$20 LCR ESR Transistor checker project

[CheckOne Two]

The problem is the Zif connector on the development/evaluation board is not compatible with Atmega328 and so I am asking what other cheap Atmega328 compatible board I could use with the USBasp programmer and cable.

Are you just stating that the ATMega328 is a 28 pin chip and the ZIF socket on the programmer is a 40 pin socket?  I'm not sure how the ZIF board is wired - so I wouldn't use it (40 pin ATMEGA16 has VCC on 10, but 28 pin ATMEGA328 has it on 7), but you can use the USB programmer piece and use jumper wires to a breadboard from the 10 pin connector on the other end.

See page 12 of the guide here:  http://www.hmangas.com/Electronica/Datasheets/USBasp/AVR-USBasp%20User%20Manual.pdf for pin wiring.

I see the kit also comes with a 10-6 pin adapter so you could also use it and wire like here: http://www.chicoree.fr/w/images/b/b8/ATmega328P-ISP.png

Aha ... yes that is what I am saying, I ordered the wrong dev board by not paying attention to the whole listing. You have answered the question I was wondering about while I was writing it. So I can make my own 328 connector ?

Ok I'm off for a look at your links ... thanks 

[CheckOne Two]

See page 12 of the guide here:  http://www.hmangas.com/Electronica/Datasheets/USBasp/AVR-USBasp%20User%20Manual.pdf for pin wiring.

I see the kit also comes with a 10-6 pin adapter so you could also use it and wire like here: http://www.chicoree.fr/w/images/b/b8/ATmega328P-ISP.png

Wow ... is it really as easy as that and nothing more is required? 

[timelessbeing]

The socket is 21 pin ... chop the end off the zif socket ... There's only 5 pins that you really need anyway.

Oops! The Mega16 is 44 pin. Forget the part about chopping.

In that case it should be fair easy to make the board you have to work. You might need to cut some traces and add bodge wires. Just make sure the chip gets 5V and ground on the proper pins, as well as the 4 SPI: MOSI, MISO, SCK, RST. (From datasheet)

Here ya go... only $1.70
https://www.ebay.com/itm/291550040876

[pepe10000]

ATmega8 ATmega48 ATMEGA88 Development Board AVR DIY Kit + USBASP AVR AC-PG-USBASP-UG-V2.0 (inside a box printed in 3D) programming one of my ATMEGA328P-PU for an AY-AT tester.

A greeting.

[indman]

Hi, everybody!
I picked up a new firmware revision 790  from Karl-Heinz  for the device BsideESR02 and DTU-1701. In archive 2 firmwares with English language and a font 8x12 and 8x15, different in thickness. The bootpage for convenient use of a device is also a little edited.In the photo 2 different versions fonts of a firmware with Russian are only for evident comparing.

[BroMarduk]

Wow ... is it really as easy as that and nothing more is required? 

That's how we did it in the "old" days with just a breadboard and jumper wires!

Full disclosure, I NOW have multiple ZIF sockets - which come in handy when programming chips in bulk.

Dan

[BroMarduk]

BTW, if you find yourself programming the chips often, having the socket boards is great.   They have the power LED and reset buttons to make things easier.   Just keep in mind that most of the cheap prices are kits and by the time you build and test the kit, you could have run the jumpers to the breadboard multiple times .

[CheckOne Two]

Thanks for the help and suggestions all!

The dev board kits are too expensive here in the UK and I can't be bothered waiting for delivery from far east ...

So I think I'll just wire up a spare 28 pin Zif socket as per the wiring diagrams above and we'll see if I can get my head around programming the new firmware with AVRDUDE in win10 

If anybody has a link to a complete step by step tutorial that would be relevant for programming the transistor tester's firmware onto a 328 controller that would be of great help to me.

I know it's probably really easy ... I've just never done it before and would like to be sure the instructions I'm following are relevant for this application.

[timelessbeing]

Step 1 - download & extract the program package (posted on first page of this topic). Read the readme.

Step 2 - Find the directory containing the firmware appropriate for your flavour of clone and flash it to your 328.
(search eevblog forum for "transistor checker avrdude" for the commands)

[CheckOne Two]

Ok ... I've got it programming properly now 

[madires]

A quick update on the remote commands. After checking different ways to design a command interface the most suitable method is to simply follow the component output processing. Any other method would increase the RAM usage significantly. So far I've implemented a few basic commands like returning the firmware version for example. The interesting part is how to get the probing results. It's going to be a bunch of commands for retrieving specific information or values. After probing a component you'd issue a "COMP" to get the type of component (resistor, BJT, ...). Then another command to get the pinout or other details. So we will have a dedicated command for each information or value. This allows you to retrieve specific details without fetching everything. If you want to select or sort resistors you'd simply get the component type, and if it's a resistor then get the resistance value. It should be fairly simple to write a script or app for specific tasks. Please let me know if I missed anything or if you see any problems.

[dathjeugjaqn]

Hi everybody! I am not an avr programmer but I have bought a multi function tester TC1 from china. but it does not work now. Show only white screen. Who has the TC1 firmware for me please file? thanks a lot!

[timelessbeing]

Who has the TC1 firmware for me please file?

Just look 3 posts behind yours.

[Messtechniker]

Any other method would increase the RAM usage significantly.

Which TT circuit are you using? Surely not one with the venerable 328 since utilisation
of its capacity is already basically at 100% and there is no TTL input pin either. 
I'd like to know in order to get ready for programming the command output.

[madires]

I'm testing the bidirectional TTL serial interface and the remote commands on an ATmega644 dev board (similar to the 644 circuit in Karl-Heinz' documentation). I've posted the circuit diagram a while ago. A 328 might work too if you disable most additional features and use a I2C display to free up pins for the serial interface. After adding the remote commands I'll be able to give you a number.

[dathjeugjaqn]

IIRC, the Z180SN009 is based on the ST7735S. That controller supports up to 132x162 dots but the LCDs are 128x160 usually. A 128x160 LCD module could be wired starting at different addresses. Additionally the ST7735S has three pins for setting the LCD's resolution to either 132x162 or 128x160 which implies a specific wiring offset (moved to the mid). Maybe there are 128x160 modules wired starting at 1x1 but set to 132x162. When directions are flipped we'd get offset problems. So we need an option to shift x and y by the module specific offsets to cope with all the possible variations. And there's still the issue with the additional MCU controlling some important signals. Does anyone like to sponsor a TC-1 for reverse engineering and testing?

Can you give me the firmware of TC1?

[madires]

Sorry, I don't have a copy of the TC1's firmware.

[indman]

I don't know why your tester reads larger caps a few percent low, but you could change the correction factor. Look for following lines in function LargeCap() in cap.c:

Code: [Select]

    if (Mode & PULL_10MS) Value /= 109;   /* -9% for large cap */
    else Value /= 104;                    /* -4% for mid-sized cap */

Large cap means capacitance > 47µF, and mid-sized cap 4.7 - 47µF. Simply lower the divisor to get a higher capacitance value.

Hi,madires!Whether there is an opportunity to make the same correction for capacitance lower than 4.7 µF?

[madires]

Yes, that's going to be CAP_FACTOR_SMALL. I've already added CAP_FACTOR_MID and CAP_FACTOR_LARGE to set the correction factors for the other measurement ranges in case someone wants to adjust them.

[timelessbeing]

I have added a protection relay to my tester. It is essentially the same as described in the KHK manual.

I'm using Markus 1.32 firmware, and I have enabled "#define HW_DISCHARGE_RELAY" in config.h

But the relay does not energize when I test a component. I know my gizmo works, because if I manually apply 5V to PC4, I can hear the relay click.

Any ideas?

[shyney]

Hello everybody,

I'm a beginner in electronics and that's why I thought this tester is pretty handy for me.
I ordered one from AliExpress and since I own a 3D Printer I thought that I can print a case for it by searching for stl files on thingiverse.
Unfortunately I can't find any Stl files for my particular model. I would really appreciate if someone of you who already owns a stl file would share it with me.
This is the model I own:
https://imgur.com/a/7XLNXCI

[pepe10000]

Hello everybody,

I'm a beginner in electronics and that's why I thought this tester is pretty handy for me.
I ordered one from AliExpress and since I own a 3D Printer I thought that I can print a case for it by searching for stl files on thingiverse.
Unfortunately I can't find any Stl files for my particular model. I would really appreciate if someone of you who already owns a stl file would share it with me.
This is the model I own:
https://imgur.com/a/7XLNXCI

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/show-us-your-$20-transistor-tester-enclosures-and-mods/50/

A greeting.

[madires]

I have added a protection relay to my tester. It is essentially the same as described in the KHK manual.

I'm using Markus 1.32 firmware, and I have enabled "#define HW_DISCHARGE_RELAY" in config.h

But the relay does not energize when I test a component. I know my gizmo works, because if I manually apply 5V to PC4, I can hear the relay click.

Any ideas?

Does your tester have a rotary encoder?

[KD0CAC John]

I bought one of the 328 testers a few yrs. ago , haven't done any firmware upgrades , generally works well .
Question is , looking to build a new kit for several reasons , if I try to change firmware [ not proficient with programing etc. ] so not wanting to make my current unit unusable so the interest in finding a newer maybe better unit to build and update , also would like to get one that either comes with a case , or has one available - but I like the surface mount test-bed , so want it .
Maybe trying to have my cake & eat it too , having plugin connectors for more versatile use , neither to eliminate the lockable holder .
I've search here & eBay for options , but get lost in the high volume of pages here & different descriptions on eBay .
Related , lots of forums subject get popular / lengthy and seem that they could benefit from some type of outline for those  that like me came early - and then came back late , or those that just came late ?
Hopefully this helps ?
Thanks for all that have put lots of work into this .       

[timelessbeing]

@madires

Yes, on PD1 & PD3.