Secret Project 2. - Power Supply

Finally the arrived the small power supply for the LEDs (and the whole project):

Secret Project 2.

Two of the boards made during this week is part of my second secret project.
It is based on ESP8266:

As you see I choose the ESP-07 for this, what I've in my parts bin.
I tried to wake up the processor board:

First I loaded the standard Arduino flash test example into it. It was "working", but...
...the result is a massive failure for me:

I bought the ESP-07 modules at the beginning of the ESP8266 era, to play with it. I not even checked the flash size at that time. It has 512K (same as the ESP-01). I changed the flash on the ESP-01, but this has a metal can. Therefore it not worth the effort to change the flash.
Fortunately I've a few ESP-12Es also. So, jumped to my workshop:

Much better:

And ordered a few ESP-07S and ESP-12F.

Electronics - New projects cont...

How the Saturday boards are standing today:

I should write soon, not just taking pictures. :-)

Elektronics - new projects

I'm work on new things:

ESP-01 Surgery

I'm working on ESP8266 projects lately. I wanted to have OTA upgrade working from the beginning. The plan was to upload the new firmware through the web browser into the SPIFFS filesystem (done). Check the upload integrity there (wip). And flash it from there (done). This process require at least the double size of flash than the binary code.
My first working project is ~280K binary. This means that the 512K flash of the ESP-01 module isn't enough.
I was looking around, how can I increase it. I found this blog post:
http://tech.scargill.net/32mb-esp01/
I like the idea of upgrading the flash chip, but I've a few problems with the solution.

• It uses a 208mil wide chip instead of the original 150mil package. I really don't like the bending pin solution
• Few sources said that the Winbond flash chips are not really reliable
• I know it is cheap ($2.08/10pcs) on the eBay, but there is to many fake chips, so I don't like to buy it there (http://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-W25Q32FVSSIG-W25Q32FVSIG-25Q32FVSIG-4M-Memory-Flash-SOP-8-SMD-/201098254024)

So I decided to try to find a 150mil wide 4MByte (32Mbit) flash chip from reliable source.
I found it. It is a Cypress (Spansion) S25FL132K0XMFI041 from TME: http://www.tme.eu/en/details/s25fl132k0xmfi041/fram-memories-integrated-circuits/cypress/
It costs more ($0.75/each) but looks more reliable and no pin bending.
The package arrived yesterday from TME, and I done my first surgery tonight:

The original with the 512K Winbond chip on the left, the Spansion 4M chip on the right.
If you fire the Arduino IDE, You can find the CheckFlashConfig sketch for checking the flash size:

The result is reported to the Serial monitor.
Before the surgery:

After the surgery:

A few more modules waiting for the operation. :-)

I left the fitbit charger in the office

Multimeter nightmare

I've scored a nice 6,5 digit bench multimeter back in December 2014 on the eBay. A Schlumberger Solartron 7061.

I felt, that is a good idea.
It was not.
The root of the problem is the missing test leads.What is the problem with it, you may ask. Go to the shop buy some cheap Chinese leads or spend a fortune on some Fluke or Keysight leads and done.
Unfortunately it is not so simple. Schlumberger used some weird connector instead of the usual banana plugs.
This one:

You can tell: This kind of animal doesn't exists. But it does. It is right on the front of my multimeter.
First of all, I tried to find test leads on the net, on eBay, etc. All of my attempt failed.
After this, I was looking around, what kind of connector is this. Some internet sources told that this is a Mini XLR.
I bought a few of this:

Won't fit.
Next iteration: reading through various forum posts, I found the exact correct type:
Fischer Connectors S 104 A053-130+
I was looking around, the only place I found it was a US company unknown to me, for SIXTY FIVE bloody dollars. Are you out of your mind? It is just a connector!
Even I should pay the shipping and the customs. NO WAY!
Ok, lets go further.
I went to the Alibaba and later Aliexpress, where I found a company, what manufactures the clone of this Fischer Connector product line, but not this exact pin configuration.
I wrote to them if they are able to produce this connector:

I think it isn't a bad assumption to say, they will never provide this connector to me.
At this point I gave this up for a while...

...beginning of this year I wrote to my list, to handle this issue.
Went back to the US site I found it. They had no stock left. Ouch.

Next try:
Wrote a letter to the manufacturer, if they are able to sell it to me directly.
They directed to me to the Hungarian distributor.
We had a few mails, agreed on the exact product, price.
At the end I forgot to answer their last question about the invoicing.
A few month later it pop into my mind, but didn't wanted to write an apologizing letter. So I let it go.

Final try:
On the first day of my vacation came a newsletter from Farnell, that they are included Fischer Connector products into their portfolio.
Searched immediately, and YES, they have it on stock.
After arriving home, I ordered it, arrived:

Now, I have to create some banana breakout box, test lead, something out of it to be able to use.

P.S.: Just tell me, who on earth is so idiot to design an un-insulated, metal test lead connector to a multimeter with high voltage capability????