$20 LCR ESR Transistor checker project

[firepower]

Has any one wired a rotary encoder instead of push button?
I have just tried it, it physically fitted in same place,push button of rotary encoder fitted same pcb holes as push button, other unused holes of push button took the outer pins CLK & DATA of encoder, I wired the the centre GND to the GND plane after scratch clear some bare PCB copper.
2 10K SMD resisors connected to CLK and DATA to pullup of 5V and CLK and DATA connected to PD1 and PD3 via series 1K resistors as instructed in TTESTER
manual.
I have attached photos, but have remove the wires going to PD1 PD3, so you can see the silver solder vias for PD1 & PD3 connections. I plan to use 1K smd and kynar wire, this was just a quick test.

Does the software recognize rotary encoder by default ? or do You need to config the option in software and reflash firmware.
It is using firmware 1.12k

[firepower]

Looks like I need to add  CFLAGS += -DWITH ROTARY SWITCH=2 in the make file.
I have downloaded the GNU tarball from for my model board.
https://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/Software/trunk/mega328_GM328/

Is this all i need to run make file just the transistertester.hex and transistertester.eep ?

Will need to do more reading on how to do this, if anyone know a good tutorial or website for more info ?
but its after midnight now so i save this for another night.
At least I know its not my hardware at fault.

[con-f-use]

You will need to go through the options adjust them for your hardware. Some testers e.g. use a different divider ratio. Afterwards, you should calibrate your tester.

[firepower]

  LOL, I have gone through the make file, need info on actually how to create firmware and flash it.
once i can flash it it be easy to change ratio etc to get it working.
I will try and read out firmware and fuses first and save it if i can, so have a know starting point.

Only experince i have is programing Arduino Nano. (just starting to learn)

[firepower]

Found this stand alone ISP programmer, uses micro SD card for loading and saving files.
supports FAT16 and FAT32 file systems
-can read, write, verify flash and eeprom memory
-can read, write, verify fusebits and lockbits
-write and read to BIN, HEX, and TXT files
-can set default values of fusebits, erase memories

https://youtu.be/tg67HWwBRlY

Website has full write up about design and use.

http://mdiy.pl/uprog-maly-szybki-przenosny-programator-avr-z-sd/?lang=en

Plans and firmware in download at end of website.

[madires]

Nice stand-alone programmer! I've started with the BusPirate (quite slow) and switched to an inexpensive Diamex ALL-AVR which supports ISP, PDI and TWI in all flavours. And it survived several low caffeine situations, like ISP header reversed by 180 degrees. If you just need ISP you'll find tons of cheap programmers on the shopping platform of your choice.

[firepower]

Can you point me to a tutorial how to setup avrdude  and winavr and how to use make file to recompile , i am lost in how to setup all this.
I have flashed a Arduino nano to be an ArduinoISP.

[tom666]

Shortly

You must download the complete folder trunk:
http://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/Software/trunk/?view=tar

For edit and compilation you can use WinAVR:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/winavr/files/latest/download?source=files

Compilation (after editing the Makefile) will run the command "make" (from the command line in the appropriate folder).

For flashing MCU (ATmega328p) using the official ArduinoISP sketch you can use for example this following commands:

For writing only Flash:

Code: [Select]

avrdude -c avrisp -p m328p -P COM3 -b 19200 -e -U flash:w:"TransistorTester.hex":a -U eeprom:w:"TransistorTester.eep":a
For writing only Fuses (L=F7, H=D9, E=04):

Code: [Select]

avrdude -c avrisp -p m328p -P COM3 -b 19200 -U lfuse:w:0xF7:m -U hfuse:w:0xD9:m -U efuse:w:0x04:m
For writing Flash + Fuses (L=F7, H=D9, E=04):

Code: [Select]

avrdude -c avrisp -p m328p -P COM3 -b 19200 -e -U flash:w:"TransistorTester.hex":a -U eeprom:w:"TransistorTester.eep":a -U lfuse:w:0xF7:m -U hfuse:w:0xD9:m -U efuse:w:0x04:m
Note:
For proper operation it is important to use a baud rate of 19200 and set the correct number of the communication port for Arduino (-P COMx).

[tom666]

Thanks for the info, problem I'm having is how to start compile. Have win avr installed. And downloaded the complete trunk files. Do I open a file in winavr ? Main.c? Never done this before, and more I research the more I learn I don't know,  , I keep looking but any tips from those more experienced may save me a lot of confusion. Only experience I have is programming 8088 and 8051 in asm about 20 years ago.

reading this tutorial

http://www.8051projects.net/files/public/1242392126_2569_FT22383_avr_tutorial.pdf

You only need to edit the Makefile included in the appropriate directory. In your case, it is a folder mega328_GM328. For editing use Programmers Notepad - part of the WinAVR.

Then (after editing Makefile) directly from the folder mega328_GM328 you execute compile with the command make - just from the command line you write the command make and press Enter.

The appropriate folder will be added newly compiled files TransistorTester.hex and TransistorTester.eep.

[firepower]

Thanks tom666, I kind of worked it out, i have been thinking i have to compile in an ide or something. but re-reading your earlier post i did exactly as you typed, I can run make now using programmers notepad in winAVR to do the edit,  Now attempting to flash.

Thanks again for explaining again the steps. you have been a big help. 

[firepower]

I was able to flash it but it gave error of 103% used and flash failed, reflashed unedited hex and eep. and it working again.
enabling rotary encoder cause it to exceed size of micro rom

was not able to save original rom. if anyone has GM328A V1.12 rom can you please upload.

I modified the make file and have rotary encoder working 
had to remove terminal mode and tests 1-7 and store fonts and graphics in eeprom





 

[tom666]

WinAVR using an old version of AVR-GCC (4.3.3). You must use a newer AVR-GCC (4.8.1 or later).

Unless you have installed the latest version of the Arduino IDE, so just copy and rewrite everything, including subfolders of c:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\*.* to folder c:\WinAVR-20100110\.

Attached freshly compiled firmware (CFLAGS += -DWITH_ROTARY_SWITCH=2):

[firepower]

Thanks again Tom , i will copied arduino avr to win avr, I can run make and flash AVR now.  it made a masssive difference 103% reduced to 85%

Here is the mod wiring on the back of the PCB for the rotary encoder.

[lmantuano]

G'day!

just joined and already selfishly asking for help (have spent 2 hrs searching though)...  bought and received this :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261712659541

can't get it to work with the onboard AA battery,  won't turn on but with USB power works ok. 

Anyone out there with - or without - the same problem?

thanx

lm

[arnonh]

I think it is not for normal AA but for cylindrical lithium batteries that have higher voltage i think they are called  18650

[Gyro]

just joined and already selfishly asking for help (have spent 2 hrs searching though)

.

Don't worry, that's what just about everyone else's first post was too.
Apart from arnonh, who used his first post to help you! 

There seems to be a procedure shown in the 5th photo in the ebay listing for some sort 'battery activating' procedure by shorting a couple of pads with a pair of tweezers.

I must admit, I've thought it was a lithium battery too when I've been glancing through the listings. That same photo seems to make reference to charging. If it was supplied with the Tester and is plain blue like the one in the photo, it probably is a Lithium Ion.

[lmantuano]

OK,  SOLVED, thank you all for your input...
How..?   looked at more ebay listings (searched "M328 tester") and found the answer... AA size 3.7v Battery 14500 - not very common size (imagine putting one or 4/6 of these, by mistake, in place of 1.5/1.2v AAs...!).. 
Since I don't have one, I've tried with an external, more standard, 18650.  I "activated" the battery (shorted two pins as per instructions from yet a diff ebay seller) and all is good!! 
Cute little device, seems to work well, uses SMD 328 but there's no ISP connections..  looks real pretty next to my Quad DSO and Arduino bits and pieces.. Happy!
Grazie, ciao
Luigi M

[rr100]

USB and LiIon (I presume with charging), I wonder what's next...

[lmantuano]

USB for alternate powering and onboard battery charging..  no data lines connections from what I can see..

Found a flat (rectangular) Li-Ion 1000mAh battery which is the same length of an AA, but 1/3 thinner, fits well and securely in the batt holder, got it charged via USB and works perfectly.

One trick/hint, each time the batt is removed and re-installed, one needs to short the two pads (as shown in the ebay listings) to "re-activate" the batt.. I've actually soldered a micro-switch in that location..

On a slightly diff subject, the Karl-Heinz manual, talks about replacing a certain Zener with the appropriate 2.5v volt-ref diode, as in the original design.. I'm looking into that and, if anyone had practical experience re that, I'd love to hear it..

lm

[madires]

On a slightly diff subject, the Karl-Heinz manual, talks about replacing a certain Zener with the appropriate 2.5v volt-ref diode, as in the original design.. I'm looking into that and, if anyone had practical experience re that, I'd love to hear it..

The TransistorTester supports an optional 2.5V voltage reference connected to PC4. It's used to measure the offset of Vcc and will increase the accuracy. A LT1004 or LM4040 would be fine. Some of the Chinese clones got a simple zener as voltage reference, which makes things worse than better. If you got such a clone remove the zener anyway.

[tom666]

On a slightly diff subject, the Karl-Heinz manual, talks about replacing a certain Zener with the appropriate 2.5v volt-ref diode, as in the original design ...

This applies only to older Chinese testers with text display panel. Your tester contains a 2.5V reference.

... but there's no ISP connections ...

Your tester has the ability to program the MCU via the ISP. See attached picture from the official discussion forum:
http://www.mikrocontroller.net/topic/248078?page=7#4087263

[lmantuano]

Excellent, so the ISP connection is done with unused pins from the display daughter board...  better start learning about ISP and programmers then...

thank you all again

lm

[Alex1]

Anyone have any idea what might be causing mine to display an underscore at the end of the text?

The attached photos demonstrate what is happening, that underscore is always present after the last character.

[f1rmb]

Hi,

Anyone have any idea what might be causing mine to display an underscore at the end of the text?

The attached photos demonstrate what is happening, that underscore is always present after the last character.

It's just the LCD cursor.

Cheers.
---
Daniel

[Alex1]

Hi,

Anyone have any idea what might be causing mine to display an underscore at the end of the text?

The attached photos demonstrate what is happening, that underscore is always present after the last character.

It's just the LCD cursor.

Cheers.
---
Daniel

What would cause it to be displayed? It doesn't blink and on other units I've seen that are the same as this one it doesn't show up.