Useful cheap small tester...

[Joe]

Here's mine boxed up:-

   

- Joe

[camallison]

Looks good Joe - did you wire the pushbutton to the board, or is it just an extension bar? Looking at mine, I can't decide where to attach any wiring for a remote button - the board is evidently multi-layer and I'm not too confident in choosing the right pair from the 4 connections available.

I have separated the boards for mounting separately and connected them with ribbon cable with female and male ends.

Colin

[Joe]

It's a wired switch. I couldn't get the original off so soldered wires on the back of the board to the two pads nearest the side edge.

   

There are pads for another LED but I found that even a low current one barely glowed so I didn't bother with that. As it switches off automatically it isn't really needed anyway.

- Joe

[camallison]

Thanks Joe - soldering iron now warming up - switch found in the "tomorrow" box.

Colin

PS - I used a piece of clear plastic rod as a light pipe to take the LED indication to the front panel.

[milairuk]

Hmm.... very tempted - has anyone tried testing ESR in circuit ??

BTW the current version is now here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=161002451211&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

John

[Yorkie]

Looks like they've charged the display from the backlit blue display I have on mine.

Same main PCB I guess.

Great value for money.

As to checking ESRs in circuit, there are mixed views about that, and videos on YouTube to show how it can give misleading results due to the effect of other components in the circuit.

[Nick]

Looks like they've charged the display from the backlit blue display I have on mine. Same main PCB I guess. Great value for money.

There's a new version of the firmware too - you can flash it yourself if you have a V1 unit. The new firmware is at http://www.adrive.com/public/uUK8nn/AVR ...pgrade.rar - instructions are included in the RAR file - the uP is an atmega168V and you'll need an AVR ISP programmer as well, otherwise its a standard ISP process well known to anyone who mucks about with uPs...

Having looked at the instructions and the enclosed diagrams, I can confirm that the details are "sub optimal" and far from clear. I'll have a go myself (I have a V1 unit) and write it up if anyone is interested...

As to checking ESRs in circuit, there are mixed views about that, and videos on YouTube to show how it can give misleading results due to the effect of other components in the circuit.

Yup - this is always problematic - I have done this in the past as a go/no-go test as other components should make the ESR lower, so if you get a high ESR then the cap is duff - not a 100% test, but a good indicator of potential issues...

[milairuk]

Looks like they've charged the display from the backlit blue display I have on mine.

Just found another seller with the blue backlit http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Transistor-Tes...ltDomain_0&hash=item257f1e6670

But I wonder if this is the previous model. ? I'll probably go with the green one to get the more updated version...

John :ready for launch:

[Yorkie]

Hmm, don't know what's going on with the displays.

Originally, the green version was offered from the supplier at the link that Nick gave at the start of this thread, as a cheaper alternative to the blue backlit one. As to the new version of the firmware, I don't know what additional advantages it confers, but I'm right at the bottom of the food chain which it comes to PICs, and the only V1 that I know of is (or rather was), the 'doodlebug' which menaced the south coast of England in the latter years of WW2.

[Nick]

Just found another seller with the blue backlit http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Transistor-Tes...ltDomain_0&hash=item257f1e6670

This is the same guy - if its the V2 version, the auction description states this... V1s can be upgraded at any time to V2s by re-flashing the firmware.

Hmm, don't know what's going on with the displays.

Originally, the green version was offered from the supplier at the link that Nick gave at the start of this thread, as a cheaper alternative to the blue backlit one. As to the new version of the firmware, I don't know what additional advantages it confers, but I'm right at the bottom of the food chain which it comes to PICs, and the only V1 that I know of is (or rather was), the 'doodlebug' which menaced the south coast of England in the latter years of WW2.

Its not using a PIC - its an Atmel atmega uP. Small point, but important - different manufacturer, different way of programming, completely different architecture.

I will upgrade mine, and if its easy-ish (I have all the Atmel dev environment as they are my uP of choice), I'll offer an at-cost service to others.

Regarding the display - don't get too hung up on that - they are easy to change - the normal standard is for an interface known as H44780 - most generic LCDs offer this interface and I deeply suspect this one is no different - there is one other interface, but its not common. If you want to change your green-no-back-light display to a blue one, then its VERY cheap to do so , e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400458908216