Andonstar AD206 Microscope Battery working Mod - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 06, 2021, 10:06:03 pm
content: Hello everyone !I have bought a brand new AD206, which I find great exept for one thing: no battery!(I have a smaller G600 which has one in it, and find "portable mode" useful).Also, date/time is always lost after powering off (no RTC with small CR2032 battery for example)I can't find any teardown, or mod on it, no youtube video.So I have disassembled it (I have received it only a few days ago)There is a JB connector +/- and a 18650 location inside !So I have soldered 2 wires, check voltage output, and put a 18650.=>The battery is charging with the USB port.=>If I unplugged the USB cable, it stays on ! And battery level is showed on screenBut here is the strange thing: if I shutdown it with the button, then push the button again: white leds light up, but no screen.And after a few seconds, all is shutting down...Battery voltage is 4.10V so almost full.If I plug again the USB cable: all is working fine, and stays powered even if I unplug the cable, with the battery level at the bottom right.Also, now no more date/time lost, so the battery is working when unplugged from USB, and shut down with the left button.Maybe some of you could help me find what's happenning>Some photos

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2021, 03:27:03 pm
content: Reply to myself: in fact, in battery mode, the power button must be pushed about 3-5s to power it onThat's why it was shutting down if only a quick push on it !So it was one of the easiest mod I have madeOnly some difficulty to put the 2 contacts on the battery holder.About 0,5A charging current (with an empty battery) - The upper red light is (very) bright.About 0,3A to 0,45A current consumption (depending on led brightness setting with the rotary knob).Thanks myselfEdit: Changed the topic title as this simple mod works great

author: electr_peter
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 07, 2021, 09:18:27 pm
content: Interesting, I saw few reviews where possibility of this mod was mentioned but not implemented. Andonstar product range seems to be very similar but with different features enabled hardware or firmware wise. For example, AD206 has video output port, but that seems to be disabled in FW.I also use AD206 (pretty good value for money, image quality and usability are fine. Remote is recommended). I use it with USB battery pack when needed - thus microscope is very portable and has long battery life. Disappearing date does not bother me too much.I have few questions on the mod. What is voltage level on USB bus with battery only? Do all the lights work (1 lens light and 2 stand lights)? Did you measure standby power consumption?

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2021, 09:46:12 pm
content: Quote from: electr_peter on May 07, 2021, 09:18:27 pmAs the mod is only for the microscope, only the lens light is working.But I think it is possible to use the battery voltage to power the 2 stand lights, as there are only 2 leds, with a Mosfet and a tiny MCU controlling (PWM) these leds in the original wired-remote.Standby power consumption, I forget to check that !So, on my Siglent SPD3303X-E cross-flashed to SPD3303X, it shows only 0.001A on the screen, so I have put my U1272A on µA range: it draws really only 611,7µA !That's why when I unplug the 18650 battery, and then plugged it back after a few minutes, the date/clock are good (I have to correct the minutes shifting only).It really draws a very very small amount of current on standbyAlso, after putting back the battery, the microscope must be started once with the USB port, I think for getting the battery status at cold start.After that, no problem starting with battery (with the 3-5s power button push=> until "welcome" message on screen in fact)I have not checked for HDMI output (I have not teardown the camera board), but my board is a AD205 from 2020-09.Also there's a jack port, but don't know what for.Edit: I have just checked the battery voltage too:>> 4,25~4,01V: 3/3 battery bar>> 4,00~3,81V: 2/3 battery bar>> 3,80~3,76V: 1/3 battery barAt 3,75V: 0/3 battery bar + big blue Popup on screen "Low battery" then shuts down completly.

author: electr_peter
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 08, 2021, 08:07:02 am
content: Initial behavior after installing battery can be weird with soft power on circuitry (as you experienced). I did not look at the power circuit on AD206, but it looks really promising for RTC. With ~2500mAh 18650 cell and ~610µA standby current battery life is 5-6 months.

author: Evgeni62
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 07, 2024, 06:56:29 am
content: Good afternoonHas anyone tried connecting the microscope to a PC? In the DM9 microscope, pins 44 and 45 of the CPU are connected to the USB connector, but this one does not have such a connection.