Fixing A 90% Efficient 12V Booster Module
Often new DIY Arduino projects are drawing my attention that make excellent tools to expand our electronic measuring tools and test devices with. Like recently an interesting portable transistor curve tracer that I build for a good friend and myself.
The one build can be found on Instructables under the title “Transistor Curve Tracer _ 7 Steps (with Pictures)”. And it was designed by Peter Balch. And it is most definitely worth a look!
It works on 5 to 6V DC and uses a small 2.8inch 320×240 TFT touchscreen and a Pro mini Arduino module with additional smd components on a small mainboard.
This Curve tracer uses a special Mini DC-DC 3.3V 3.7V 4.5V 5V Naar 12V Step Up Boost Converter to create the necessary 12V out of the 6V DC input voltage to test and write the curves for the semiconductors under test. No matter if they are Bipolar npn or pnp, Mosfet, or Jfet, or even plain diodes or zener diodes. Sadly one of those Step up booster converter modules no longer worked after testing the Curve tracer with a a bit too high input voltage. The second tester however worked splendidly. And had the same 12V booster module as shown in next photo. I only needed to change the upwards pins into straight pins going downwards for placing it through hole into the Arduino curve tracer smd board.
The now defect Curve tracer tester was tested with 12V DC on the Vout connection without that defect module. But that apparently did not work when a transistor under test was inserted into the Zero Force insertion test socket. And the good working curve tracer normally automatically notices a flowing base and collector/emitter current and starts showing a popup window with Hfe gain value and a lot of curves. So I needed a new 12V booster module and also check what was wrong with the now defect 4 pins module. In above photo both middle pins are ground and the top pin is Vout, The bottom pin is Vin. And the a bit too high input voltage was the reason the module no longer worked. And no longer 12V came out of pin Vout. When the input voltage at 6V was tested with a larger current the small 6pins AL000 smd chip got hot and nothing else happened. Why most likely its internal mosfet had blown.
Two new modules were ordered and I also wanted to find out what datasheet the chip with smd code AL000 was in order to try to fix this interesting but simple PWM module. After comparing the pcb circuit with the chip with smd code ALxxx where the xxx’s just represents the manufacture date and lot number, it only could be a chip with name FP6291.
And the following circuit extracted from its datasheet was completely identical to the pcb circuit of this booster module. Which confirmed it was the right chip.
The diode on our booster module pcb was a special SS14 diode and the output current limiter resistor on pin 6 to ground was in our situation a resistor with code 3002 which is 30 kohm.
And the top resistor connected to the cathode of diode SS14 was with code 192 a resistor of 190 kohm. The lower third resistor connected to 190 kohm and also FB pin 3 had code 1002 and was 100 kohm.
Therefore I also ordered a set of 50 of those tiny step-up booster chips for about 8 euro including shipping.
With this information it now was easy to repair and even clone these simple space-saving booster modules that are special in that they are very cheap and have excellent features.
Here is a link to the Step-up 12V module with more info on this product and it’s pricing.
And here another link to a module that uses the same chip but with a potentiometer to make it possible to change the output voltage.
That module is shown on next photo. It almost looks the same but uses other resistor values.
But also that seller never mentions the chip that is really used here, only the DD06AJSB module board name.
These DC-DC modules, with a efficiency up to 90% !, with this tiny SOT23-6L size sd6271 controller chip on them, makes it really interesting for other projects too!
After the parts are received in a week or 2 the defect 12V booster module most certainly will work again. And with it also the second build Arduino transistor curve tracer. On a SMD board with a lot of 0603 size resistors, a few capacitors plus several semiconductors and two 3.3V and 5V regulators.
A curve tracer that also can be controlled and even tested, from a through a over a standard TTL to USB serial adapter interface connected computer.
Using these small Pro mini and Nano 3.0 Arduino modules for making electronic test equipment is a complete new and exciting adventure!
Previous shown last picture showed the output voltage versus the input voltage of the booster module with adjustable (with on module potentiometer) output voltage. And what current is needed for the conversion. It shows that for 12VDC/ 0.5A output, a input current of 1.4A is needed at 5VDC input.
Recently I also started to use the special very cheap STM32F103C8T6 (also called Blue Pill) modules (less than 2 euro) that although no Arduino board also can be programmed with the new Arduino IDE v2.3.2 compiler. However using the right Arduino project libraries often is a real pain in the –you know what-!
That STM32F103C8T6 module will be used to make this 1KV component curve tracer tester made by AkosBoda: https://www.printables.com/model/347158-high-voltage-1000v-isolation-tester-1kv-curve-tracer
That in a way resembles the unique DY294 HV component tester (that tests up to about 1600V DC!), but now with a 1.77inch color tft curve tracer function added. With this tester we now also can see how for instance a neon light bulb is ignited several times after a high voltage pulse is fed to it.
I think that the here given information will be of very good use to other electronic engineers too!
Especially when new small portable electronic instruments are build that need a higher voltage generated from a lower battery voltage pack or cell.
Maybe until another exciting story in another article!
Albert van Bemmelen, Weert, The Netherlands.
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Note: You can read his previous article on Expensive 18V Festool Powerpack Saved From The Dump
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Yogesh Panchal
April 13, 2024 at 4:03 pm
Excellent!Albert
Albert van Bemmelen
April 13, 2024 at 5:26 pm
Afterwards the defect Booster module was completely fixed by replacing its bad controller SD6271 ic that was destroyed. But that was because my second smd build curve tracer board refused to show any curves why I tried using a higher too high input voltage.
After checking all circuit connections I found out that my board had a bad connection to my Pro Mini ADC input A3 after its connection to resistors R25 and R8. This was not visible because of the tiny 0603 sized resistors that looked good but still measured being unconnected somehow. Which also explained why my curve tracer never worked with an external applied 12V booster voltage either, after my special booster module crashed and was removed (because it short circuited).
But know that when this perfect working Arduino curve tracer tester is fed with a 5.3V DC voltage it normally only needs a current around about 130mA. That obviously still never can be given through any normal computer USB connected port.
Tayo
April 13, 2024 at 11:22 pm
Humm... interesting device. Would be good for spotting fake / counterfeit components?
Albert van Bemmelen
April 14, 2024 at 12:37 pm
Yes but this transistor curve tracer with at its heart the controlling Aduino Pro Mini Module (or Nano 3.0 module on other designed board) is also a perfect device for checking unknown or unmarked transistor types. And it also shows exactly how mosfets and jfets operate at their gate voltages compared to the current base operated bipolar transistors. Therefore both voltage and current settings can be set in the appropriate menu structure.
Another designer made based on this original tester by Peter Balch a 24V enhanced version for being able to test zeners upto 24V DC. Instead using the 8 bit MCP 4802 dual DAC chip he used 2 other DAC chips in his curve tracer circuit. Luckily that special original used mcp4802 dual DAC in my at first not working Pro mini curvetracer tester was not destroyed. It only was my 12V booster module that needed a repair. That plus the bad connection at Arduino ADC input A3 to R25 and R8 that needed a quick re-solder before my tester finally started to show all curves.
Francisco Maciel
April 20, 2024 at 3:00 pm
Where can I get a curve tracer like that?
Imoudu.O
April 14, 2024 at 4:41 am
The segment of diy in electronics projects is getting deeper and wider, good job sir.
Albert van Bemmelen
April 14, 2024 at 12:55 pm
Luckily Imoudu, not all is only about fixing devices because making new devices is so much more fun too! Before making this curvetracer tester I also made and 3D printed the cases for a universal mini oled component tester that also showed the ESR value of caps. Plus a mini CMOS/TTL Oled ic tester. Both also use the same Arduino Pro Mini module to keep the board small. Those designs can be found here => https://www.hackster.io/john-bradnam/micro-component-tester-6a992d
Plus the upgraded to v0.7 tester from this original design => https://www.instructables.com/Arduino-IC-Tester/ .
See here my make and the files on Thingiverse with my small bug removed changed version I made in the v0.7 ino file, here => https://www.thingiverse.com/make:1160613
Parasuraman S
April 14, 2024 at 11:00 am
Vow! Experimenting with new versatile ideas is your caliber and you have once again did another almost impossible task! High tech explanations too! Many thanks for sharing! (Honestly, I will never venture on such works!)
Albert van Bemmelen
April 14, 2024 at 3:55 pm
In the past I hardly ever made such rather complex testers or even used Arduino modules before. But now I prefer using these small nifty microprocessor modules over using the quite expensive and bigger Raspberry Pi board projects.
Also because most of these parts and modules easily and at low prices can be found and ordered online like the right here used SD6271 step-up controller chip! Components that most likely couldn't be found locally.
Albert van Bemmelen
April 14, 2024 at 4:29 pm
Update: Although in the article was mentioned a step-up booster FP6291 chip and the datasheet showed a SD6271 controller chip, they apparently are the same in function and both have the same smd code ALxxx. Which was odd but made no real difference in function, only in price!. See here both datasheets => https://www.sunrom.com/p/fp6291-sot23-6-dc-dc-boost/
And here =>
https://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/pdf/1150373/SHOUDING/SD6271.html
Albert van Bemmelen
April 14, 2024 at 6:56 pm
Addendum: Two new ordered 12V Booster modules were received and tested that also had the controller chip with smd marking ALxxx. In this case they were both marked being AL628 controller ic's. But when tested they only gave 12V on the Vout pin at input voltages upto max 5,4V DC! Above that the max step-up output voltage immediately dropped to only about 6V DC! Which is not what we expect if the Arduino Curvetracer with this 12V Booster module was supposed to work upto input voltages of 6V DC.
At that low booster output voltage the transistor curvetracer will not detect any transistors and won't show any curves either!
Albert van Bemmelen
April 14, 2024 at 11:06 pm
Note: As also given in the datasheets of both FP6291 and SD6271 Booster controllers, the generated Vout voltage is calculated out of formula Vout= 0.6 x (1 + R1/R2). Which for given resistor values R1 and R2 being 191 kohm and 10 kohm exactly generates an output of 0.6 x (1+ 191/10) = 20.1 x 0.6V = 12.06V DC.
In the article R2 with marking 1002 on the Booster module was mistakenly mentioned being a value of 100Kohm which of course must be 10Kohm.
Both booster controller ic's practically use the same datasheet formulas.
On Aliexpress probably most sellers go for the cheaper FP6291 controller chip with the same ALxxx smd code when the max Vout needed is only 12V DC. Because the FP6291 apparently is only one fifth of the price of the SD6271 controller.
Waleed Rishmawi
April 15, 2024 at 3:10 pm
great work and a lot of information to cover. thanks for sharing and have a blessed day. I am checking more about it online.
Albert van Bemmelen
April 15, 2024 at 7:17 pm
I guess you probably won't be disappointed Waleed, since you replace a lot of those special power mosfets in those powerful welding machines almost on a daily basis. I'm glad being able to share this information on Jestine's blog, and have a blessed day too!