$20 LCR ESR Transistor checker project

[Jacon]

Hi Marcus,

Attached please find updated Polish translation.

BTW - my ordinary '328 configuration reached 32764 bytes (sic!) this time...

Great work as always 

[.RC.]

No idea how to use it, but it is there.   

But my tester does this and I am not sure why.  I assume a hardware build error.  Sometimes with nothing installed it will say there is a resistor, always between pins two and three.

[indman]

But my tester does this and I am not sure why.  I assume a hardware build error.  Sometimes with nothing installed it will say there is a resistor, always between pins two and three.

This is not surprising, because in your photos I see a lot of unwashed flux. This device has a high sensitivity, so any dirt, flux between the test contacts is perceived as resistance.

[.RC.]

Thanks, I did think I had cleaned the board enough.  It would explain the erratic nature of the issue.   Given it a good clean now and all is good.

Now that I have worked out this compiling and programming I am blown away at the number of options in the config.h file. There seems to be a lot of fine tuning option where you can measure your device and put in correction figures, along with way too many things to enable everything on a little AT328P

It leaves the FNIRSI clone tester for dead and is only AU$10 more expensive.  I just need to find a good case to print out.

And who needs a torch option.

[alex_D]

Has anyone got the passive buzzer to work?  tried enabling the passive buzzer options and connected to the port in config_MCU.h, but get no sound when probing, using the piezo type like in the photo below.   

[madires]

I tested a few passive buzzers and boneDragon tested too. Do you have a scope to check the output signal? Do you know the voltage specs of your buzzer?

[alex_D]

I tested a few passive buzzers and boneDragon tested too. Do you have a scope to check the output signal? Do you know the voltage specs of your buzzer?

Doh, found my mistake, didn't uncomment #define HW_BUZZER as well, works fine now. 

[indman]

I have updated the Russian translation of the pdf documentation for version 1.49m as well as the language file.

[Yuriy_K]

Madires, thank you very much for the new version. Everything works great, but there is a small remark. When measuring electrolytic capacitors, there is a "dead zone" up to about 0.03 ohm. Maybe it's on my Mega644, please check everyone who installed the new 1.49m version...
The picture shows the measurements of two different capacitors at different frequencies.

[madires]

You're welcome! There are no changes in the actual ESR measurement functions for quite a while.

[Fuzzy Star]

Get your ISP programmer ready!

v1.49m

Since v1.47m we have symbols_32x39_hf in the bitmaps folder but don't have "#define SYMBOLS_32X39_HF" lines in config-<MCU> files. An oversight?

[indman]

Since v1.47m we have symbols_32x39_hf in the bitmaps folder but don't have "#define SYMBOLS_32X39_HF" lines in config-<MCU> files. An oversight?

No, this is not an oversight. This symbols set is relevant for displays with a higher resolution of 320x240 and higher.

[madires]

The long answer: The 32x39 symbol set is the companion of the 16x26 font. 39 pixels resized by a factor of two creates a symbol 78 pixels high. This matches three text lines with a height of 26 pixels each (26 * 3 = 78).

[Fuzzy Star]

The long answer: The 32x39 symbol set is the companion of the 16x26 font. 39 pixels resized by a factor of two creates a symbol 78 pixels high. This matches three text lines with a height of 26 pixels each (26 * 3 = 78).

Sorry! 
I searched  '32x39' in my config_644.h file but forgot that it's my moded file with irrelevant display sections removed 
I see that in the original config_644 there are 32x39 symbol options.

Anyway, thanks again for the new version!

[Polf]

Please tell me for what reason an error occurs Process Exit Code: 2 during compilation?
But if you disable the menu CFLAGS += -DWITH_MENU, compilation is successful.

[madires]

Let's see. It's about k-firmware and it's a warning about a potentially uninitialized variable, not really an error. I guess that the compiler is called with the option to treat warnings as errors and then returns 2. A simple solution would be to initialize the variable:

Code: [Select]

  unsigned long wish_freq = 0;


[Polf]

Thank you for your reply! Today I have successfully compiled on another PC with Windows 7 64 bit operating system installed. This means that after updating Windows 10 64-bit on the main  PC, my compiler does not work correctly.

[.RC.]

What do I need to enable to test Zeners on the AY-AT through hole model?  When I built my tester, I made sure the 180k and 20k resistors were well under 1% accuracy. 

The config has these options it seems

//#define HW_ZENER




//#define ZENER_DIVIDER_CUSTOM
//#define ZENER_R1         180000
//#define ZENER_R2         20000




//#define ZENER_UNSWITCHED




//#define ZENER_SWITCHED
//#define ZENER_BOOST_HIGH                /* high active */
//#define ZENER_BOOST_LOW                 /* low active */




//#define HW_PROBE_ZENER
//#define ZENER_VOLTAGE_MIN     1000      /* min. voltage in mV */
//#define ZENER_VOLTAGE_MAX     30000     /* max. voltage in mV */




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Thank you for your reply! Today I have successfully compiled on another PC with Windows 7 64 bit operating system installed. This means that after updating Windows 10 64-bit on the main  PC, my compiler does not work correctly.

I am running windows 10, 64 bit and have managed to get it to work.

I followed sort of this guide that madires kindly linked for me  https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/$20-lcr-esr-transistor-checker-project/2475/

 the link for toolchain would not work for me (funnily enough it does now) and I ended up getting version avr8-gnu-toolchain-3.7.0.1796-win32.any.x86_64

I am using WinAVR on windows 10 and when I tried to compile I got an error message, the fix was to go to the installation folder for winavr on the C: drive and search for patch.exe

If you run that it opens a command prompt page.   You have to leave it open and go back to the winavr running program and it should compile. Or mine does anyway.

[vk3em]

Yes, I know, but 8.19 ohm vs 0.14 ohm is not acceptable. And most importantly, I cannot run self-calibration with this Chinese firmware; it looks like they cut off that function.

I can confirm the same problems. The printed quick start guide includes instructions for "Self-Calibration" but its not possible to get it to enter that mode. I have tried all combinations. The instructions show screen shots of firmware including self-calibration mode that is "2.xx" while the shipped firmware is "3.xx" - the lack of self-calibration mode may or may not be the cause of the erroneous readings, but on my unit as well, the ESR readings seem totally wrong, which is a real shame as ESR measurement of capacitor was the reason I purchased it! Might have to get a real ESR meter now.

Luke

[madires]

What do I need to enable to test Zeners on the AY-AT through hole model?  When I built my tester, I made sure the 180k and 20k resistors were well under 1% accuracy. 

The AY-AT doesn't come with a boost converter, it just measures an external voltage via a 10:1 voltage divider. So the only option to enable is HW_ZENER. If you want to check Zener diodes you would have to apply an external power source (<50V and a current limit of a few mA). The recommended settings for the AY-AT are listed in the Clones file.

[hoangtran]

Yes, I know, but 8.19 ohm vs 0.14 ohm is not acceptable. And most importantly, I cannot run self-calibration with this Chinese firmware; it looks like they cut off that function.

I can confirm the same problems. The printed quick start guide includes instructions for "Self-Calibration" but its not possible to get it to enter that mode. I have tried all combinations. The instructions show screen shots of firmware including self-calibration mode that is "2.xx" while the shipped firmware is "3.xx" - the lack of self-calibration mode may or may not be the cause of the erroneous readings, but on my unit as well, the ESR readings seem totally wrong, which is a real shame as ESR measurement of capacitor was the reason I purchased it! Might have to get a real ESR meter now.

Luke

Because of this long thread, I was curious, so I picked one to try. Now it's gone. And yes, a real ESR meter is a serious thing.

[vk3em]

Yesterday I ordered another unit which just might contain the ATmega324. These things are cheap enough that I'll keep at it until I get the one I want!

Call me a sucker for punishment, but after recently failing with my purchase of the LCR-TC2 from this vendor (I wanted an ATmega324 but got the LGT8F328P), I've taken a gamble on the LCR-TC1 model from the same vendor. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004717377243.html

What gives me hope?

LCR-T7 / LCR-TC1:color screen / M644 chip, two functions are the same! T7 is slightly faster! The TC1 screen is slightly larger and they are all powered by lithium batteries. In addition to measuring resistance, capacitance, inductance, diodes, MOS transistors, thyristors, it can also measure additional voltage regulators, infrared decoding (limited to for Hitachi format)
Self test with automatic calibration

In the LCR-TC2 description, it does not mention M644 (since it was delivered with LGT8F328P that makes sense) nor does it mention "Self test with automatic calibration" - this also makes sense as firmware for the LGT8F328P (in my case V3.1e) cannot fit the code for self-calibration. V3.1E firmware is also horrifically buggy, cannot reliability measure ESR, or Darlington transistors, etc. I will definitely be modifying my LCT-TC2 with LGT8F328P to the ATmega328P.

I can only presume (hope) M644 mentioned in the details of the LCR-TC1 description refers to ATMega644 and so far this is the only specific mention of M644 within an advertisement that I can find. Lets see when it arrives.

Luke

[.RC.]

What gives me hope?

ha ha, well I now have gone from zero testers a month ago to two and another currently on a plane.  Then I bought six resistors for $2.57 each and six for $1.60 each to "fix up the kits" Along with a couple of precision voltage regulators and a couple of precision voltage references.

I think I am up around $80 now for the three units and the fnirsi one is just a basic basic thing.  Although in passing I wonder instead of spending large sums on through hole precision resistors.   0.1% SMD's are only a dollar each, I wonder if I could have soldered wires to them and used them instead.

Now I am thinking for zener diodes is there a boost converter module I could use to apply the required boost voltage.  Hide it in a 3d printed case connected with the battery.

The other downside is the small memory I can not fit the entire spread of options into one device. (so you do need multiple anyway) or one with the bigger chip.

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Makes me wonder about this one as I can not find a reference to this design in the clone list.  One listing I saw had a review where a photo of the rear of the board and it showed the same as the attached photo below.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005137402266.html

This a photo of the board from the internetz.

[indman]

Makes me wonder about this one as I can not find a reference to this design in the clone list. 

You don't need to think about this design as it is of no interest due to the poor quality BGR display.
Similarly, with similar clones, where such a display is used.

[madires]

ha ha, well I now have gone from zero testers a month ago to two and another currently on a plane.  Then I bought six resistors for $2.57 each and six for $1.60 each to "fix up the kits" Along with a couple of precision voltage regulators and a couple of precision voltage references.

Wow, that's expensive! A local online shop sells 0.1% TH resistors (Yageo) in single quantity for around EUR 0.25 - 0.30 (680 and 470k are 0.27).