gadgets

[Laszo]

Hi there just wanted to share this  Do you know this...... You are starting out trying to repair some pcb only to find out that you get stuck? Really annoying when you just not sure what is wrong.  This time it was a rom that could be defective. So there I was all ready for repairing, solder iron heated up, new batteries in the multimeter and not able to continue.    This was a itch that needed scratching........... So iron off, ebay on..... last 2 weeks packages started arriving. Found the following interesting toy's in China.

1 - an eprom burner (including the much needed ram check)
2 - an eprom eraser (of course)
3 - a set of cap testers / recognizers
4 - and a very nifty ic checker that can give you the type and it state (working or not)

Really happy with these, so I needed to share this. Any experience out there with these toy's or other handy gadgets?

[Belike]

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing.
 Do you have the link for the last equipment?

[Laszo]

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing.
 Do you have the link for the last equipment?

Here you go

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281077382220&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:NL:3160

[Etienne MacGyver]

Cool stuff 

i guess you will repair alot of boards now 

[Muerto]

Cool!!! Do you have links to all the gadges??

[Laszo]

Cool!!! Do you have links to all the gadges??

I will first test the stuff before I advice anyone to buy it. So far I can tell you that the TOP programmer has a website that is in Chinese. I found an English pdf manual on the site but it was a bit google translate style  I'll keep you posted.

[Laszo]

Cool stuff 

i guess you will repair alot of boards now 

Well with a wife and three young boys and a business to run I seriously doubt that  But the spare moments that I have the time and I'm not totally exhausted I will hopefully get less frustration if it comes to not having the right tools at hand......   

[level42]

Nice

Noticed this on e-bay when I clicked your link, looks like a "new kid on the block" in ESR land:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Transistor-Tester-Capacitor-ESR-Inductance-Resistor-Meter-NPN-PNP-Mosfet-/251210970850?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D163%26meid%3D6963661024818884271%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1088%26rk%3D2%26sd%3D281077382220%26

And from the same seller, an "in circuit" frequency counter.... (also tests crystals)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Frequency-Meter-49S-Crystal-Oscillator-Tester-Support-Test-Circuit-/251255436496?_trksid=p2046732.m2060&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27%26meid%3D6964260873200008778%26pid%3D100040%26prg%3D1011%26rk%3D3%26sd%3D251210970850%26


Signal generator:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-DDS-Function-Signal-Generator-Module-Sine-Square-Sawtooth-Triangle-Wave-/251260609083?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a804ca23b

These kind of tools used to cost 1000's....now close to nothing.......OK, they are bare PCBs, OK they are from China and OK they may be not the most acurate stuff, but if you want to experiment it's pretty awesome....

I was dreaming of someone who would reprogram two of those signal generators to create a vector signal generator so we could have a hand-held tool to check vector monitors.....there's a market for these for sure...........

[Elgen]

Great stuff };-P that last "thingy" really seems like a cool toy...
I have a Top-programmer myself (Top2005+) and think it's an ok buy, taking the price into consideration. Mine do however have problems with Vpp >= 21V...(don't know if the 2011 has the same issues?!) So I have an old ISA-BUS Sunshine Programmer (that an old friend donated to me) for doing these };-P

Looking forward to seeing some nice logs }:-P

[Laszo]

Great stuff };-P that last "thingy" really seems like a cool toy...
I have a Top-programmer myself (Top2005+) and think it's an ok buy, taking the price into consideration. Mine do however have problems with Vpp >= 21V...(don't know if the 2011 has the same issues?!) So I have an old ISA-BUS Sunshine Programmer (that an old friend donated to me) for doing these };-P

Looking forward to seeing some nice logs }:-P

So far I found out that the manual is a poor translation from chinese and the software has 16 bit drivers in it so it is not running on my 64 bit machines, will try it again tomorrow when i'm in the office on some older 32 bit laptop.

Top 2011 should support Vpp >= 21v .... I hope so because I need it to program 2716's. I will use a external power supply I think the usb port can't deliver the amps.

Keep you posted

[Elgen]

Ah, didn't know that the 2011 had support for external power...the 2005+ doesn't...then I suppose it's no problem then. You're right about the drivers though...will not work on a 64bit system.

[Elgen]

Did you get a PSU with your 2011? And if so, what are specs?
This pic of the pcb in my 2005+ more than indicates, that it should be possible to retro-fit a plug for an external PSU };-P
It would be super cool if I would be able to use my 2005+ for Vpp >= 21V };-P

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/ElgenDK/Top2005Plus/92CE1C02-3C3A-4490-9102-817B717E680F-1247-00000143FDD080C1_zps324be275.jpg

[level42]

Dunno, I would have gone Batronix for the EPROM programmer....

The Chinese seem to just keep on coming with nice toys:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-74-SERIES-IC-TESTER-CHIP-ANALYZER-DETECTOR-1602-LCD-KEYPAD-/160950387626?_trksid=p2050601.m2372&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D250%26meid%3D6956853343073987093%26pid%3D100085%26prg%3D1112%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D160950387626%26%26clkid%3D6956862649088383263&_qi=RTM1303752#ht_2131wt_932

[Laszo]

Dunno, I would have gone Batronix for the EPROM programmer....

The Chinese seem to just keep on coming with nice toys:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-74-SERIES-IC-TESTER-CHIP-ANALYZER-DETECTOR-1602-LCD-KEYPAD-/160950387626?_trksid=p2050601.m2372&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D250%26meid%3D6956853343073987093%26pid%3D100085%26prg%3D1112%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D160950387626%26%26clkid%3D6956862649088383263&_qi=RTM1303752#ht_2131wt_932

Seen these too, but it only tests 74 series, mine does a lot more and I decided that I liked to pay the extra dollars for an enclosure that allows me to just put in my jacket or toolbox and take where I want.

Allthough I like these kids too for builing a testlab with all of these build in one panel ..... A future project?

[Laszo]

Did you get a PSU with your 2011? And if so, what are specs?
This pic of the pcb in my 2005+ more than indicates, that it should be possible to retro-fit a plug for an external PSU };-P
It would be super cool if I would be able to use my 2005+ for Vpp >= 21V };-P

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/ElgenDK/Top2005Plus/92CE1C02-3C3A-4490-9102-817B717E680F-1247-00000143FDD080C1_zps324be275.jpg

Nope no psu just a plug, but the manual says you need 5v 500mA and on the back it say 5v 1A. So I started digging in my huge box with absolit psu's "that never have the right specs or plug that you need"  At least I found several nokia mobile phone adapters that are plug compatible, when I get the software running I will first try the 5v 500mA one (I got other which give more Amps but with slightly higher voltages ( 5.3 / 6 volt)