I killed the snakes with a paraboard, too!

I prefer the snakes, it is much easier to connect/disconnect the balance leads to flying leads than to a socket on a crowded board. Different strokes...

The board is nice for small batteries. Try to plug in some 6s 3-5k mAh packs and you've got quite a cluster.

Originally Posted by narpat007

Please note pin #34 of the PLC 44 microcontroller is connected with pin #1 of the AT26DF161 (16 MBit Data Flash), which can be found under the LCD module (TC1602A-15).

This looks like the AT89C51IC2, but since the ISP pins are in a different order than in the previous "hint" I'm inclined to believe that one or both are red herrings. What I do know for certain is that neither matches what is in my 208B as pin 10 does not appear to be a reset and pin 1 is VCC.

Originally Posted by SteveM732

This looks like the AT89C51IC2, but since the ISP pins are in a different order than in the previous "hint" I'm inclined to believe that one or both are red herrings. What I do know for certain is that neither matches what is in my 208B as pin 10 does not appear to be a reset and pin 1 is VCC.

In 206B, it is ic2 only. I wasted ample time in tracing pin #10 which also initially did not appear to me as reset because no cap was found connected to this pin. Pin #10 is certainly reset out serving as reset to a very fine pitch QFP chip found very near to the PLCC44.

Is in your 208B, pin #1 of PLCC44 connected to positive of El. cap on the edge of the PCB, mounted horizontally ?

If so then it may be different uController

Try to trace once again, in IC2, is Crystal B 2: (Sub Clock) Output from the inverting oscillator amplifier.

If you have a scope, you can carefully solder a fine wire at pin 1 and see the signal in the scope.


I recently ordered 5 pcs. of IC2 from Digi-Key, as a backup for my iCharger 206B

Originally Posted by kgfly

I prefer the snakes, it is much easier to connect/disconnect the balance leads to flying leads than to a socket on a crowded board. Different strokes...

I'm with Kenneth. Many of my packs have very short balance tap leads and this makes the paraboard difficult/impossible to use. I like the snakes!

Originally Posted by narpat007

In 206B, it is ic2 only. I wasted ample time in tracing pin #10 which also initially did not appear to me as reset because no cap was found connected to this pin. Pin #10 is certainly reset out serving as reset to a very fine pitch QFP chip found very near to the PLCC44.

Is in your 208B, pin #1 of PLCC44 connected to positive of El. cap on the edge of the PCB, mounted horizontally ?

If so then it may be different uController

Try to trace once again, in IC2, is Crystal B 2: (Sub Clock) Output from the inverting oscillator amplifier.

If you have a scope, you can carefully solder a fine wire at pin 1 and see the signal in the scope.

I saw that QFP32 and haven't figured out its purpose yet or why its identity needs to be hidden. Part of my problem is that I am familiar with the AVR line but not their C51/8051 line so I don't have a programming dongle to read the chip ID with so I'll have to make or buy one.

My o-scope is currently not working so I have to use less sophisticated means to figure it out. I'll take another stab at it tonight.

Hi, I do not know which one to buy. 106b+ or 206b? I am using LiPo capable of 22A charging current, but my power supply can only provide 15V/20A. How much will be 206b limited? I am concernet because it requires 18V for optimal input.
Thanks

you can buy 106b+, with that psu works fine at 100%.

Originally Posted by SteveM732

I saw that QFP32 and haven't figured out its purpose yet or why its identity needs to be hidden. Part of my problem is that I am familiar with the AVR line but not their C51/8051 line so I don't have a programming dongle to read the chip ID with so I'll have to make or buy one.

My o-scope is currently not working so I have to use less sophisticated means to figure it out. I'll take another stab at it tonight.

Your PCB of 208B seems quite different as compared with that of mine 206B, see the comparison photo;

So it may be possible that your microcontroller may be bit different but see one thing which is actually fact in most cases that;

1. Eevery manufacturer would try to keep design based on same microcontroller for their contemprary designs varients of similar products. Which will result in ordering large amount of a particular microcontroller and hence will result in lowering cost of a paricular microcontroller when purchased from Atmel or anyone else.

2. In china, generally small companies just hire the design for once and generally dont not keep the design engineers as their employees. So again keeping one model of the charger on one type of microntroller and other model of the charger on different microcontroller would add to the firmware design cost.

So if you look at two above points then it can be concluded that microcontroller in the entire family should be same.

TOP2005 USB Universal Programmer is just costing 43US$, will program AT89C51IC2 AT89C51RE2 and many many others. One need to order a PLCC44 to DIP converter adaptor along with this programmer, which cost less than 5US$.

Originally Posted by vs0587

you can buy 106b+, with that psu works fine at 100%.

Yes, but I will be limited to 10A charge current, but my batteries can handle 22, so my point is if can someone can tell me how I will be limited with my ps.
Thanks for understanding.

Originally Posted by holda29

Yes, but I will be limited to 10A charge current, but my batteries can handle 22, so my point is if can someone can tell me how I will be limited with my ps.
Thanks for understanding.

You will be limited to 270watts, only 30 watts off of max.

You would be able to charge 3S and below at 20 amps, 4S at 16 amps, 5S at 13 amps, and 6S at roughly 11 amps.

If you are prepared to pay the extra cost for the 206B, by all means, get it. It is far more powerful, and only slightly limited by your PS.

Thank you sir

Originally Posted by narpat007

Your PCB of 208B seems quite different as compared with that of mine 206B, see the comparison photo;

So it may be possible that your microcontroller may be bit different but see one thing which is actually fact in most cases that;

1. Eevery manufacturer would try to keep design based on same microcontroller for their contemprary designs varients of similar products. Which will result in ordering large amount of a particular microcontroller and hence will result in lowering cost of a paricular microcontroller when purchased from Atmel or anyone else.

2. In china, generally small companies just hire the design for once and generally dont not keep the design engineers as their employees. So again keeping one model of the charger on one type of microntroller and other model of the charger on different microcontroller would add to the firmware design cost.

So if you look at two above points then it can be concluded that microcontroller in the entire family should be same.

TOP2005 USB Universal Programmer is just costing 43US$, will program AT89C51IC2 AT89C51RE2 and many many others. One need to order a PLCC44 to DIP converter adaptor along with this programmer, which cost less than 5US$.

You'd think they would use the same uC, but I've just discovered that pin 23 is connected to the "inc" push button which clearly rules out the AT89C51IC2 in the 208B. It turns out that pin 44 is VCC after all so I'm not sure what pin 1 is, but it was important enough for them to put in test points for it, so it must be the clock out.

Originally Posted by SteveM732

You'd think they would use the same uC, but I've just discovered that pin 23 is connected to the "inc" push button which clearly rules out the AT89C51IC2 in the 208B. It turns out that pin 44 is VCC after all so I'm not sure what pin 1 is, but it was important enough for them to put in test points for it, so it must be the clock out.

For my case see the image attached below; There could be chance of making it little bit reverse engineering proof, by connecting some of the NC pins to some other components, to make people confuse and divert their gues. For example my pin #23 is connected to the base of a npn transistor whose emitter is grounded, collector has some 15k resisror and this resistor is showing more than 180k ohm resistance with Vcc.