Component and ESR tester - B-Side ESR02 PRO - a look inside - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 08:08:34 pm
content: As many readers will know, there are some very neat component testers available at very low cost these days.The cheaper models tend to be an open PCB architecture so do appear a little DIY. The software within appears to be pretty clever however. It is no surprise that many such component testers are coming out of China in different formats, but running the same software.The subject of this thread was a new model that caught my eye. It is the B-Side ERS02 PRO and it costs around $20. I already own a few component testers and ESR meters etc, but this particular unit looked interesting. It arrived this week so I thought i would share details of it and its internal design. The unit is built inside a pretty decent little casing that tilts the LCD display to a bench use friendly angle. The front panel contains two power and test buttons for left and right handed use which I thought quite clever. It also contains a neat little SMD test plate as well as leaded component spring clips and standard 4mm test lead sockets. A pretty decent line-up reallyAn interesting addition to the normal line up of test sockets etc is the capacitor discharge socket to make capacitors safe to test. The designer of this units case has obviously put some thought into what a user would find useful in daily use.The LCD display is nice and large and equipped with a decent backlight. Upon switching the unit on the battery voltage is displayed and the unit enters its test mode. A calibration requirement is shown and instructions on how to proceed. The menus options are impressive as will be seen in the pictures that follow. This is a very versatile little box of tricks.I was pleased to see that the manufacturer has seen fit to include a link to the original source of the design.I will fill in the component list her later but for now here are the pictures......Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 08:11:57 pm
content: The screens....

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 08:17:04 pm
content: Link to the original design displayed on the LCD display.......svn://mikrocontroller.net/transistorThe bad news.... it is a dud url ! I will track down the correct one later.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 08:18:46 pm
content: The various test ports.....

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 08:22:05 pm
content: The internal views.....No surprises..... it is running on an ATMEGA328 AVR

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 08:32:43 pm
content: The main component list .....Atmel Mega328P AVR MicrocontrollerLM393 Dual ComparatorAMS1117 LDO 3V3 1A maxHT7150-1 LDO 5V 30mA max8MHz CrystalFraser

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 08:36:20 pm
content: Fraser, it looks quite a neat and well assembled tester. Thanks for sharing.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 08:38:30 pm
content: This may be the correct link to the Mikrocontroller.net page ? The display is different though.https://www.mikrocontroller.net/articles/AVR_TransistortesterFraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 08:40:36 pm
content: rsjsouza,I agree. I am pleasantly surprised. I am still looking for the web page that details this version of the component tester.I know similar can be purchased at less than half the price of this unit, but they are not usually cased or so well executed in terms of test pads and ports. My time to case a bare PCB type would be more than the cost difference.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 09:21:41 pm
content: ooooops I just saw that another forum member already raised a thread on this unit.....sorryhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/bside-esr02-pro-transistor-tester-(teardown-quick-test)/Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 09:35:35 pm
content: I just corrected the price in my first post. I paid $20 for the unit, not £20 !Fraser

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 09:40:38 pm
content: Your pictures are better...I always like to build some gadgets to test components, but at $20 it is hard to make a case to design and assemble one, unless you require something very specific. How far along have we come to see actual hardware be so cheap and so well made...

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2018, 10:17:28 pm
content: I was impressed to see a battery connector on the PCB, rather than direct soldering as normally found on cheap equipment. There are also cuts in the PCB between the test socket connections .... nice to see.This is a more recent generation of the 'AVR transistor tester' previously referenced and discussed in the $20 component tester thread on this forum. It is certainly a very clever and capable little piece of electronics. In the UK, the case alone would cost $20 ! The unit was delivered to me free of additional postage charge. How could a Western manufacturer compete with such low priced production and shipping ?Fraser

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2018, 01:36:33 am
content: Fraser, fearing the risk of attracting more heated and controversial viewpoints, I would say this is very similar to what used to happen in my original country (Brazil): locally manufactured goods were more expensive to the locals than to the export market. It is a rather unjust equation.Regardless, the Chinese are capable of doing remarkable things. This is one more example.

author: dave356
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2018, 02:19:02 am
content: Nice review. ThanksWhat does the display look like testing a jfet or other transistors?Display looks a little big-grained on the resolution.I see the display has a quick-release for the flex cable.I wonder what display that is?

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2018, 01:07:59 pm
content: The display is 128 x 64 pixels and there are some good pictures of the unit 'in action' testing components in the other review by anothother forum member here.....https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/bside-esr02-pro-transistor-tester-(teardown-quick-test)/Fraser

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2018, 02:26:44 pm
content: Quote from: Fraser on February 16, 2018, 08:38:30 pmIt's the correct one. And the firmware of your ERS02 PRO is based on the k-firmware.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2018, 03:07:39 pm
content: Thanks MadiresFraser

author: precaud
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2018, 04:13:39 am
content: What freq does this measure ESR at?

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2018, 11:08:55 am
content: The tester doesn't use a sine wave with a specific frequency to measure the ESR. It uses pulses with reversing polarity and the measured value is similar to a measurement with a 10kHz sine wave.

author: precaud
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2018, 04:41:26 pm
content: Ah, ok. So probably reasonably useful for large ( 1000uF+ ) caps and increasingly less so below that...

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2018, 05:05:31 pm
content: With current firmware versions you can measure the ESR of caps starting at about 10nF. Older versions have a lower limit of 180nF, IIRC.

author: precaud
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2018, 05:37:45 pm
content: My comment has to do not with the unit itself, but the usefulness of a 10kHz signal at which to measure ESR...

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2018, 11:57:19 pm
content: That's a neat rendition of the AVR component tester. Thanks for sharing, Fraser. I hadn't seen it before.