FeelTech FY6600 60MHz 2-Ch VCO Function Arbitrary Waveform Signal Generator

[rhb]

I scavenged a 3 prong from a dead PC PS which allowed me to keep the original switch.  The downside was a bunch of fiddle to fit a scrap of the PS case as reinforcement for the back panel.

[cybermaus]

Similar. But I did at least put some insulation for anti-touch.
Because I suspect I may be busy inside the device more then outside it 

[rhb]

Yeah.  But mine borked itself before I got the screws back in the case.  I'd run it for a few hours on the bench with a scope and counter hooked up looking at various signals., particularly the ground to ground voltage.  Turned it off and went to bed.  Next day the UI was buggered.  So not much incentive to complete the task until I get a new front panel.

[ArthurDent]

Changing the A.C. connector on the back of the FY6600 from a 2-wire to a 3-wire is a very good idea but I don’t see an advantage to getting a connecter/filter. Almost every SMPS has a built-in filter so adding another one wouldn’t hurt but I see no benefit. Even the crappy existing SMPS that came with the FY6600 has a capacitor across the input and a common mode dual inductor in series with the A.C. line and that would probably be acceptable but if you replace the crappy SMPS with a good one it will have a filter that probably would be identical to the Mouser LCR-082 that was mentioned.

Here is a schematic of a generalized SMPS showing a typical built-in line filter with the Mouser filter as an insert to show how alike they are. All the SMPSs I tried had a well-designed input filter like the ones shown as well as inductors in the output lines for additional filtering.

[cybermaus]

Indeed, you can see that filter on the photo's above: the black/copper colored horizontal coil on the left, above the yellow capacitor, and to the right of the white connector.

I did add a ferrite beat myself, because I had them anyway, and also I was fighting noise on my scope at that time.

(Turned out to be the 1200x300 office LED panel attached to the ceiling. Weird, because that was not a china purchase but an expensive one bought from a professional office outfitter. just goes to show: if you pay a lot, you may still get the Chinese crap, just someone else has a big margin for putting on a label)

[ArthurDent]

Cybermaus, your story about the overhead LED lighting causing interference reminds me of a slightly off topic story that is somewhat the same. A guy I met while hiking the Appalachian Trail and I would see each other every few years at some of the yearly hiker gatherings. He had lost his right arm above the elbow many years before and had a hook for his right hand. He was so adept at using the hook that he could open pop-top beverage cans with ease. Once when we were at one of these events sitting around enjoying an adult beverage he told me about how he had been involved with some of the early experiments on using nerve impulses to control a more natural looking robotic arm. He told me that one of the problems the designers ran into on the early prototypes was that when he would walk under a florescent light fixture that the RFI from the light would cause the robotic arm to go crazy and lurch uncontrollably.  Some shielding of the arm electronics cured that unforeseen problem. I still smile when I visualize him walking under a light.

[DC1MC]

If everything goes OK, this guy will be able to fit in (kindly please confirm it for me, if anyone has an open case), and I trust more its medical device and test instruments rated filter and the dual pole switch, if I've seen correctly the original switch only breaks one wire, and I have a feeling that I'll be busy inside as well and it's not impossible that I'll replace the original PS:

http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/355/FN%209264-1036108.pdf looking at the 1A version: FN 9264-xx-1-06-y

On the other side, I think I've really scared my distributor, because I've told them that if I got one with a bad firmware they will suffer a lot, and I think they wait for a new lot with updated firmware. Or of course they are just rectums.

Finally I'm thinking of replacing the back panel with a piece of nicely anodized aluminum, do you think it's a good idea ?

[DC1MC]

Hey, look what I've found thid morning in my Inbox (chinglish spelling and grammar unaltered):

Dear customer,
Hope you rae doing fine.
Thank you for your question.
Okay. Sure. The item owns the latest 3.2 version.
Have great day
Best regards

So did anyone ever see this elusive 3.2 firmware version, should I go for it ?

[beanflying]

From the Factory on the 4th of November "The latest firmware of the instrument is version 4.2 ."

Also

"DC deviations can only be corrected by updating firmware. " which as per an earlier post of mine isn't quite correct. What I suspect they mean is we have a rough stab at the trimpots then correct it in software.

[DC1MC]

Really, this is actually from Feeltech  ?!?!?

Bloody hell, as Lucifer said,  time to have a serious conversation with those guys , thanks for sharing.

 So about the DC bias, it's actually stable but it has an offset against the programmed value that needs to be compensated in SW, or it drifts away while operating ?

 Thanks,
 DC1MC

From the Factory on the 4th of November "The latest firmware of the instrument is version 4.2 ."

Also

"DC deviations can only be corrected by updating firmware. " which as per an earlier post of mine isn't quite correct. What I suspect they mean is we have a rough stab at the trimpots then correct it in software.

[beanflying]

Since I sorted the bias it has stayed close to what it was set at allowing for tempco etc.... Certainly a lot better than when I got it.

[DC1MC]

Counter reply form the distributor:

"Hope you are doing fine.

Oh, sorry. The factory staff said the device embraces 3.2 firmware version, and it's the latest version at present.
Hope you could udnerstand that.

Have a great day
Best regards"

[beanflying]

Well someone is in error then 

[DC1MC]

The plot thickens, I've send them the picture (and also made myself an inquiry to Feeltech), and reminding them about warranty law in Germany (they'll have to support the costs of updating), let's see what comes out of it.  Maybe dome price decrease  .

 Thanks a lot,
 DC1MC

Well someone is in error then 

[cybermaus]

Could be a simple typo. 3 vs 4 would make them both claim 3.2. I hope you are not under the impression a lot of effort and care went into that email.
I would find 3.2 more believable then 4.2, as everyone else in seemed to have gotten 2.9; 3.0; 3.1 devices

Of course, I would not recommend buying the device anyway. Not rewarding Feeltech until they do some actual warranty repairs rather then promising them.
Mine is still working, but every time I turn it on I worry.

[jleg]

I'd also say this is a typo - 3.2 seems to be confirmed from various sides, and i never heard from a 4.x version...

Btw, Feeltech requested my seller's name/address, because they "will help me to handle it". What ever that means, it does not sound like "we'll send a new front panel"...

[Mr. Scram]

The plot thickens, I've send them the picture (and also made myself an inquiry to Feeltech), and reminding them about warranty law in Germany (they'll have to support the costs of updating), let's see what comes out of it.  Maybe dome price decrease  .

 Thanks a lot,
 DC1MC

Why would Feeltech be bound to German warranty laws?

[Diabolo]

Hello,

Have customs taxes been paid ?

Diabolo

[khach]

I that any hardware difference between 60MHz,50 MHz, 30 MHz and 15 MHz version of  FY6600? Is low frequency version upgradable by hack  to  high frequency version?

[DC1MC]

Why would Feeltech be bound to German warranty laws?
[/quote]

Feeltech couldn't give a rat behind about German warranty laws, the seller of the device on the other side does, because it sells this stuff form inside Germany, with VAT and invoice.

[DC1MC]

Most certain is a typo, but I wanted to have them admit that they will support the upgrade expenses if it's not the right version (I have doubts that is even 3.2), we'll see.

Could be a simple typo. 3 vs 4 would make them both claim 3.2. I hope you are not under the impression a lot of effort and care went into that email.
I would find 3.2 more believable then 4.2, as everyone else in seemed to have gotten 2.9; 3.0; 3.1 devices

Of course, I would not recommend buying the device anyway. Not rewarding Feeltech until they do some actual warranty repairs rather then promising them.
Mine is still working, but every time I turn it on I worry.

[DC1MC]

I that any hardware difference between 60MHz,50 MHz, 30 MHz and 15 MHz version of  FY6600? Is low frequency version upgradable by hack  to  high frequency version?

Could be, but now the price difference is that small that it's not worth the effort to lose the warranty (the firmware isn't fully stable yet) and hack it for ca. 18-20EUR gain.

[DC1MC]

Huh ?!?! What are trying to say here ?

Hello,

Have customs taxes been paid ?

Diabolo

[Chris56000]

Hi!

Has anybody tried modernising their FY6600 with one of these:–

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Multi-channel-Linear-DC-Power-Supply-Module-3-3V-5V-12V-Adjustable-Output/262612931341?hash=item3d24f3530d:g:ZgYAAOSw8oFXz3Vu

Are they capable of supplying the necessary power requirements of the unit? I'm thinking of replacing the cheap and horrible SMPSU with one of these linear modules with the advantage of transformer isolation!

Chris Williams

[Mr. Scram]

Hi!

Has anybody tried modernising their FY6600 with one of these:–

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Multi-channel-Linear-DC-Power-Supply-Module-3-3V-5V-12V-Adjustable-Output/262612931341?hash=item3d24f3530d:g:ZgYAAOSw8oFXz3Vu

Are they capable of supplying the necessary power requirements of the unit? I'm thinking of replacing the cheap and horrible SMPSU with one of these linear modules with the advantage of transformer isolation!

Chris Williams

I think you'd have to ask yourself whether you really want to hook up an unmarked and unknown Chinese power supply to mains.