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Talbit
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Joined: 07/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 210

Posted: 01:00am 04 Dec 2011

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Here's a simple program to test each MM pin.
It just sets each pin as a digital out and toggles each pin high for 1/2 second then loops back and starts over. You can use your mutlimeter to chech that each pin goes high but I made up a simple circuit using two Jaycar ZD-1704 LED arrays and 20, 220 ohm resistors. I thought all my mini-MM pins were all soldered until I check them with this circuit. It turned out one wasn't soldered correctly. I drew a schematic but I'm having trouble getting it on this post.
Talbit

10 FOR i = 1 TO 20 : SETPIN i, 8 : NEXT i
15 Do
20 FOR X = 1 TO 20: PIN(X)=1:PAUSE 500:PIN(X)=0:NEXT X
30 Loop

Edited by Gizmo 2011-12-05

Talbit

pcaffalldavis

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Joined: 17/10/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 187

Posted: 01:30am 05 Dec 2011

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Talbit,

If you don't mind trying again I'd like to see the schematic so I could build this.

Thanks,

Pete in Hyder

We're all here 'cause we're not all there.

Talbit
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Location: Australia
Posts: 210

Posted: 04:03am 05 Dec 2011

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Pete,
Sorry but I'm having a devil of a job getting my schematic into a jpg form.
I'll see if I can email you a PDF.
Talbit

Talbit

Gizmo

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Posted: 04:07am 05 Dec 2011

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Hi Talbit

What program did you use to draw the schematic? I might be able to help on conversion.

Glenn

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now.
JAQ

Talbit
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Joined: 07/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 210

Posted: 04:09am 05 Dec 2011

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2011-12-05_140805_MM_Pin_Tester.pdf
This might do the trick. I tried to email you but came up with the same problem. I just made up a simple board and hardwired the resistors and the two LED arrays to the board. I mounted a 26 PIN IDC connector on the board and hardwired the resistors to the pins. Just be sure that you connect the correct resistor to the correct IDC pin. Then I just made up a flat cable with two IDC headers to plug into the MM and the LED board. Dead simple. I'll send a photo if you want.
Just let me know.
TalbitEdited by Talbit 2011-12-06

Talbit

Gizmo

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Posted: 04:13am 05 Dec 2011

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Here you go.

Glenn

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now.
JAQ

Talbit
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Joined: 07/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 210

Posted: 04:16am 05 Dec 2011

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I'm done! How did you do that?
Talbit

I used Altium/Protel and saved it as a PDF. But I couldn't figure out how to extract just the drawing and save it as a jpg.
Talbit

Okay, Now I've seen you do it I've just done it myself. Thanks for your help.
TalbitEdited by Talbit 2011-12-06

Talbit

Gizmo

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Posted: 04:53am 05 Dec 2011

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I just took a screen shot. Many cad/design programs are vector based and dont have any way to export into a bitmap ( images ). So I scale the cad drawing on the screen so it looks OK, then take a screen shot ( ALT PrtScr keys together ), then open up a bitmap program, like Paint, and paste the image from the clipboard. Then crop out the un-needed stuff, and save as a gif or jpg.

The forum sogftware resizes images depending on the type. JPG's are generally used for photos, so are scalled to 500 pixels wide. GIF's are better for drawings, and they are scalled to 1000 pixels wide.

Glenn

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now.
JAQ

Talbit
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Joined: 07/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 210

Posted: 05:32am 05 Dec 2011

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Thanks Glenn, I sort of did the same thing. Easy when you know how!!!
I'll soon be posting some more info on my GPS clock so now that I know how to do it, I'll hurry up and finish it.
Talbit

Talbit

pcaffalldavis

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Joined: 17/10/2011
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Posts: 187

Posted: 05:32am 05 Dec 2011

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Nice!

I'm not familiar with these led strips, but can't help wonder; can this be done as wired with individual leds? I could try it, but everything MM I touched today sent me backwards.

Thanks. I just ordered some extra breadboards so I can have one just for this test!

Pete in Hyder

We're all here 'cause we're not all there.

Talbit
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Location: Australia
Posts: 210

Posted: 05:39am 05 Dec 2011

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Pete,
Go to www.jaycar.com.au and search for ZD-1704 and it will give you some info. Any of your electronics suppliers like Mouser should be able to sell you the exact same thing.
You could wire up individual LEDs but it's a bit messy. I was going to do that but decided using the array would be much easier. I used two 20 pin IC sockets and then plug the arrays into them rather than connect directly to the pins of the arrays.
I'll send a photo when I get home tonight.
Talbit

Talbit

Talbit
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Posted: 07:40am 05 Dec 2011

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Pete,
This should give you an idea. Let me know if you want more.
Regards
Talbit

Talbit

James_From_Canb

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Joined: 19/06/2011
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Posted: 07:54am 05 Dec 2011

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It would take a bit of rewiring, but have you considered usng network arrays? They are a bunch of resistors packaged with a common Earth. They made my Lcd wiring much neater, and saved space on my prototype board.

For example, search for network resistor 220 sil on ebay.
Also available from Rockby etc in Australia.

James

Talbit, if you want some, I have lots.

My mind is aglow with whirling, transient nodes of thought careening through a cosmic vapor of invention.

Hedley Lamarr, Blazing Saddles (1974)

Talbit
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Posted: 07:59am 05 Dec 2011

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Thanks James, I thought of those but it turned out to be quicker just to knock it up this way.
Talbit

Talbit

aargee
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Joined: 21/08/2008
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Posted: 08:05am 05 Dec 2011

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The resistor array to a common rail makes the circuit much neater, if you're building from scratch. That's how I did mine, it quite happily sits on the 20 I/O pins during most of my interfacing projects and gives an active indication as to what's going on.

- Rob.

For crying out loud, all I wanted to do was flash this blasted LED.

bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
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Posted: 10:29am 05 Dec 2011

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Hi,

If you really want to make it cheap....

Looking at the code only 1 led will be on at a time so you could directly Connect each MM line to the LEDs I.e forget the resistors and have just 1 220ohm resistor in the common leg of the LEDs...

Only works if it has one or two LEDs on at a time though.

Regards,

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

Talbit
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Posts: 210

Posted: 11:56am 05 Dec 2011

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Good one Mick! But I was also thinking of the possibility of making a chaser as well, i.e. fiddle with the programming to do various patterns. But I'll take your idea on board. But I guess your idea should work for a chaser as well! I've got a spare pair of LED arrays so I'll make it up and see how it goes.
Talbit

Talbit

Talbit
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Posts: 210

Posted: 10:17pm 05 Dec 2011

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bigmik said Hi,

Only works if it has one or two LEDs on at a time though.

Regards,

Mick

Mick, Not quite sure what you mean here. My guess is it should work exactly the same as mine with all the resistors.
Talbit

Talbit

Talbit
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Posts: 210

Posted: 10:31pm 05 Dec 2011

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This is Mick's idea of a simpler circuit. It should work the same.
Thanks also to BobDevries for the code.
It's only meant to test if all the pins are soldered correctly and there is continuity to the IDC connector. I guess if the pin works as a digital out, i.e. the LED lights up, then everything else should be okay with that pin.
Talbit
Edited by Talbit 2011-12-07

Talbit

bigmik

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Posted: 10:49pm 05 Dec 2011

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Talbit said

bigmik said Hi,

Only works if it has one or two LEDs on at a time though.

Regards,

Mick

Mick, Not quite sure what you mean here. My guess is it should work exactly the same as mine with all the resistors.
Talbit

Hi Talbit,

I mean if Only one LED is ever on at the same time you will see no difference.. (This is the way the sample code is written)..

If Two LEDs are On at the same time they will probably still work but be slightly dimmer, 3 may work still but getting more than 4 or 5 on at the same time is unlikely to light any LEDs at all..

The Original 20 Resistors is `technically' a better solution and is more flexible but a bucket load more work to assemble..

Any way it is a simple option if you know its limitation.

Regards,

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

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