Constructional Project

DIGITAL
I.C. TESTER
JOE FARR
Let a PIC and a PC check the health of are used by IC2’s internal circuitry to con-
vert the supplied voltage from 5V to ±12V.
your digital logic chips. Connection to the PC is via a 9-pin female
D-type connector, SK2.
To test the functionality of a digital logic
i.c., a known set of logic levels must be

D
presented on each pin and the resulting
URING project construction, many
hobbyists must have wondered if
CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION responses received back from the i.c. then
The complete circuit diagram for the analysed.
the reason their masterpiece wasn’t Digital I.C. Tester is shown in Fig.1. When
working was due to a faulty i.c., or if the
i.c. they’ve just removed from an old board
power is supplied to the board, it first pass- I/O PINS
es through bridge rectifier REC1. If the The PIC16F877 has a total of 33 I/O
actually works. The project described here input supply input is a.c., REC1 converts it
provides a simple way to quickly test the (input/output) pins. Of these, 24 are used
to d.c. If the input is already d.c. it ensures to connect the PIC to the i.c. under test.
operation of most TTL and CMOS digital that the polarity is correct for IC1, which
i.c.s. Each of the 24 I/O pins is connected to a
then regulates the voltage down to approx- pin on the i.c. test socket (SK3) via a 1009
imately 5V. Capacitors C1 to C4 plus C11
HOW IT WORKS provide smoothing.
resistor, within resistor modules RM1 to
RM3. These resistors act as current lim-
To explain how the Digital I.C. Tester A PIC16F877-20 microcontroller, des-
works, let’s examine the humble 7400 TTL iters to protect the PIC and the device
ignated as IC3, is used as the core of the under test. The danger is that an output of
NAND gate device as an example. The circuit and is run at its maximum speed of
datasheet says the package contains four the test i.c. could become connected to a
20MHz, as defined by crystal X1. Since PIC I/O pin also designated as an output.
logic gates, each one having two inputs this design uses RS232 protocol to inter-
and one output, which behave according to Each pin on the i.c. test socket is biassed
face to a serial port on a PC, a voltage level to the +5V test power rail via a 4k79 resis-
the truth table in Table 1. converter is employed to convert the PIC’s tor (within resistor modules RM4 to RM6).
5V logic levels to the ±12V levels required This is to force unused pins on the test
Table 1. Truth table for a 2-input by the RS232 standard (many PCs do not
NAND gate socket to a known logic level, and also
actually require this higher voltage for ser- enables open collector TTL i.c.s that have
Input 1 Input 2 Output ial comms input and will accept +5V/0V their outputs either floating or pulled to
L L H inputs. Ed). ground to be tested.
L H H This is accomplished by IC2, a During the test cycle, the PIC sends a
H L H MAX232 line driver. Capacitors C5 to C8 low logic level to the base of transistor
H H L

To test the satisfactory functioning of

each of the four gates in the i.c. package,
each of the four input logic configurations
in Table 1 must be applied to each gate and
the resulting logic output levels recorded
and compared against the expected results.
A profile for an i.c. to be tested is first
generated from the device’s datasheet.
Within the profile, an instruction sequence
is specified that applies defined logic lev-
els to the specified input pins, and records
the results generated on the output pins.
The actual results received are com-
pared against those that are expected, and
from this it is possible to ascertain if the
i.c. is functioning correctly.
It should be noted that some i.c.s require
a great many individual logic operations to
test them completely. For example, the
7430 8-input NAND gate requires 256 sep-
arate input logic level permutations to be
tested.

Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002 717

 IN
IC1 OUT +5V
7805

+
COM
TR1
SK1 R1 R3 BC213
+ + 470Ω 4k7 e
C1 C4 R2 b
REC1
220µ 220µ 1k
a POWER
C2 C3 C11 D1 c
- a
100n 100n 100n D2
POWER k
IN 1N4148
k
TB1 RM4
4 4k7
0V
3 TP1
MCLR
2
DATA +5V PATCH PIN
1
CLK

11 32

RM1 1
+VE +VE
100Ω MCLR RM2
100Ω
1 16 2
RA0/AN0 40 1 16
3 PGDA/RB7
RA1/AN1 39
4 PGCLK/RB6
RA2/AN2/VREF- 38
5 RB5
RA3/AN3/VREF+ 37
6 RB4
NC RA4/TOCK1 36
7 PGM/RB3
RA5/AN4/SS 35
8 RB2
RE0/AN5/RD 34
9 RB1
RE1/AN6/WR 33
10 INT/RB0
RE2/AN7/CS

C9
IC3
PIC16F877-20P
10p RM3
13 100Ω
OSC1/CLKIN
30 1 16
PSP7/RD7
R6 X1 R4 R5 29
470Ω C10 20MHz 2k2 2k2 PSP6/RD6
10p 28
14 PSP5/RD5
OSC2/CLKOUT 27
PSP4/RD4
15 26
T1OSO/T1CKI/RC0 RX/DT/RC7
16 25
T1OSI/CCP2/RC1 TX/CK/RC6
17 24
TP6 TP5 CCP1/RC2 SDO/RC5 NC
TEST 18 23
+5V TP3
* TP4
SCK/SCL/RC3 SDI/SDA/RC4 NC
19 22
ON PSP0/RD0 PSP3/RD3
a a 20 21
PSP1/RD1 PSP2/RD2
D3 D4
k k
COMMS

GND GND
R7
12 31
470Ω

*SEE TEXT

Fig.1. Complete circuit diagram for the Digital I.C. Tester.

TR1 via resistor R3, which in turn applies A power supply unit capable of supply- required. If a turned pin socket is not avail-
power to the i.c. under test, via either the ing around 100mA and between 9V to 12V able, two rows of turned pin socket strips
power patch pin (TP1) or via the dual-in- should be ideal. If the input voltage can be used instead.
line (d.i.l.) switch module S1. exceeds this, then it might be necessary to Provision has been made on the p.c.b. to
Transistor TR1 also supplies +5V to the fit a larger heatsink to IC1. The prototype accommodate two pairs of turned pin
common pins of the pull-up resistors within draws approximately 30mA when in socket strips, one pair of 10 pins (within
modules RM4 to RM6. As soon as testing is standby, rising when testing. The exact the SK3 area), and one pair of 12 pins
complete, TR1 is switched off automatical- current drawn will depend on the i.c. being (TB2 and TB3) which may be used if it is
ly, disconnecting power from the test i.c. tested. decided not to use a ZIF socket. This
Capacitor C12 provides smoothing of the allows narrow i.c. packages of up to 20
switched +5V rail from TR1. TEST SOCKET pins or the wider packages of up to 24 pins
With power applied to the board and There are several possible choices for the to be tested. Though not as convenient as a
TR1 off (non-test mode), the PIC’s RB6 method that will be used to connect i.c.s to ZIF, this does make a cheaper option.
and RB7 pins are available to allow an the tester via socket SK3. The preferred
external programmer access to the PIC. method is a ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) sock- D.I.L. SWITCH
et. They are available in different sizes and OPTIONS
POWER SUPPLY formats but one should be chosen that Power can be applied to the i.c. under
It is expected that when in service the accepts i.c.s of up to 24 pins and different test either via the jumper patch pins (TP1
project will be powered from a sealed package widths (a “universal” type). and TP2), or predefined power configura-
plug-in mains power supply adaptor. The ZIF socket can be mounted directly tions can be selected from the 4-way d.i.l.
Either an a.c. or d.c. power supply unit can on the board, or a 24-pin turned socket can switch bank, S1. This switch allows a
be used and the connections to the printed be fitted first and then the ZIF pushed GND (0V) connection to be made to pin
circuit board (p.c.b.) are not polarity firmly into that. This allows the ZIF to be 12 of the test socket and a +5V connection
sensitive. easily removed and used elsewhere if to be made to pins 19, 20 and 22, as
718 Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002
 RM5 RM6
4k7 4k7

TB2 SK3 TB3

1 24
S1
2 23
3 22 5 4 4
4 21
5 20 6 3 3
6 19
7 18 7 2 2
+
C12
8 17 10µ
9 16 8 1 1
10 15
11 14 *
12 13 *SEE TEXT
+
C5
1µ
16
C6 0V PATCH PIN
V+
1µ TP2

+
1 2
C1+ V+

3
C1
6
C7
1µ
IC2 V
SERIAL CABLE LINKS
MAX232 (SEE TEXT)
+
4
C2+
5 SK2
C2
11 14 TP7 TP8
T1 IN T1 OUT 1
10 7
NC T2 IN T2 OUT NC 2
12 13 TP9 TP10
R1 OUT R1 IN 3
9 8
NC R2 OUT R2 IN NC 4
GND 5
15 6
7
C8 8
1µ +
9

COMPONENTS C5 to C8

C9, C10
1m radial elect. 50V
(4 off)
10p ceramic disc, 5mm
SK1

SK2
power connector
(see text)
9-way D-type sub-min.
pitch (2 off) connector, female,
Resistors See C12 10m radial elect. 16V p.c.b. mounting

SHOP
R1, R6, R7 470W (3 off) SK3 24-pin universal ZIF
R2 1k Semiconductors socket (see text)
R3
R4, R5
4k7
2k2 (2 off)
TALK REC1
D1, D3
bridge rectifier 50V 1A
green l.e.d., 3mm (2 off)
TB1 4-way terminal pin
strip
page D2 1N4148 signal diode TB2, TB3 turned pin socket strip
RM1 to
RM3 100W 8 x D4 red l.e.d., 3mm (2 x 12-way) (see text)
individual resistors d.i.l. TR1 BC213 pnp transistor
module (3 off) (or similar) Printed circuit board, available from the
RM4 to IC1 7805 +5V 1A voltage EPE PCB Service, code 371; p.c.b.
RM6 4k7 8 x commoned regulator supports (4 off); 40-pin d.i.l. socket; 16-pin
resistors s.i.l. module IC2 MAX232 RS232 line d.i.l. socket (4 off); heatsink 21°C/W for
(3 off) driver IC1 and mounting hardware; solid insulat-
All 0·25W 5% carbon film or better except IC3 PIC16F877-20P ed wire for jumper links; solder, etc.
RM1 to RM6. microcontroller,
preprogrammed
Capacitors (see text)
C1, C4 220m radial elect. 25V

£25
(2 off) Miscellaneous
X1 20MHz crystal Approx. Cost
C2, C3, C11 100n ceramic disc, Guidance Only
5mm pitch (3 off) S1 4-way s.p.s.t. d.i.l. switch,
p.c.b. mounting (see text) excl. connectors

Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002 719

 DIGITAL I.C. TESTER CIRCUIT BOARD

SK1
*SEE TEXT

HEATSINK
D1 SK2
TP7 TP8
a k

IC1 R
C5
*
1
REC1
COM IC2 TP9 TP10

C1 IN OUT
+
+ C4 +
+ + C12 e b c
+ +
4 3 2 1 C2 C3 C8 TP1
C6 C7
TB1 + R
k a RM4 TP2 RM6 TR1 3
D2
TB2 TB3

*S1
RM2
R 5 4
RM1 3
2 *SK3 6
7 2
IC3 8 1

C11

R C9
6 R
7 RM3
C10 X1

TP3
TP4
R5
TP6
R4
D4
TP5 * RM5
a k
D3
a k

6.05in (153.7mm)

4.025in (102.2mm)

371

Fig.2. Printed circuit board component layout and full size copper foil master track pattern.

720 Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002

 Provision has been made on the p.c.b. to capacitors and l.e.d.s. It is also worthwhile multimeter to d.c. volts, measure the volt-
accommodate an 8-way d.i.l. switch bank orientating the i.c. sockets as shown, even age on pins 11 (+VE) and 31 (GND) of the
for S1 if required instead of the 4-way though they are not actually “polarity con- socket for IC3. A reading of approximately
(using the unused holes seen below S1 on scious” in the normal sense. Doing so helps 5V, within a few percent, should be seen.
the p.c.b. in Fig.2). The additional four to ensure that the i.c.s. themselves are If the 5V rail is not present or l.e.d. D1
ways can be hard-wired to any combina- inserted the correct way round. does not illuminate, carefully check around
tions wanted. The p.c.b. tracks located Do not insert IC2 and IC3, or connect IC1 and IC3 for short circuits or dry joints,
below the switch should make the setting the tester to the PC, until preliminary and check the polarity of the D1.
up of these combinations easy. checks have been completed. Switch off the power supply and discon-
If the board is to be used as is (i.e. with- nect it from the mains supply when making
CONSTRUCTION out a case), attaching small stick-on rubber any changes to the board.
The Digital I.C. Tester is constructed on feet to each corner is a wise precaution. If
a single-sided p.c.b. whose component lay- the intention is to house it in a suitable ASSEMBLY
out and tracking details are shown in Fig.2. case, a 24-pin wire-wrap type socket can COMPLETION
This board is available from the EPE PCB be used for SK3 as this will provide ade- Once everything seems to be in order,
Service, code 371. quate clearance between the components insert IC2 and IC3, being careful of correct
It is recommended that good quality i.c. on the p.c.b. and the case lid. The ZIF sock- orientation and not to let any of the i.c. pins
sockets are used for IC2, IC3 and the three et can then be plugged into the wire-wrap bend under whilst being inserted. The PIC,
100W resistor modules, RM1 to RM3. socket. A similar arrangement can be used IC3, can either be a preprogrammed ver-
Assemble the board in any order you pre- for mounting d.i.l. switch S1. sion (see later) or if a suitable in-circuit
fer, but preferably making the link-wire programmer is available (Toolkit Mk3/TK3
connections first. for instance), it can be programmed on
board via the TB1 connector.
Referring to Fig.1, resistor R2 and diode
D2 permit the correct use of the PIC’s
MCLR pin 1 both during and after
programming.
The completed unit needs to be connect-
ed to a suitable serial port on the PC. The
cable should have a 9-pin male connector
on one end for the unit and a suitable con-
nector for the PC’s serial port on the other.
Fig.3a shows a cable schematic for a com-
puter having a 9-pin serial port connector.
For this cable, the cable selector links on
the p.c.b. should be straight, as in Fig.3b
(see earlier).
INSTALLING PC
SOFTWARE
No provision for a power socket was The PC software has been written in
made on the p.c.b. due to the different Visual Basic 6 (VB6) and should run on
types of power connectors currently in use. any recent Microsoft operating system
The two link wires located to the left of Instead, two terminal pins can be fitted and including Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0,
SK2, the 9-pin RS232 connector (between then an appropriate power socket for the 2000 and XP.
TP7/TP8 and TP9/TP10), help determine chosen power supply soldered directly to The installation set consists of four files:
which type of serial cable will be used, see these, as in the prototype. Setup.exe, which is the installation pro-
Fig.3. If a straight-through serial cable is to Note that there are three holes located gram, Setup.lst, which provides setup con-
be used, pin 2 to pin 2, pin 3 to pin 3, then around IC1 that are not used. These points trol parameters to the Setup.exe, plus
these links should be parallel to each other enable power to be tapped off for use with ICTest1.cab and ICTest2.cab which con-
as shown in Fig.3b. other circuits if desired. tain the actual Digital I.C. Tester program,
If a cross-over serial cable is being used There are four terminal pins (TP3 to VB6 runtime files and i.c. model definition
(pin 2 to pin 3 and pin 3 to pin 2 – as in TP6) located to the left of IC3. Ignore pins (type number) files.
Fig.3a) then the links should be crossed as TP3 and TP5. The TP4/TP6 pair control Create a temporary new folder having
in Fig.3c. Place a small piece of sleeving the RS232 interface rate. With the default any name of your choice, e.g. C:\ICTester,
over one of the link wires so that they do PIC firmware and 20MHz crystal, connect- and copy the files into it. Then run the
not short together. ing TP4 to TP6 selects an interface speed Setup.exe either by entering
of 57·6K baud. Without this link, 19·2K C:\ICTester\Setup.exe in the Windows
baud is used. A plug-in jumper link was run dialogue window or by double-clicking
used on the prototype. on Setup.exe in the File Explorer.
RX Once the setup has begun, most users
FIRST TESTS
5 GND 1
9 4 RX 2 6 should be able to accept the default settings
8 3 TX TX 3 7 Once construction is completed, re- offered. During the installation process,
7 2 RX 4 8
6 1 GND 5 9
check that all components have been you may be asked to restart your computer
oriented correctly and look for any solder if you have not previously installed the
splashes or bridges that might have Visual Basic 6 runtime components or they
A)
occurred during assembly. Using a multi- are out of date. Reboot the computer and
meter set to ohms, check the resistance restart the setup process as required.
TP7 TP8
B)
STRAIGHT CABLE.
PIN2 TO PIN 2 AND
across capacitor C4 to ensure that there is The temporary directory C:\ICTester
TP9 TP10 PIN3 TO PIN3 no short circuit. A brief reading may be can be deleted if no longer required once
obtained whilst C3 and C4 charge. the setup is complete. If running the instal-
If all is OK, continue testing, otherwise lation from the EPE CD-ROM, insert the
TP7 TP8
C)
CROSS-OVER CABLE.
PIN2 TO PIN 3 AND
do not attempt to apply power until the disk into the disk drive and run the
TP9 TP10 PIN3 TO PIN2 problem has been removed as IC1, the Setup.exe program located on it, as
bridge rectifier or the power supply unit described above, then follow the prompts.
could be damaged. Once complete, the Setup program will
Fig.3. Links to be made in respect of Making sure that the board is not resting create a new program group called Digital
serial lead type, see text. on anything conductive, connect a suitable I.C. Tester. You can find it be clicking the

Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002 721

programs. You should see it listed there. constantly during the testing process, this
indicates a possible communications prob-
TESTING THE lem. In which case check the serial cable
INTERFACE and the PC software speed settings in the
Connect the serial cable and power sup- configuration window.
ply unit and switch on. The l.e.d. D1
should illuminate. Also, to confirm that the TESTING AN I.C.
PIC is running and executing its firmware, The software is supplied with profiles
l.e.d. D4 should also illuminate. for a selection of common TTL and CMOS
Start the PC program running and you devices. For the following testing example
will be presented with the main working we shall use a TTL 74LS00, a quad 2-input
area, similar to Photo 1. NAND gate. To properly follow this dis- Photo 5. The “testing” screen.
cussion now, it is best to have the PC soft-
There are four main areas to this win-
ware running.
dow. The Start and Stop buttons are used to
Drop the i.c. to be tested into the test
begin and terminate the testing process
socket, making sure that the bottom right
accordingly. The Performance panel is
hand pin of the i.c. is located in the bottom
used to get additional information dis-
right hand pin of the socket.
Photo 1. Main working area toolbar on played during the testing process.
Different i.c.s can have their power rail
PC screen. If Update Pin Display has a check mark
pins located in different positions.
displayed, a representation of the i.c. being
Typically, the bottom left hand pin is GND
By default, the PIC firmware and the PC and the top right hand pin is +VE but this tested will be displayed on the screen. As
software are set to communicate at 19·2K is by no means always the case. The rows the logic levels change on the actual device
baud (TP4/TP6 link excluded – see of turned pin sockets alongside the test being tested, they will be reflected on this
earlier). socket can be used to route power to the display (this is useful when the Single Step
The PC software must be configured to correct pins, but more on this in a moment. option is also selected).
use the COM port that you have connected Next, you need to tell the PC software The function Update Logic Trace will
the serial cable to. By default, the software which i.c. type is going to be tested. To do record a trace similar to a storage oscillo-
uses COM:1. If you are not using COM:1, this, you need to load a profile file that relates scope that can be studied after the testing
you can change this setting by selecting the to the specified type. This file contains details process has been completed. Enabling the
Real-time Plot option will keep the trace
Tools menu and then Configuration, which about the number of pins on the i.c., which
updated as the testing progresses instead of
produces a display such as in Photo 2. A pins are inputs and outputs, have no internal
just displaying the results at the end of the
short-cut is to click the spanner icon on the connection and which are its power pins.
test.
toolbar. The profile also contains detailed instruc-
tions on how to test the i.c. From the pro- These options, if selected, will impact
gram’s main menu select File and then Load on the performance of slower PCs. To get
IC Profile. After a few moments, a list of the the best possible speed, do not enable these
available profiles should be displayed in the options. However, for now, enable all three
so you can see exactly what happens.
right hand panel (see Photo 3).
The Test Mode panel controls how the
If the panel is empty then you will need
testing is performed. Normally, Single Test
to tell the software where the “Datasheets”
would be selected. If you suspect that a
folder is located. The default is
device has an intermittent problem,
c:\Program Files\ICTester\DataSheets.
though, you can set the software to do a
The left hand panel allows you to browse
Continuous Test. The test-cycle will then
your computer’s drives and folders until
be repeated up to 999 times.
you locate the “Datasheets” folder.
Photo 2. Serial communications con- Abort On Error will terminate the testing
figuration screen. cycle if any error is detected in the i.c.
Single Step is useful if, for example, you
want to probe around the i.c. under test
From here, you can change settings that
control communication, default display
colours, directories or folder locations and
some other ad-hoc settings. Change the
COM port to the required setting and click
OK. All configuration changes are stored
for later use.
Next you need to test the actual commu-
nication link between the PC and the Photo 3. Selection screen for i.c. types.
Digital I.C. Tester. Again, select Tools from
the top and this time select Confirm Scroll down the list of available profiles
Communication Interface at the bottom of and select “7400”. You can double-click to
the menu. load or click once and then click the Load
A screen will be displayed detailing button. The Profile Directory window
some checks you should first make. should now disappear and you will see just
When you are ready, click the Start but- the main application window. On the status
ton. You will see some text scroll up in bar at the bottom, though, you should now
the panel on the right hand side of the see some additional information, such as
window and perhaps l.e.d. D4 flickering that in Photo 4.
on the tester.
The panel on the window will turn green
if the communications link is satisfactory. Photo 4. Status bar.
If it turns red this indicates that the com-
puter cannot establish a communications
link with the tester. Perform the checks as TESTING OPTIONS
detailed and try again. Most often the com- To start the testing process, select IC
munications failure is due to the wrong Test from the top menu and then select Test
COM port being selected or an incorrect Specified IC. A window similar to that in Photo 6. Pin connections dialogue
cable being used. Photo 5 will be displayed. screen.

722 Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002

software will display a message box asking
you to press the <CR> (<ENTER>) key
before it moves onto the next step.
The Test Statistics panel shows how
many test cycles have been made (0 to
999), the current sequence or pattern num-
ber being executed as specified in the
device profile file, and how many test-
cycles the device has passed or failed.

TEST PROCEDURE
When ready, click the Start button.
Because this is the first time you have test-
ed an i.c. with this power pin configuration,
a dialogue box is displayed (see Photo 6).
The picture shows how to correctly apply
power to the i.c. under test. Also, it shows
you how the i.c. should be inserted in the
socket.
Notice that in this case, no power patch
wires are required as this i.c. package is
supported by the on-board d.i.l. switches.
So, set d.i.l. switches S1/3 and S1/4 to the
ON position, as indicated.
Press OK to start the test. All being well,
after a couple of seconds you should have
a display similar to that in Photo 7.
Select Window from the top menu and
then Tile Vertically to get the software to
arrange everything neatly for you on the
screen.
In the case of the i.c. represented in Photo 7. Typical screen display during testing, on this occasion showing that the i.c.
Photo 7, it actually failed during the testing is faulty (see text).
process. The right hand panel shows that
the problem occurred with pattern 11, the logic level dropped from high to
sequences 0007 and 0008. Sequence 0007 low before it was expected. Another
shows what the Digital IC Tester sent to the option available is GND, located directly
i.c. Sequence 0008 shows what the device under the Diff option. Enabling GND
profile says should be the response from forces a dotted line showing where the
the i.c. The next line shows what the low logic level for each pin would be on
response from the i.c. actually is. An “X” the display. This makes a useful trace
means Don’t Care about the logic level. separator when the screen starts looking
Whilst this is helpful, it is not too clear crowded.
exactly what the problem is. The trace on
the left hand side of the screen shows the
logic levels present on each pin of the i.c.
CREATING PROFILES Photo 10. Creating an i.c. test proce-
dure profile.
Since the number of i.c. devices on the
during the test. The trace is updated after market is constantly changing, the tester
each Read operation is performed. would soon become obsolete if the user did repeatedly clicking on each pin in the
The display has four yellow traces which not have the ability to add new profiles as usage column. Additionally, you can create
are the outputs of each of the four NAND required. To create a new profile, select short tags (descriptions) for each pin,
gates. Since they should all behave the Create IC Profile on the main Tools menu, which are displayed along with the pin
same, it’s quite clear that there is a problem see Photo 9. numbers on the Logic Trace screen. When
with the gate whose output is on pin 11. In You will need to enter the i.c.’s type ready, click the Next button.
some cases, though, the actual problem number and a brief description about the
might not be clear, especially if the i.c.
only contains one or two gate arrays. If you
device. Next select how many pins the TEST EXAMPLE
device has, and specify which pins are des- You must now tell the Tester what logic
select Diff on the Pin Logic Trace, the trace ignated as inputs, outputs, power or have levels to send to the i.c. and what the
display will change and look similar to that no internal connection. You do this by expected results will be (see Photo 10).
in Photo 8. To test a 7400 quad 2-input NAND gate,
The dotted line indicates what the pro- for example, 10 instructions are required:
file is expecting back as a response from
the i.c. under test. As can be seen with pin Sequence 1 – Reset. This sends a Reset
command to the PIC and should always be
included unless there is a specific reason
not to. You can include as many Reset com-
mands as required and at any location with-
in the script.
Sequence 2 – +VE On. This switches
on the +5V supply to the i.c. under test. It
also applies +5V via transistor TR1 to the
three commons of the pull-up s.i.l. resistor
modules, RM4 to RM6.
Sequence 3 – Send. Here, we are send-
ing low logic levels to pins 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10,
12 and 13. These pins were defined on the
Photo 8. Test screen in “difference” Photo 9. Creating an i.c. pin function previous screen as inputs. You can only
highlighting mode. profile. send logic levels to pins defined as inputs.

Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002 723

 bank size defaults to 4-Way. If this is
changed to 8-Way, indicating that you have
opted to fit the 8-way switch for S1, the
Setup DIPS (“DIPS” referring to the other
name, dual-in-line-package, by which d.i.l.
switches are sometimes known) button will
be enabled.
Selecting Setup DIPS allows you to
specify how you have wired the additional
four switches.
The printer icon allows a template to be
printed that contains all the texts required
to label the Digital I.C. Tester. Also, a cus-
tom legend is printed that can be affixed
next to the d.i.l. switch S1.
All configuration options are saved and
automatically used the next time the PC
software is started.
Photo 11. Example of a profile screen being set for multiple function pins.

Sequence 4 – Read. We now read back under Tools, Configuration (see Photo 2
the logic levels from the i.c. being tested. earlier). When selected, there are five
We expect pins 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12 and 13 groups of configuration settings that can be
to be low since we have set them low in changed.
the previous instruction. However, we The first group deals with the serial
must now indicate which logic levels are interface characteristics. The COM port
expected on each output pin. According and interface speed are changed here. At
to the truth table we looked at for a the bottom of the screen there is a Timing
NAND gate earlier, all gates should Adjustment button. In certain circum-
return a high logic level. We now contin- stances, it is possible to under-run the PC’s
ue sending logic levels to the i.c. being serial buffer. Increasing this value forces
tested and then reading back the actual the PC software to wait longer for incom-
logic levels from it. ing data, the drawback being that the soft-
There is no need to send a Config com- ware will run slightly slower.
mand in the above sequence since the PC To check that this setting is correct,
software sends the required configuration insert a known good i.c. into the tester and
based on the profile information you spec- set for continuous testing. If after the
ified on the first screen during the profile default 999 tests no failures have been
creation. reported then the setting is correct. If any
failures are detected then this value should
MULTIPLEXED PINS be increased by a value of 1 and the test
performed again.
Some i.c.s, however, have pins that can be
either an input or an output, depending on The next group allows the information
the logic level of some other pins, and the display colours to be changed. Clicking
74245 is an example of this (see Photo 11). any of the coloured panels brings up the
At Sequence 7, a Config command has colour picker dialogue.
been inserted. This enables the tester to be The Paths groups allows the default
reconfigured and specify which pins are location of the Data Models (i.c. types)
inputs or outputs. Testing resumes from storage path to be specified. Clicking the
Sequence 8. ellipsis button on the right (the one
Select the Reset command and click Add with . . .) allows you to explore the avail-
Instruction. A new line will be added to the able disk drives and folders and locate the Photo 12. Logic analyser experimental
display. Do the same for +VE On. Next, location of the data model files. screen.
insert a Send command. This is the binary The settings groups allow some display
pattern we want to present to the i.c. under options and the DIP switch type and usage
to be specified. The Show Tool Bar and It is worth noting that, in most cases,
test. Logic levels are changed by clicking holding the mouse pointer over a control or
the cell on the new line that you want to Show Status Bar options allow the Tool
and Status bars to be shown or hidden, button will provide some additional infor-
change. mation on its use.
Normally, after a Send command, you which is useful if screen real estate is
scarce.
will perform a Read. But this is not always
In some cases, the software attempts to EXTERNAL LOGIC
the case. For the Read, you can specify that
a pin designated as an output should have gain the user’s attention by flashing mes- ANALYSING
sages on the screen. The option Allow An additional feature was added to the
either a High or Low logic level or that it software to experiment with displaying
doesn’t matter (“X”). Flashing Text controls whether these mes-
sages flash or are static. logic states for i.c.s running in-circuit on
Once the required instructions have been other p.c.b.s, and this has been left in the
created, press OK to save the profile. The option Always Warn About Test IC
Power Pin Configuration controls how the published software for reader’s own exper-
The up and down arrow buttons allow imentation purposes (see Photo 12).
lines to be moved up and down in the exe- software warns the operator about the power
pin configuration of the i.c. under test. If A test connector, consisting of an i.c. test
cution order. The Delete Line button allows clip, connected to a piece of ribbon cable
instruction lines to be removed from the On, the software always issues a warning. If
Off, the software only issues a warning and terminated with a 24-pin i.c. header
profile. plug, allows the Digital I.C. Tester to be
when either the first i.c. of the session is to
be tested or a new i.c. type has been select- connected to the in-circuit i.c. Once con-
CONFIGURATION ed that has a different power configuration nected the Logic Analyser function can be
OPTIONS from the previous type tested. selected from the Tools menu.
The configuration options can be select- The DIP Type options control the look The Logic Analyser monitors and
ed from the main menu and are located of the graphic used for showing the d.i.l. reports the logic levels on between 1 and
724 Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002
optional trigger pattern can be specified if times. This means that when changing and compare them with its technical specifi-
required. A “tick” indicates a high logic logic levels are trying to be captured, there cation. Perhaps when a PIC is available with
state and the absence of a tick indicates a is a possibility of inconsistent or unexpect- 24 onboard analogue-to-digital converters,
low logic state. When all monitored pins ed results being displayed. the author will revisit the design.
have the specified trigger pattern, the Also, no matter what settings you
Analyser is triggered. select, the PIC frantically transfers data ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
There are two primary modes of operation as fast as it can to the PC and does not The author would like to thank his brother
for the Analyser. The mode Only Detect store any of the results internally. This Peter for supplying a large selection of “test
Pattern Changes displays each new logic pat- means that the capture speed is limited to subjects”, most of which looked like they
tern as it changes. Free Running grabs the the maximum speed of the serial inter- belong in the Science Museum!
logic levels as fast as possible. If Free face, making it quite slow in relation to
Running is selected, an optional delay can be today’s computer speeds. RESOURCES
specified from 0 to 9999ms between each All software for this project is available
sample being made. Update Pin Display and CONCLUSION for free download from the EPE ftp site, or
Logic Display work as previously discussed. The Digital I.C. Tester has successfully on CD-ROM (for which a charge applies)
The Activate Device Pull-Ups controls tested a variety of i.c.s without any prob- from the EPE Editorial office, see the EPE
whether the s.i.l. pull-up resistor modules lem, including 74, 74F, 74LS, 74HC and PCB Service page for details. The PIC pro-
(RM4 to RM6) have their common connec- CMOS 4000 series. The only slight excep- gram software is supplied in MPASM for-
tions powered or not. tion to this was with the HC series. These mat (.ASM and .HEX). See this month’s
When the logic analyser starts, it refused to test correctly with the original Shoptalk page for details of obtaining pre-
instructs the PIC to “grab” logic level sta- prototype which used 3309 buffer resistor programmed PICs.
tus information as fast as possible and modules (RM1 to RM3). These were The datasheet for the MAX232 is avail-
transmit this to the PC. The PC then swapped for 1009 ones, as specified for able from the Maxim website at
attempts to process and display this infor- this published version, and then the offend- www.maxim-ic.com.
mation. Because of this, the analyser has ing i.c.s tested fine. Datasheets for the majority of TTL i.c.s
several practical limitations. The design aims to give a go/no-go logic can be found on Texas Instruments web
Firstly, due to the hardware design and report on the i.c. being tested. It is beyond site at www.ti.com. 6

advertisement is on page 706 – they also stock the

TDA7052 i.c. If funds permit, buying ready-made XLR con-
nection leads could provide greater reliability – a fact which
with John Becker may well be appreciated in the type of situation in which this
unit is intended to be used.
EPE Bounty Treasurer Hunter
Looking down the components list for the EPE Bounty PIC-Pocket Battleships
Treasure Hunter, there is nothing in the way of electronic Except for one item, all components in the PIC-Pocket
components that should need a treasure hunter to find them! Battleships project are perfectly standard, which we expect
Although the author preferred to use the SGS-Thomson any supplier to keep in stock. This fun game uses a PIC
HCF40106, in an application such as this any hex Schmitt microcontroller, but it is not one that appears frequently in
inverter having the code 40106 in its identity will perform the EPE projects. It is the PIC16C54, which is one of the earlier
job. Ignore the prefix, that’s only the manufacturer’s code. By PICs (long before the ’84 etc) and which is not electrically
and large, with any digital logic i.c., it’s only the number itself erasable, requiring exposure to UV light to do so through a
which is important, not the manufacturer. Make sure, of window set into the device. This PIC is available pre-pro-
course, that the device is one having normal pins that go into grammed only from the author, Bart Trepak, 20 The Avenue,
a p.c.b., and is not a surface mount device. London W13 8PH. It costs £5.50 inclusive (overseas add £1
The hardware may present you with a bit more of a search for P&P), payment made out to B. Trepak, and only in £ ster-
requirement, this is where your large local DIY stores come ling and drawn on a British Bank, although UK postal orders
in handy – and you enjoy browsing those anyway, don’t you! are accepted.
Software is available separately as stated below. Note that
I.C. Tester Toolkit TK3 is not designed for use with PIC16C54 devices.
Once again, there are no components that are unusual in
the I.C. Tester, with the possible exception of the MAX232 Printed Circuit Boards and Software
RS-232 line driver. If your favourite stockist doesn’t have it, Apart from Battleships, which is built on stripboard, this
we know that ESR do, their advert is on page 706. It is also month’s projects all have p.c.b.s. Their code numbers are
stocked by Maplin, code number FD92A, they describe it as quoted in the respective Components Lists and are available
an RS-232 Transmitter-Receiver (same thing as an RS-232 as stated on the EPE PCB Service page (page 763).
line driver). Tel: 0870 264 6000. Web: www.maplin.co.uk. All the software required is available for free download
It’s worth shopping around for the ZIF socket as these can from our ftp site. The easiest access route to this is via the
vary considerably in price between sources (quality-wise, of main web page at www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk – use
course, you get what you pay for!). See later for details of the click link at the top saying “FTP Site (Downloads)”, then
obtaining the software. Pre-programmed PICs are obtain- click on PUB, then on PICS, and then look for the appropri-
able from EPE advertisers Magenta Electronics (P 01283 ately named folder.
565435, web: www.magenta2000.co.uk), price £10 each Software is also available on disk from the Editorial office.
(overseas add £1 p&p). Battleships is on EPE Disk 5, but the I.C. Tester is on its own
CD-ROM. To order these disks, see the EPE PCB Service
Headset Communicator page, which also gives their prices.
It’s the TDA7052 that your local stockist may not have for That’s it for now, Dave will be back with you next month.
the Headset Communicator, even though he is likely to have
all the other components, which are common-place. Again
we know that Maplin (see above) stock it, code UK79L PLEASE TAKE NOTE
(ignore the 1W power amp module that they also call the Ingenuity Unlimited (July 2002)
TDA7052). The locations of VR1 and R1 in the Car Battery Trickle
Regarding the connectors, yes, they can seem a bit Charger (page 487) should be reversed, so that R1 is
expensive, but quality is well worth paying for in this context placed between the output and adjustment, and VR1
and XLRs are the preferred connectors used by between adjustment and ground.
professionals in the audio world. Try ESR for these – their

Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002 725