Wellon VP-180 Programmer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: ChrisLX200
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 21, 2017, 02:14:21 pm
content: I've had this Wellon VP-180 programmer for years and recently needed to program a small PIC. Sadly, when connected to the computer the programmer failed to initialise and produced an error suggesting a hardware failure. So with nothing to lose I take it apart and look at the PCBs. I notice on the underside of the top board (holding the ZIF socket) one small surface-mount transistor (Mosfet?) had tiny a blow-hole in it, I needed a microscope to spot it! This and all the similar nearby devices have the marking HY2D and nothing else, and I totally failed to identify what this component actually was.So again, with nothing to lose, I unsoldered that device and replaced it (hand soldered) another no-name component salvaged from a scrap PCB (a DVD writer). It didn't work first time and I got the same error, however I repeated using a different component and I thought I was successful this time because now the programmer initialises correctly and also passes its self-test routine found in the programmer software. Success? I can't really say because it still failed to write code to my PIC chip. Maybe the chip is faulty but I still have the nagging doubt that - despite passing its self-test - that replaced component was not correct. I don't even know if it is (was) n-chan, p-chan, NPN, PNP or what the heck. The programmer definitely reads chips just fine, but whilst the self-test includes an 'Output Test' I'm not sure it actually tests output voltages or it's just a logic thing.Yeah, this isn't the way to execute a repair, so if anyone knows what the specs are for the failed component (HY2D) I might have more confidence in it.Edit: Ah.. no. It's a fail. I tried to test some simple logic ICs and it fails to recognise them. I'm guessing when it tries to apply voltages to the pins it fails.Edit2: Squeezed a through-hole n-chan mosfet onto the SMD pads (don't have SMDs in stock) and still fails. I think I'm done with this, I have a MiniPro TL866A on order which is modern and better software.ChrisH

author: ChrisLX200
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 23, 2017, 10:28:38 am
content: Just out of interest - I would still like to know what the component was that failed. In the photos below it is the SMD transistor (V37) lower-left which is replaced in the first image with a no-name tranny allowing the programmer to pass a self-test (but failed to write), and shown again replaced with a THD mosfet in the second (failed the self-test). I would still be able to revive this programmer I think with the right component.Also shown is its replacement - the TL866a, here I made a couple of ISP connectors from F-F patch cables, hot-glued and wrapped with heat-shrink. Work just fine.ChrisH

author: picburner
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 05:40:23 am
content: The HY2D isn't a MOSFET but pnp transistors of the mmbt8550 type.In my Wellon vp-380 they are simply marked Y2 and they are just pnp.

author: ChrisLX200
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2017, 08:40:07 am
content: Quote from: picburner on September 24, 2017, 05:40:23 amMany thanks for that info, I can try a repair again now :-)ChrisH

author: ChrisLX200
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 26, 2017, 06:19:33 pm
content: Follow-up.Managed to salvage a suitable PNP transistor off a HD controller card). Trick was in identifying exactly what I'd recovered but it was just about possible using the cheap TC1 multi-function test (albeit like trying to attach the component tester clips to the legs of a dead fruit fly...)Anyway, I soldered it in place and buttoned it up - success, the programmer tests OK!ChrisH

author: cowasaki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2018, 04:31:38 pm
content: Does your VP-180 work? If so do you have any 74xx ICs about? Will it test them? My VP-180 has just been dug out and seems to read EPROMs but fails with NEARLY every 74 series IC I've only found one (74241) which actually results in PASS.

author: ChrisLX200
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 27, 2018, 05:57:06 pm
content: Quote from: cowasaki on January 27, 2018, 04:31:38 pmIt works, but there are no drivers that will communicate with it under Win7-64. I had it running on an old Samsung NC10 netbook under XP but that has an 'issue' at the moment! Wellon stopped supporting the VP-180 so no new software available

author: cowasaki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2018, 06:37:58 pm
content: Quote from: ChrisLX200 on January 27, 2018, 05:57:06 pmI'm running it under Windows Vista using VirtualBox on two Macs! You could run it under VirtualBox on a 64bit PC I would guess. I'm thinking that maybe I could write a logic tester program in C for the Arduino. The actual board would be simplicity itself and I've thought up how I could do each IC.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2018, 01:24:56 am
content: https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/Foshan-Blue-Arrow-transistor-S8550M-D-HY2D-HY4D-screen-SOT23-1-5A-high-current-transistor/32481189992.html??