated!

Bud · « **Reply #31 on:** October 11, 2019, 05:00:04 pm »

I got a lemon, the other person who posted before me got a dead dodo. Some other folks got theirs that "worked". So seems to be hit and miss.
To test for signs of life without prior programming, check SYNC_CLK pin for fclk/4 as i said on Part 4. It has to output a signal upon power up and proper handling of the Reset line.

SouthPark · « **Reply #32 on:** October 12, 2019, 09:40:56 am »

Quote from: Bud on October 11, 2019, 05:00:04 pm

I got a lemon, the other person who posted before me got a dead dodo. Some other folks got theirs that "worked". So seems to be hit and miss.
To test for signs of life without prior programming, check SYNC_CLK pin for fclk/4 as i said on Part 4. It has to output a signal upon power up and proper handling of the Reset line.

The excellent and outstanding thing in your case is that you have the ability to fix that lemon. It's nasty too - about getting a lemon - as those modules can be around 50 dollars.

Thanks for that nice recommendation Bud! I'll test that pin from your Part 4.

Yesterday, before reading your recent post ---- I noticed some signs of life ...... I have the AD9599 ebay module hooked up to my micro-controller (just got it connected to the Arduino MEGA 2560). When both the MEGA 2560 and AD9959 are powered up ..... and when I temporarily remove 5V (DC jack) power to the AD9959 module (the green power LED on the AD9959 module switches off), and then re-apply the 5V (DC jack) power to the AD9599 module -------- I then get a 237 Hz sinewave appearing on Channel 0 port (sma connector port). This happens consistently. It doesn't happen on any of the other channels (eg. ch1, ch2, ch3 ..... nothing). At first, I thought I was getting somewhere - thinking I might have sent the module the correct SPI commands. But soon realised that no progress was really made.

Because my MEGA 2560 is based on 0 and 5V levels, and because I was using only a 4-channel level shifter (bi-directional 5V to 3.3V logic level module), I was 1 channel short ----- so did something that's likely wrong ----- namely tied the 'CSB' to ground (which is permanently enabling chip select/slave select).

I have now grabbed an extra 4-channe level shifting module ..... so I'll be able to control the 'CSB' pin in the proper way. And hopefully see some real life in the module. I'll remember to check out that sync_clk pin too! Thanks again Bud.

SouthPark · « **Reply #33 on:** October 14, 2019, 01:53:12 am »

Hi Bud! The ebay AD9959 module that I was originally working with ----- turns out to be alive and 'working'. I was using an arduino MEGA 2560 to try to send bare minimum commands to it, like just get a sinewave up at some frequency --- any controllable frequency.

I had used the wrong serial clocking scheme for transmitting the SPI data to the AD9959. On one page of the AD9959 document, it says data is read on the falling edge of the serial clock. While in another section, it says data is read on the rising edge. The 'rising edge' details is the correct one.

So now, my original ebay AD9959 dds module is working. That's the same module as yours, with the yellow-coloured plastic header base. For testing this module, I sent an instruction to enable all four outputs in basic single-tone mode. Then sending FTW (frequency turning words) words associated with decimal values 1000000 and 500000 and 100000 resulted in sinewaves having their own frequency - nicely repeatable.

But unfortunately, the second ebay AD9959 module I have here for testing ---- appears to be a lemon. It's not getting any output, even though the MCLK output and the Yclk pin are getting the same signal output as my first (working) board.

Looks like I'm in the same situation as the other person in eevblog. They also mentioned they had 1 working one (out of two) and my assumption is that their second one isn't working.

I still have another 2 of these ebay AD9959 modules in transit. It definitely appears to be a chance thing, which isn't fantastic. I believe one of mine is a lemon as well.

Bud · « **Reply #34 on:** October 14, 2019, 02:35:38 am »

Consider modifying the working boards to match the device datasheet as i explained. It is not difficult.

SouthPark · « **Reply #35 on:** October 14, 2019, 06:02:49 am »

Quote from: Bud on October 14, 2019, 02:35:38 am

Consider modifying the working boards to match the device datasheet as i explained. It is not difficult.

Definitely will Bud. That's where I (and we, who purchased these ebay modules) must thank you in advance for teaching us ways to fix the issues with this particular ebay module.

I'm definitely going to use that information you showed to try fix my second ebay board - the suspected lemon - as it has no output at all on channels 0 to 3, despite having an Mclk output, and also despite having a 6.25 MHz Yclk output too.

And for the other 2 boards that are expected to arrive soon, I'll use the methods you showed to modify them - to get those to the right specs! Really appreciated.

Bud · « **Reply #36 on:** October 14, 2019, 01:33:55 pm »

I'd say modify the last two boards right away before turning them on. This way you will have an assurance they will not get damaged because of the dodgy wiring.

SouthPark · « **Reply #37 on:** October 15, 2019, 05:20:50 am »

Quote from: Bud on October 14, 2019, 01:33:55 pm

I'd say modify the last two boards right away before turning them on. This way you will have an assurance they will not get damaged because of the dodgy wiring.

I'll follow that recommendation Bud. The stats don't stack up in the favour of these boards --- given that you, me, and the other eevblog member got 1 lemon each.

ronbot · « **Reply #38 on:** June 21, 2020, 07:06:54 pm »

Has anyone seen this version of the PC bd? It appears to have an 8-pin SOIC amplifier at each Output... possibly a balanced-to-unbalanced (differential to single-ended) converter stage.

On the US eBay site:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=261659420294&_sacat=0

Bud · « **Reply #39 on:** June 23, 2020, 02:19:26 pm »

Link broken.

ronbot · « **Reply #40 on:** June 27, 2020, 06:03:57 pm »

Link works in the USA eBay site. Search eBay for "AD9959 4 Channel 200MHz DDS Signal Generator 500MSPS" (from China) and find one with that image... with the 8-pin SOIC near each output connector.

mb.raghavendra@gmail.com · « **Reply #41 on:** January 05, 2022, 02:29:17 pm »

There is different version of board and schematics been provided. hope this board is good ?

https://files.banggood.com/2017/12/SKU810658-AD9959-V2.0.zip

Bud · « **Reply #42 on:** January 05, 2022, 03:21:49 pm »

You can use information from this thread to check if the IC was connected correctly, if you buy this board. It is hard to tell from the photo. The Chinese often use copied designs having no clue how they are supposed to work.

Ultramarine · « **Reply #43 on:** June 03, 2023, 10:10:20 am »

A great post.Really helps me a lot.I made a AD9959 board for electronics design contest and I met a problem that totally same with you.It works when I bent it.Then I used high temperture to solder it again(about 400℃),it worked.This chip was bought from taobao and it was only $17.I think it might be stored too long or it is a batch of defective chip so it was sold to China users. :'(


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Author Topic: All you need to know about the Chinese AD9959 eBay board (Read 16863 times)

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