Project Logs

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• New Revision

  davedarko • 07/18/2021 at 22:35 • 0 comments

  Today I went sorting through some USB cables, but before I could test anything, I had to solder the third and last of the boards that I had ordered years ago. The micro-B USB socket held for 15 cables before I had to add glue because it got loose [log for board 2]. So I decided to update some parts on the PCB and shift things around. 

  • USB-A + micro/mini Sockets are turned 90 degrees, so you can test shorter cables
  • additional USB-B connector so you can test A-B cables
  • button is now a 6mm x 6mm sized one
  • LEDs all point in the same direction and are marked, good for soldering
  • Attiny13 was chosen as the firmware size is sub 1kB [[1kB challenge contest]]
  • swapped to SMD coin cell holder
  • changed micro-B footprint for something with 4 prongs 

  Check out this old space ship of a schematic:

  And here is the (hopefully improved) new schematics, I think it's more readible, but not everyone is a fan of too many labels. 

  There's still one pin left on the Attiny, anyone any ideas for it?

• yay :)

  davedarko • 08/26/2017 at 05:59 • 0 comments

  so cool to see one in the wild!

  Thanks for the design @davedarko, usb tester working great :) pic.twitter.com/pB77roC5kp
  — bitrunnr 👁️ (@bitrunnr) 26. August 2017

• Board 2 is running

  davedarko • 12/06/2016 at 08:16 • 4 comments

  Since the USB micro connector broke off of the first board I had to solder one again. Still have to check if the consumption still is that low and all the code really works as intended.

  Also - Resin / 2K epoxy!

• uh wait, that fits the 1kB contest

  davedarko • 12/04/2016 at 13:08 • 0 comments

  noice! It compiles with arduino! https://hackaday.io/project/6858-usb-cable-tester/log/24876-verify-your-results

  I will test the circuit when I get home! I'm glad I just went through my projects list and that there's a USB port broken. yeah!

• woohoo

  davedarko • 03/16/2016 at 16:06 • 0 comments

  Yay, this project got featured on the OSHPark blog :)

  http://blog.oshpark.com/2016/03/15/draft-usb-cable-tester/

• Mark III boards are in

  davedarko • 09/24/2015 at 10:17 • 0 comments

  I'll try to toaster oven solder them in the near future.

• verify your results

  davedarko • 09/09/2015 at 07:38 • 0 comments

  So the code from last time didn't work at all, when I woke up the blue LEDs where totally dim. I've check the datasheet for the attiny45 and noticed once again - what works on an arduino must not work on a board using non-atmega328s. I hooked up my new UNI-T UT61E and measured 200uA - not the 0.1uA I've expected to see. With the help of the gist from JChristensen I verified (read copied) my code for the power down and measured a success - yes it's measurable - 0.1uA !

  /* 
  Things to safe power, according to datasheet:
   - turn off adc (not needed for LEDs)
   - turn off brown out detection (BOD)
   - turn off analog comparator
   - turn off internal voltage reference 
   - turn off watchdog timer
   - disable port pins per register
   
  With the help of JChristensen/AVR Sleep
  https://gist.github.com/JChristensen/5616922
  
  */
  
  #include <avr/sleep.h>
  #define BODS 7                     //BOD Sleep bit in MCUCR
  #define BODSE 2                    //BOD Sleep enable bit in MCUCR
  
  int leds[] = {4,0,1,2};
  void setup() 
  {
    for (int i=0; i<4; i++)
    {
      pinMode(leds[i], OUTPUT);
      digitalWrite(leds[i], HIGH);
      delay(200);
      digitalWrite(leds[i], LOW);
      delay(200);
    }
    die_until_reset();
  }
  
  void loop() { }
  
  void die_until_reset()
  {
    byte  mcucr1, mcucr2;
  
    set_sleep_mode(SLEEP_MODE_PWR_DOWN);
    sleep_enable();
    MCUCR &= ~(_BV(ISC01) | _BV(ISC00));      //INT0 on low level
    ADCSRA &= ~_BV(ADEN);                     //disable ADC
    cli();                                    //stop interrupts to ensure the BOD timed sequence executes as required
    mcucr1 = MCUCR | _BV(BODS) | _BV(BODSE);  //turn off the brown-out detector
    mcucr2 = mcucr1 & ~_BV(BODSE);            //if the MCU does not have BOD disable capability,
    MCUCR = mcucr1;                           //  this code has no effect
    MCUCR = mcucr2;
    sleep_cpu();
  }
  

  
  

• code and me whining and winning

  davedarko • 09/08/2015 at 20:21 • 5 comments

  Using the attiny15 footprint/part in eagle from the atmel library for the attiny45 is not right, because B4 and B3 are reversed and it's not the first time I noticed that. But this time I just went in and changed the part in the library. Muahaha. Evil, I know. PCB is updated (again), "code" is here:

  #include <avr/sleep.h>
  
  int leds[] = {0,1,2,4};
  void setup() 
  {
    for (int i=0; i<4; i++)
    {
      pinMode(leds[i], OUTPUT);
      digitalWrite(leds[i], HIGH);
      delay(200);
      digitalWrite(leds[i], LOW);
      delay(200);
    }
    set_sleep_mode(SLEEP_MODE_PWR_DOWN);
    sleep_enable();
    sleep_mode();
  }
  
  void loop() { }
  

  
  

• this project... like... so annoying

  davedarko • 09/08/2015 at 12:10 • 3 comments

  I can't believe that I will say this, but there are some really annoying things with this design. The first and most obvious: the usb connectors and the battery connector aren't on the same side! The second one is that the connectors should be plane with the pcb, so that the micro / mini port would be useable with the USB A ports soldered on. I should stop calling designs "final".

  I "redesigned" the battery part for eagle and by turning it 90 degrees I was able to save some space.

  [UPDATE] Seems like I have connected the wrong pin of the battery holder - I took one of those 5 holes meant for plus, but not the centered one - good thing that I've redesigned that holder.

• final design (almost)

  davedarko • 08/25/2015 at 19:32 • 0 comments

  ordered... and just saw the mistake on the silkscreen... gnargh. Anyway, don't want to neglect this project - so I ordered them.

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