Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Vince]

Checked a few French hobby tretailers... nope. Oh, finally found one :

https://www.e44.com/composants/composants-actifs/circuits-integres/circuits-integres-logiques-ttl/serie-74hct/ic-digital-bcd-up-counter-channels-2-dip16-74HCT4518.html

Looks like your store only allows the purchase of two, but I need three!

Don't you know it only takes two of a species to make babies and grow a familly and populate an entire planet ?
Buy these two and get them to reproduce ! 

https://www.haje.nl/product_info.php/view/all/sort/3a/products_id/2202

They got the stuff, but with 30euro shipping charge for international shipping.....

Well you could get some Dutch TEA fellow to buy them locally then ship them to you in Japan ? But would that really turn out cheaper ?
I can keep searching on-lie for French retailers to see if I can find some more, but then I have no idea how much it would cost to ship a small padded enveloppe to Japan fro France ?!
I can look in to that if really you are that serious / desperate on this subject ! 

[BU508A]

Also, when you are digging through your TTL chips, if you come across some 74HCT4518 chips, I needs them, I'll buy them from you immediately.

https://www.haje.nl/product_info.php/view/all/sort/3a/products_id/2202

HTH

They got the stuff, but with 30euro shipping charge for international shipping.....

I've ordered 10 of them for 4 Euro shipping. If you want some, I can send them to you in an air cushion envelope. No idea how much it'll be to .jp.

[McBryce]

And now, from the vault: my home built Willem(PCB3) programmer; I have the schematics, pdf PCB, dos/win programs; I've checked the timestamps, the newest is from 2002.
I will post them, once Vince present a working load on blue PCB 

HMMMMM !!! Putting pressure on me I see !! I am up for a challenge !! 

However I am not sure I deserve this.... it's way too sophisticated, luxurious for me : can program rather than just read. Has fancy things like DIP switches, LEDs, even a ocal voltage regulator with cute tiny little heat sink...

I will use yours in the short term THEN later I will take some time to try to design my own as well for fun ! 

I made the single sided PCB3 version back then too. There's been a few unofficial updates since then to add USB power and/or support further chips. You can find all versions plus the latest software here: https://www.mpu51.com/eprom/eprom.html

McBryce.

[TERRA Operative]

Checked a few French hobby tretailers... nope. Oh, finally found one :

https://www.e44.com/composants/composants-actifs/circuits-integres/circuits-integres-logiques-ttl/serie-74hct/ic-digital-bcd-up-counter-channels-2-dip16-74HCT4518.html

Looks like your store only allows the purchase of two, but I need three!

Don't you know it only takes two of a species to make babies and grow a familly and populate an entire planet ?
Buy these two and get them to reproduce ! 

That's what all my other junk here seems to do.

https://www.haje.nl/product_info.php/view/all/sort/3a/products_id/2202

They got the stuff, but with 30euro shipping charge for international shipping.....

Well you could get some Dutch TEA fellow to buy them locally then ship them to you in Japan ? But would that really turn out cheaper ?
I can keep searching on-lie for French retailers to see if I can find some more, but then I have no idea how much it would cost to ship a small padded enveloppe to Japan fro France ?!
I can look in to that if really you are that serious / desperate on this subject ! 

No idea on cost of shipping these days.....

Also, when you are digging through your TTL chips, if you come across some 74HCT4518 chips, I needs them, I'll buy them from you immediately.

https://www.haje.nl/product_info.php/view/all/sort/3a/products_id/2202

HTH

They got the stuff, but with 30euro shipping charge for international shipping.....

I've ordered 10 of them for 4 Euro shipping. If you want some, I can send them to you in an air cushion envelope. No idea how much it'll be to .jp.

I would take at least 3, up to 10 even to make it worthwhile....

[BU508A]

I would take at least 3, up to 10 even to make it worthwhile....

When I have them, I'll let you know. We can figure out then the details.

[Vince]

And now, from the vault: my home built Willem(PCB3) programmer; I have the schematics, pdf PCB, dos/win programs; I've checked the timestamps, the newest is from 2002.
I will post them, once Vince present a working load on blue PCB 

HMMMMM !!! Putting pressure on me I see !! I am up for a challenge !! 

However I am not sure I deserve this.... it's way too sophisticated, luxurious for me : can program rather than just read. Has fancy things like DIP switches, LEDs, even a ocal voltage regulator with cute tiny little heat sink...

I will use yours in the short term THEN later I will take some time to try to design my own as well for fun ! 

I made the single sided PCB3 version back then too. There's been a few unofficial updates since then to add USB power and/or support further chips. You can find all versions plus the latest software here: https://www.mpu51.com/eprom/eprom.html

McBryce.

Oh thanks for that !

So it's quite a well known design then, I see !
Can even test static RAM chips, that's handy !
Can even program some little PIC or AVR MCU's, handy as well 

Hmm... me interested ! 

[alm]

For a more modern version of the Willem programmer that works with modern PCs, see https://www.mcumall.com/. It's a competitor to the XGecu T48 (TL866 3rd generation) programmer.

[McBryce]

And now, from the vault: my home built Willem(PCB3) programmer; I have the schematics, pdf PCB, dos/win programs; I've checked the timestamps, the newest is from 2002.
I will post them, once Vince present a working load on blue PCB 

HMMMMM !!! Putting pressure on me I see !! I am up for a challenge !! 

However I am not sure I deserve this.... it's way too sophisticated, luxurious for me : can program rather than just read. Has fancy things like DIP switches, LEDs, even a ocal voltage regulator with cute tiny little heat sink...

I will use yours in the short term THEN later I will take some time to try to design my own as well for fun ! 

I made the single sided PCB3 version back then too. There's been a few unofficial updates since then to add USB power and/or support further chips. You can find all versions plus the latest software here: https://www.mpu51.com/eprom/eprom.html

McBryce.

Oh thanks for that !

So it's quite a well known design then, I see !
Can even test static RAM chips, that's handy !
Can even program some little PIC or AVR MCU's, handy as well 

Hmm... me interested ! 

Yes, in the 90's many people were building these for themselves, especially as sources for cheap electronics such as AliExpress and others didn't exist back then and a "real" EPROM programmer was well above most hobbyists budget.

McBryce.

[BU508A]

Yes, in the 90's many people were building these for themselves, especially as sources for cheap electronics such as AliExpress and others didn't exist back then and a "real" EPROM programmer was well above most hobbyists budget.

McBryce.

elrad 11/1979 - EPROM programmer, page 29 ff.

Found this dubious source for a 26MByte pdf scan of this journal:
https://hi.1lib.limited/book/5750929/a9e6a1?dsource=recommend

[Vince]

BU, the link does not work here... is it just me  ?!

[alm]

The link works fine for me. Press the blue button to download.

[Vince]

Ah, OK. Here Firefox says it is unable to connect to that server...

[Robert763]

My "CAD" was limited to a pen with special ink that you could use to draw tracks by hand directly onto a bare copper board, then etch it with that horrible chemical that I have no idea how to translate the name of in English. That horrible yellow brown stuff that eats your clothes instantly when you have even just a drip of the stuff on your T-shirt. Freaking scary stuff. I am glad these days are over. Really nasty stuff.

Ferric Chloride is what the memory cells seek from way back when we didn't really have anything else.

I found an alternative etchant in the ARRL "Handbook" in the late seventies. So I ordered 5kg of ammonium perchlorate and 50g of mercury chloride from the local chemical supplier (this was for work). In return we got a visit from the police
I was in Northern Ireland at the time and apparently a new customer ordering a strong oxidiser and a mercury salt tripped an alarm.  After some questions and showing them the handbook we got or chemicals. It works well but properly disposing of a solution containg copper and mercury is a big problem.

[Bud]

My "CAD" was limited to a pen with special ink that you could use to draw tracks by hand directly onto a bare copper board, then etch it with that horrible chemical that I have no idea how to translate the name of in English. That horrible yellow brown stuff that eats your clothes instantly when you have even just a drip of the stuff on your T-shirt. Freaking scary stuff. I am glad these days are over. Really nasty stuff.

Ferric chloride was a God's Send back in a day. Calling it freakey nasty stuff is a crime against all greybeard DIY'-ers.

Edit: And by the way, in the current geopolitical sh!t it may be a good idea to come and grab a bottle. MG Chemicals still makes and sells it.

[Zoli]

...
Yes, in the 90's many people were building these for themselves, especially as sources for cheap electronics such as AliExpress and others didn't exist back then and a "real" EPROM programmer was well above most hobbyists budget.

McBryce.

Just chiming in from Vince's stash: 10X ATMega128A + 5X FTDI232RL winked on me.
Programmer: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/195150181964 official shop for less then 60 euro, free shipping.

[jxjbsd]

Recently I got a beautiful TEK314 storage oscilloscope, but the front-end magnified IC (155-0050) seems to have failed. Fortunately, Tektronix provided a complete circuit diagram of the IC. So I decided to use a small patch component to make one with the same function. Drawing, wiring, receiving PCB, welding, plugging in, very good, there is a display, but the range is not right, after adjusting the DC current and magnification, everything is normal. You can put it on the shelf with satisfaction.
The attachment is the production document of TEK 155 0050 imitation PCB, and BJT is MMBT3904

[Ice-Tea]

[Vince]

...
Yes, in the 90's many people were building these for themselves, especially as sources for cheap electronics such as AliExpress and others didn't exist back then and a "real" EPROM programmer was well above most hobbyists budget.

McBryce.

Just chiming in from Vince's stash: 10X ATMega128A + 5X FTDI232RL winked on me.
Programmer: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/195150181964 official shop for less then 60 euro, free shipping.

Hmmm, thanks for that. Read their sales pitch. So this  " T48 " is the new kid on the block, the improved successor to the TL886 that ruled the DIY market for the last many years, they say.
Yet the price is cheaper than the TL866...

Says it can program MCU's as well, AVR, PIC and even that good old 8051 I am so nostalgic of, as I learned micros on it at school. We had a development board based on a 8XC552 I remember, a big PLCC package. Also another dev board with an actual 8X51 in DIP package.

Says it can do the old stuff I like like PAL/GAL and Vpp up to 25V ! Woohoo....

For only 70 Yankee bucks they sell the programmer with USB cable and a bucket load of adapters for old PLCC packages and modern SMD stuff. They even give you the nifty little tool to extract the PLCC packages, how thoughtful.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/313335729350

I will have to see for much I can get that cool bundle in Europe. We usually get ripped off...

OK so out with the TL866 and in with the T48 then, it seems...

Thanks for keeping me up to date Zoli ! 

[pcprogrammer]

We had a development board based on a 8XC552 I remember a big PLCC package.

You mean something like this?



Edit: Copyright 1993 by HiTech Equipment Corp. A SBC552 Revision D.

[Vince]

Yes, exactly that 

[crgarcia]

I need advice from a professional TEA therapy coach to find a good excuse to not to buy this:



I know I don't have space for it, and I don't need it, and I can buy a more modern one for the same price... but... but...

link to the publication: https://www.ricardo.ch/de/a/soldering-microscope-1213926126/

[Vince]

Cool vintage charm to it, I say buy it ! Since you don't have the space for it, it will lead you to building an extension to your house, or move to a larger house... then you will have space to buy even MORE stuff !!! 

[factory]

HP 5090B update, more reverse engineering, as the manual is unobtainium.

This is the 200kc amplifier board, 05090-701 Rev.A, this uses all silicon transistors, the older '5090A' variant uses all germanium transistors on the equivalent board.



Diagram probably contains errors.



David

[salvagedcircuitry]

Greetings my TEA brethren
Do you think a broken 3ghz Agilent Dso80304b is worth $1500 in unknown state? I realize the individual channel asics are rather costly and not user friendly to replace. However, every single dso80k can be unlocked to a full 13ghz.
Debating whether to add to my collection or save for another day. 

[Ice-Tea]

I was googling for an 'insides' picture of this scope and ended up with a tweet from this "salvaged circuitry" dude 

Anyhow, the series of scopes before this had capacitor plague issues on the ATX mobos. If it's that, it would be an easy fix. Do you have any info about failure mode?