Guess this board - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 01:24:06 am
content: Try to guess what device the board came out of and how it works.

author: don.r
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 01:33:24 am
content: Insulation tester?

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 01:36:23 am
content: dosimeter/geiger counter board

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 02:07:45 am
content: Gonna take a wild guess - it's some kind of meter. That looks like a microcontroller and a serial EPROM... and that's a really high rated diode, I wonder if that's a step up transformer. Though exactly what it's measuring, your guess is as good as mine.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 02:13:01 am
content: Quote from: duskglow on June 24, 2013, 02:07:45 amYea - notice the LEDs have three leads - each one dual color?

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 02:16:42 am
content: Odd that the connector was submerged in the coating.Not sure about the Geiger counter, they need about 400 to 800v to get the tube going, 3k is a bit much.At first I thought some kind of camera flash board but the capacitors don't seem big enough.The MOV protection looks pretty good and that section looks pretty well isolated.Maybe a GCMS?

author: smashedProton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 05:57:08 am
content: I second the insulation tester.

author: millerb
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 05:58:19 am
content: Some kind of external modem?

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 12:03:49 pm
content: No idea on the whole device but I think U1 is a PIC.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 12:18:53 pm
content: Stud finder...

author: ElektroQuark
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 01:48:01 pm
content: Board guesser?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 05:41:32 pm
content: I would go for electric fence controller.

author: Mr Smiley
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 05:49:12 pm
content: Well there are 7 Red/Green leds, you can see on the board R+ and G+

author: MasterOfNone
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 06:15:31 pm
content: I think it’s the circuit board for a Flashgun or strobe. The Xenon type, not the newfangled LED type.

author: ftransform
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 07:41:59 pm
content: is it a spark speaker controller?

author: ee851
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 09:07:19 pm
content: After seeing all those phototransistors lined up like that, I realized that the circuitry is out of a slot machine.

author: senso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 09:13:32 pm
content: Expensive VU-meter?

author: bilko
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2013, 10:00:20 pm
content: Depth sounder ?

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 12:14:45 am
content: Quote from: duskglow on June 24, 2013, 02:07:45 amThat's the closest so far. Keep on guessing!

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 12:18:30 am
content: A "non-contact" "high" voltage wire tracer

author: wi6971lly
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 12:28:25 am
content: the voltage tracer gave me the idea of a stud finder

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 12:29:24 am
content: Quote from: wi6971lly on June 26, 2013, 12:28:25 amSee page #1.

author: wi6971lly
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 12:32:22 am
content: Quote from: Skimask on June 26, 2013, 12:29:24 amMy bad... read that page yesterday and forgot about it

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 12:48:54 am
content: I mentioned before that the LEDS looked bi-color. Stud finders don't need bi-color LEDS. Yea it's an indicator (duh) but why wouldeachLED need to be bi-color? That's the key in my mind.

author: wi6971lly
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 12:55:22 am
content: Quote from: xrunner on June 26, 2013, 12:48:54 amcouldn't tell ya... was just a guess on my partbut this was killing me, and after a bit of googl(e)ing (with an e or without an e? anyone else?) I have a better guess...Stereo sound level indicator? To show equalizer info or such?

author: bilko
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 01:13:24 am
content: Might it be a defibrillator board ?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 01:20:15 am
content: Quote from: wi6971lly on June 26, 2013, 12:55:22 amTry guessing things that need high voltage. The whole left side is some sort of HV step-up converter. The diode is rated 3kV.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 01:29:47 am
content: Brainstorming session follows ...I took another look at the photo. There are 7 LEDs. Not Zero through 7, but 1 through 7. That means there is one in the middle. This may or may not be significant.If you have an odd number of LEDs in a line then one is always in the middle. This can indicate a centering function, but it could be a ramp up from a low to high value also.But, if each LED has the capability of being green or red, then that means that each is independantly indicating something all the time - it's not a "centering" type display. It's a display indicating many different things changing all at once.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 01:46:08 am
content: Not necessarily. For instance, if it were an insulation breakdown tester, you don't want LEDs being shut off to indicate something, because you might depend on that reading for safety and you don't know if one is faulty. Best to have all lit - there's no fault condition that will make it light with the wrong color.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 01:57:09 am
content: My guess is it powers a Geiger–Müller tube and is a radiation monitor.

author: smashedProton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 06:22:46 am
content: The hv resistor looks to be precision and high value. Could it be a current sense resistor?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 06:45:37 am
content: There is a trace both on the top and bottom of the boards in between the MOVs. This goes into the circuit, which is a low voltage circuit. So I think that what this actually is, is a step down or isolation transformer that must have the ability to accept and shunt some pretty high voltage surges. The diode is rated to 3KV, the MOVs are probably similarly rated, but won't break down unless a high voltage is sent through.I think that diode is rated so high because it needs to withstand whatever voltages are being sent through, even if they're more than the circuit can take. So I would guess that this is intended to be run in some pretty harsh environments with potential surges and other unpleasantness.Another thing I notice is that CONN1 is located in a very interesting place, so I'd guess that that is where a small keypad or control panel would plug.I get the feeling the transformer isn't there just for power conditioning, but is an integral part of the circuit.Also, note that the top MOV seems way beefier than the bottom one. Most of the current is going to shunt through the top one in a fault condition. The bottom one goes to ground.I think CONN2 is an output - if you look carefully, it seems to be connected to pin 19 of the microcontroller. It's low current, but I think is designed to trip an alarm or some such. CONN3 appears to be some kind of sense connector - that's where whatever it's reading comes in. And that's actually borne out by the TEST pad being connected to pin 4 of the molex connector - I think that's for injecting a signal to make sure that whatever it's supposed to be doing is working properly.Of course, all supposition.

author: Fryguy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 07:33:44 am
content: I think it has got a power LED and 6 indicator LEDs - the top LED on the first picture has a different layout around itAnd the boardnumber clearly says TX at the end - it will be some kind of transmitter/generator i guess . . . and there should be a RX device as wellWhatever the RX is - i hope it's not alive

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 09:11:16 am
content: Taser or cattle prod with asjustable power setting

author: Kaluriel
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 12:47:55 pm
content: radio wave signal and strength detector?

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 01:15:16 pm
content: High voltage pH meter...

author: bilko
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 02:37:52 pm
content: Ultrasonic liquid level gauge driver board

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 03:02:34 pm
content: Well... CONN1 is clearly a program header for a pic(mentioned earlier). CONN2 appears to be an input using only 3 of 4 pins(pin 3 doesn't seem to be going anywhere, unless its connected to pin 2 for some type of 4wire test?)some high resistance (15.3M Ohm) in series with what looks like a step down transformer, going to to pin 4 of CONN2)EDIT: this is NOT a step down, its clearly high voltage due to copper pull back on the underside of board.I also tend to agree LED1 is a power indicator(seems to have some age to it?)

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 03:10:18 pm
content: I don't think that's a step-down transformer and I don't think those are MOVs. The transformer is clearly connected to the drain/collector of the transistor underneath it, and that side is near what looks like a power connector. I can't clearly see where the other side of the winding is connected. The blue pot (is that really 12 ohms?) appears to be sensing the peak current. I may be wrong - I don't think I'd use a pot for current sense - but if it's a small current that's not really too naughty. There's what looks like a high voltage diode above it, and I think the "MOVs" are HV ceramic capacitors. I think it's a flyback step-uptransformer. From the polarity of the diode, I'd say it generates a high negative voltage.Of course, I'm having trouble following the tracecontrollingthat transistor through the reflected camera flash, so I could be dead wrong. I don't see an oscillator, so I hope it goes to the microcontroller... Looks like there's another winding going into the base of a little transistor - feedback winding?

author: Uup
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 03:20:17 pm
content: Gas particle detector?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 03:24:10 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on June 26, 2013, 03:10:18 pmIll buy that for a dollar.I like the high negative voltage aspect. you may very well be right about that.Im interested to see what Mike says after he reverse engineers the whole damn thing lol

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 03:30:18 pm
content: Mike? He can probably read the code inside that MCU from the pattern of scratches on the top, including the comments...

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 26, 2013, 03:33:15 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on June 26, 2013, 03:30:18 pmLOL yea, he is exceptional.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2013, 12:29:21 am
content: Quote from: Uup on June 26, 2013, 03:20:17 pmThat's pretty close. It's actually a refrigerant leak detector. From what I can tell, the sensor tip has an array of needles in it and it works by detecting the change in dielectric strength.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 28, 2013, 12:43:32 am
content: So basically a specialized capacitance meter.