UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > Specific Vintage Equipment > Vintage Computers

Notices

Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 8th Nov 2020, 12:11 am   #1
SiriusHardware
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,485
Default Logic IC tester using Arduino?

Every now and then we get a case where we could do with the ability to functionally test a few TTL or CMOS ICs. A lot of device programmers have this as a secondary function, and maybe there is (as with so much else) a cheap purpose made box available from China?

One of the problems with making something homebrew for this purpose is the fact that logic ICs come in a few different lengths, therefore the power feed needs to be able to be switched to either the 7th pin up on the right or the 8th pin up on the right, assuming the Device Under Test is always inserted with its 0V pin in the lower left receptacle of the test socket. Certain devices don't follow the convention of having the supply pin on the top right corner either, notably the 4049 and 4050.

Modern microcontrollers have such high current sink and source capability on their I/O pins that it seems to me that you could power the DUT just by applying a logic-1 out to the +ve supply pin and a logic-0 out to the 0V supply pin directly from microcontroller port pins.

The main problem would be compiling, and then finding storage space for, the test algorithms for every type of device which might need to be tested.
SiriusHardware is offline  
Old 8th Nov 2020, 1:20 am   #2
Timbucus
Octode
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
Posts: 1,362
Default Re: Logic IC tester using Arduino?

I use this little guy which seems to have a huge range of 74 and CMOS chips and will tell you the difference as well - it is how I noticed the 74LS32 I had been sent were actually HC...

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_4270.jpg
Views:	127
Size:	40.5 KB
ID:	219883

It just says good or bad - they do ones that show each gate as well. My TL866 does individual gates for most common IC's so if the little guy says bad I check on the TL866 - that solves the 5v problem for many by having the top fixed in the ZIF so it only has to ground the correct pin.

I started off thinking to build something then found these. I do however think a generic RAM tester for all the variations we get would be useful as the various specialist test boards are quite expensive.
Timbucus is offline  
Old 8th Nov 2020, 12:07 pm   #3
SiriusHardware
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,485
Default Re: Logic IC tester using Arduino?

That seems to pack a lot of interesting functionality into a small space, for one thing it must have a DC-DC converter on board to be able to run on a single cell like that. Not really worth even starting to make a homebrew version when things like that available off the peg. I wonder if there is something similar for testing RAM ICs?
SiriusHardware is offline  
Old 8th Nov 2020, 9:22 pm   #4
Timbucus
Octode
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
Posts: 1,362
Default Re: Logic IC tester using Arduino?

Perhaps we should build a retro tester of some kind - had to tighten the switch on my Transistor tester today so took some photos of the inside. That is still the same battery since the early 80's!

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_4275.jpg
Views:	82
Size:	59.0 KB
ID:	219940Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_4274.jpg
Views:	88
Size:	58.5 KB
ID:	219941
Timbucus is offline  
Old 8th Nov 2020, 10:53 pm   #5
ciprians
Diode
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Iasi, Romania
Posts: 7
Default Re: Logic IC tester using Arduino?

Maybe something like https://github.com/akshaybaweja/Smart-IC-Tester, based on Arduino, will fulfill your needs...
ciprians is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:05 pm.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.