Semiconductor Analyzer Review - Revision history

Russ hensel: remove unused category

2010-03-22T22:50:35Z

remove unused category

Russ hensel at 03:35, 21 February 2009

2009-02-21T03:35:01Z

Russ hensel: /* Suggestions to the Manufacturer */

2009-02-19T15:39:25Z

Suggestions to the Manufacturer

Russ hensel: /* Good Price? */

2009-02-19T15:38:24Z

Good Price?

Russ hensel: /* Building */

2009-02-19T15:37:20Z

Building

Russ hensel at 15:35, 19 February 2009

2009-02-19T15:35:26Z

Russ hensel: /* Links */

2009-02-19T15:31:58Z

Links

Russ hensel: /* Suggestions to the Manufacturer */

2009-02-19T15:11:23Z

Suggestions to the Manufacturer

Russ hensel: /* Order process */

2009-02-19T15:01:40Z

Order process

Russ hensel: /* Suggestions to the Manufacturer */

2009-02-19T14:59:04Z

Suggestions to the Manufacturer

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 *Add a test point for ground, if room can be easily found.  Note in the directions that one side of the calibration jumper can be used for VCC.
 == Links ==
@@ Line 74: / Line 72: @@
 got more info? add it here.....
 == Comments from the Manufacturer ==
@@ Line 80: / Line 77: @@
 if they wish, for additions corrections or just comments....
+[[Category:Test Equipment]][[category:Salvage]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:35, 21 February 2009
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	if they wish, for additions corrections or just comments....		if they wish, for additions corrections or just comments....
		+
		+
		+	[[Category:Test Equipment]]

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 *Add a test point for ground, if room can be easily found.  Note that one side of the calibration jumper can be used for VCC.
 Ambiguous as to existence of backlight, which I think is always included.
 *Indicate where pin 1 is on the layout esp. for the LCD connector.

@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 == Good Price? ==
-The whole thing with case came to about $70. The parts in moderate quantity I estimate to be worth about half that.  If I had a chance to run a business on that low a margin, I would hardly jump at it.  Seems like a very good deal to me, careless ordering and ordering in single quantity could push your cost to the full kit cost.  PCB's are never cheap at quantity 1, normally more than the whole amount.
+The whole thing with case came to about $70. The parts in moderate quantity I estimate to be worth about half that.  If I had a chance to run a business on that low a margin, I would hardly jump at it.  Seems like a very good deal to me, careless ordering and ordering in single quantity could push your cost to the full kit cost.  PCB's are never cheap at quantity 1, normally more than the whole amount of this kit.
 Then what about the code, and burning it into the PIC priceless for those of us who cannot code.
 My evaluation is that if you want the functions of this test device then this is an excellent deal.
 == Suggestions to the Manufacturer ==

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 == Building ==
-This is pretty straightforward, stuff an solder.  I followed the directions anyway, except I added extra sockets for the 74HC4052 Dual 4-channel analog multiplexers.  Then I double checked the parts.  The resistor color codes are difficult to distinguish ( not their fault, this is an industry standard ) so I used a magnifier and double checked with a ohmmeter.  No mistakes found.  The one place I had difficulty was soldering the header onto the LCD display.  It acted as if there were some coating on the LCD which repelled the solder.  It was too late to clean up the pins.  The solder may have been good down in the hole.  I skipped cleaning up the flux.  Powered up without the CPU ( according to directions ) and measured some voltages, so far so good.
+This is pretty straightforward, stuff and solder.  I followed the directions anyway, except I added extra sockets for the 74HC4052 Dual 4-channel analog multiplexers.  Then I double checked the parts.  The resistor color codes are difficult to distinguish ( not their fault, this is an industry standard ) so I used a magnifier and double checked with a ohmmeter.  No mistakes found.  The one place I had difficulty was soldering the header onto the LCD display.  It acted as if there were some coating on the LCD board which repelled the solder.  It was too late to clean up the pins.  The solder may have been good down in the hole.  I skipped cleaning up the flux (probably a bad idea, based on other reviews).  Powered up without the CPU ( according to directions ) and measured some voltages, so far so good.
 Next I inserted the CPU and powered up again.  LCD should light and display.  It did neither.  Twisting the contrast control for the LCD gave me a line of blocks, but that was it.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 == M3 Semiconductor Analyzer ==
@@ Line 13: / Line 10: @@
 == The Kit ==
-All of the parts looked first quality, pretty much industry standard parts.  The board was very professional, nice solder mask and well marked.  The IC were all dip parts and the routing was not agressive.  Everyting needed for complete assembly ( including the enclosure which I ordered as an option ) was there.  The first suggestion in assembling the kit is to verify the parts against the parts list, I eyeballed it.  Later it turned out that indeed everything was there.  The parts are usefully broken down into different sets in diffent bags.  Solder and tools are up to you.  The microcontroller has its part number hidden ( but not on the schematic, I will only reveal that it is a PIC, pre 18 series).  Source code is not provided, but updates are available.
+All of the parts looked first quality, pretty much industry standard parts.  The board was very professional, nice solder mask and well marked.  The IC were all dip parts and the routing was not aggressive.  Everything needed for complete assembly ( including the enclosure which I ordered as an option ) was there.  The first suggestion in assembling the kit is to verify the parts against the parts list, I eyeballed it.  Later it turned out that indeed everything was there.  The parts are usefully broken down into different sets in different bags.  Solder and tools are up to you.  The microcontroller has its part number hidden ( but not on the schematic, I will only reveal that it is a PIC, pre 18 series).  Source code is not provided, but updates are available.
 == Building ==
-This is pretty straightforward, stuff an solder.  I followed the directions anyway, except I added extra sockets for the 74HC4052 Dual 4-channel analog multiplexers.  Then I double checked the parts.  The resistor color codes are difficult to distinguish ( not their fault, this is an industry standard ) so I used a magnifier and double checked with a ohmmeter.  No mistakes found.  The one place I had difficuly was soldering the header onto the LCD display.  It acted as if there were some coating on the LCD which repelled the solder.  It was too late to clean up the pins.  The solder may have been good down in the hole.  I skipped cleaning up the flux.  Powered up without the cpu ( according to directions ) and measured some voltages, so far so good.
+This is pretty straightforward, stuff an solder.  I followed the directions anyway, except I added extra sockets for the 74HC4052 Dual 4-channel analog multiplexers.  Then I double checked the parts.  The resistor color codes are difficult to distinguish ( not their fault, this is an industry standard ) so I used a magnifier and double checked with a ohmmeter.  No mistakes found.  The one place I had difficulty was soldering the header onto the LCD display.  It acted as if there were some coating on the LCD which repelled the solder.  It was too late to clean up the pins.  The solder may have been good down in the hole.  I skipped cleaning up the flux.  Powered up without the CPU ( according to directions ) and measured some voltages, so far so good.
 Next I inserted the CPU and powered up again.  LCD should light and display.  It did neither.  Twisting the contrast control for the LCD gave me a line of blocks, but that was it.
@@ Line 25: / Line 22: @@
 Powered Up -- Got the expected light and display, now on to calibration.
-To calibrate you short two jumpers together on the circuit board, power up and then remove the short.  Went as expected ( rtfm ) untill I opend the short.  At this point the unit should cycle through some calibration values.  For me display remained on but blank.  Back to reading the directions.  That step about shorting the test leads together: skipped it.  When back and un-skipped it.  Now calibration routine ran fine.
+To calibrate you short two jumpers together on the circuit board, power up and then remove the short.  Went as expected ( RTFM ) until I opened the short.  At this point the unit should cycle through some calibration values.  For me display remained on but blank.  Back to reading the directions.  That step about shorting the test leads together: skipped it.  When back and un-skipped it.  Now calibration routine ran fine.
 == Evaluation of the Working Unit ==
@@ Line 35: / Line 32: @@
 == Good Price? ==
-The whole thing with case came to about $70. The parts in moderate quanity I estimate to be worth about half that.  If I had a chance to run a business on that low a margin, I would hardly jump at it.  Seems like a very good deal to me, careless ordering and ordering in single quanity could push your cost to the full kit cost.  PCB's are never cheap at quanity 1, normally more than the whole amount.
+The whole thing with case came to about $70. The parts in moderate quantity I estimate to be worth about half that.  If I had a chance to run a business on that low a margin, I would hardly jump at it.  Seems like a very good deal to me, careless ordering and ordering in single quantity could push your cost to the full kit cost.  PCB's are never cheap at quantity 1, normally more than the whole amount.
 Then what about the code, and burning it into the PIC priceless for those of us who cannot code.
@@ Line 49: / Line 46: @@
 *Add a test point for ground, if room can be easily found.  Note that one side of the calibration jumper can be used for VCC.
-Ambiguous as to existance of backlight, which I think is always included.
+Ambiguous as to existence of backlight, which I think is always included.
 *Indicate where pin 1 is on the layout esp. for the LCD connector.
-*If the case is included you can insert and knot the leads through the fron pannel prior to soldering, this adds strain relief and makes assebmly in the case easier, the probes no longer need to taken apart and resoldered as in current directions.
+*If the case is included you can insert and knot the leads through the from panel prior to soldering, this adds strain relief and makes assembly in the case easier, the probes no longer need to taken apart and re soldered as in current directions.
 Feature issues:

@@ Line 72: / Line 72: @@
 *[http://4sqrp.com/resource/m3/m3.htm M3 Electronix Semiconductor Analyzer™ Kit By Chuck Hines, K6QKL]
 *[http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4707 Reviews Categories | Ham Work Bench Tools & Test Equipment | M-Cubed Semiconductor Analyser ver 2.0]
+*[http://www.wentztech.com/radio/Projects/Projects_files/M3Semi.html M3 Semiconductor Analyzer Kit]
 == Comments from Other Users ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:11, 19 February 2009
Line 62:		Line 62:

	[[category:Salvage]] [[category:Test Instrument]]		[[category:Salvage]] [[category:Test Instrument]]
		+
		+	== Links ==
		+
		+	Mostly other reviews: ( they generally seem to like it )
		+
		+	*[http://www.prc68.com/I/MTE.shtml Test Equipment ©Brooke Clarke, N6GCE]
		+	*[http://www.io.com/~n5fc/m3_sa.htm N5ESE builds the M-Cubed Electronix Semiconductor Analyzer] Long discussion, lots of pictures.
		+	*[http://www.al7fs.us/AL7FS6M3Analyzer.html M3 Electonix Semiconductor Analyzer Built by AL7FS]
		+	*[http://4sqrp.com/resource/m3/m3.htm M3 Electronix Semiconductor Analyzer™ Kit By Chuck Hines, K6QKL]
		+	*[http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4707 Reviews Categories \| Ham Work Bench Tools & Test Equipment \| M-Cubed Semiconductor Analyser ver 2.0]
		+
		+
		+	== Comments from Other Users ==
		+
		+	got more info? add it here.....
		+
		+
		+	== Comments from the Manufacturer ==
		+
		+	if they wish, for additions corrections or just comments....

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 This is a kit from M Cubed Electronix [http://www.m3electronix.com/kit.html] which is intended to tell you what ( in electrical terms, not part number ) that unknown transistor in your junk box is.  No marking or spec sheets needed!  Go to the site and read the description.
-== Order process ==
+== Order Process ==
-Went smoothly, kit arrived quickly.  Nicely packaged.
+It was unclear to me if the case was an optional extra, it was ( and at a good price ).  I ordered it as well, worth it just to get the cutouts done for me.  Ordering went smoothly, kit arrived quickly.  Nicely packaged.
-Either they forgot the assembly directions or I lost them, an email resulted in the directions arriving within a few hours, on a weekend.
+Either they forgot the assembly directions or I lost them, an email resulted in the directions arriving within a few hours, on a weekend.  Great service.
 == The Kit ==

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 == Suggestions to the Manufacturer ==
-These are not big deals but:
+These are not big deals but in the directions:
 *Make it clear what the orientation of the LCD is in its socket, not a problem if you have the enclosure and realize that it will only fit in one way.
 *Add a test point for ground, if room can be easily found.  Note that one side of the calibration jumper can be used for VCC.
-Ambiguous as to exist of backlite
+Ambiguous as to existance of backlight, which I think is always included.
-*Indicate where pin 1 is on the layout esp. for the LCD connector
+*Indicate where pin 1 is on the layout esp. for the LCD connector.
 [[category:Salvage]] [[category:Test Instrument]]