ESR meter upgrades

[eccerr0r]

Re: component testers

Not quite two zeners... at least to prove if it works properly.

Plus these component testers don't directly do high voltage zeners either...

Speaking of weird devices, it probably can't figure out tunnel diodes either.

[stj]

Re: component testers

some testers have dc-dc convertors to test zeners upto 30 or even 50v
i'm looking at one that may make a good starting platform, but it would still need a rotary encoder and a better cpu.

[eccerr0r]

Re: component testers

Right, but those dc-dc converters are not well suited for testing DIACs
(Effectively the best thing for testing DIACs is a curve tracer type functionality...)

[stj]

Re: component testers

well if the output was controlled by an analog pin on the cpu that could be done.

[redwire]

Re: component testers

I reprogrammed AY-AT/ST7735 20MHz xtal and it seems to work fine. I have to play around with it more. It's a small font.

ARVDUDE does not work with Atmel AVRISP MkII, it's a years old bug, something about the USB driver. Wasted hours going down that rabbit hole. In the end, I had to have Zadig rollback to its old Win7 USB driver to get it to work. Otherwise the usual "No USB device found" error in AVRDUDE
I might get/make USBASP as a backup, with the 6-pin cable.

stj thanks for posting the files.

[ducky29]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

Has anyone ever tried the GME model 236 sold by TEquipment.NET ? Does it test in circuit like it claims?

[brethin]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

Has anyone ever tried the GME model 236 sold by TEquipment.NET ? Does it test in circuit like it claims?

Nothing can test in circuit accurately due to other components effecting it.

[lotec25]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

So witch meter is best to buy at this time? I seen this one recommended a page back

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32832292103.html

Is there a post that states what items are needed to mod it to where it can be used with the new firmware that has been written?

Thanks

[stj]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

that question depends on if you want to just use it,
or if you intend to do upgrades & stuff.

[lotec25]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

stj,
I would like one to upgrade and mess around with. Can you recommend one? and a link to what parts i should look for?

[stj]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

hard to say right now.
i'm personally leaning towards the TC1 because it can take a bigger mcu,
now just to get it up to current standards it will need a rotary encoder and a new voltage reference (LM4040) just to start.

but as a base, it's nice - fully cased with a colour display and lithium battery inside.
there is lots of pictures and stuff here:
https://yadi.sk/d/yW8xa5NJgUo5z

[lotec25]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

How many pins does the rotary encoder need for the TC1?

[stj]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

the same as any other, 2.
but they are shared with the other things anyway - pincount is not the issue - size of the flash is.
all the cheap testers have 32k, we want more than that.
now here is the issue, most testers use the atmega328p and that has 32pins.
we cant get a better chip with that pincount.

the tc1 is different - it uses the atmega324 and that has 44pins.
we can get 64k chips in that package.

[Per Hansson]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

The M644 based one is nice if you want to have a full-featured model.
I have bought one and really like it, I have not tinkered with the firmware on it though.
Vince linked this one a page back, I bought mine on eBay but that auction does not exist anymore...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/M644...912063006.html

[stj]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

i looked at that one before, on banggood.

not bad but no colour display.
i want colour display because it has better contrast and a noticably higher resolution.

[TheOnlyDocc]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

I hope you can help me. I am searching for a new Tester. After moving to a new location i can not find my old gm-328 (modded with new quarz. . . .).
I am not planing to mod the new one. But i was checking what is available out there and found a version with PWM Generator (would be helpfull when working with leds /modding led circuits). https://www.banggood.com/de/9-12V-DC...r_warehouse=CN
But the version i found on Banggood seems to have some problems (comment from the reviews:firmware don't fit with the resistors divider/The software came as version 1.13k but there are much newer versions available

[Jatsekku]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

Hi guys! Could someone point me out the newest version of tester (hardware and software as well)? Maybe the newest is not a good term, I think most advanced version will be better description.
I would like to develop new version based on STM32, but there is so many version as far that I don't even know which one I should treat as reference for my design.

[Per Hansson]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

The idea behind the "transistor tester" project is to make something with as few external components as possible perform the required job.
In the case of the tester this relies on a 5v compatible ADC.
The STM32 is much more expensive, and also a 3.3v device.
I'm not saying it can't be done: of course it can, but it takes the project in a different direction than what the authors intended.

As for the "latest tester" or "best tester" this rotinely comes up over at the long eevblog thread.
I think the M644 based version I linked in my previous post above hits a good balance of cost vs features.
But it of course depends on what features you want, there is for example the BSIDE version that I have too, in a quite nice case.
But it uses the regular Atmega 328 controller instead.

[stj]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

if you want to build one, start here:
https://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnb...nsistortester/

but arm based chips wont work, they only have 3.3v outputs - you need 5v

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: ESR meter upgrades

Is a better ESR meter than the blue meter that I have now

I am not really looking for a component tester at this point