uTracer

Building the tube tester of Ronald Dekker.

Liste de fournitures

• uTracer3+ kit

Here the completed PCB in its full beauty:

The construction manual is very good and the construction pretty much straight-forward. The only modification done was the removal of the RS-232 level shifter: This allows to use a CMOS USB-serial adapter (eventually something like done for the PTL-ino). BUT: the uTracer should be powered before the USB is connected, otherwise the idle signal (which is high) would power the microcontroller via its protection diodes… No big deal now, in future I was planning to use optocouplers between uTracer and PC anyways.

For reference here, the dimensions that I measured (to be used to design the case):

• PCB size: LxW=4×6.4 inches
• mounting holes: 0.2 inches away from borders; 3.2 mm diameter
• height: 4cm (including 1cm mounting feet)

TODO

1. Install wine This is easy using mac ports:

   sudo port install wine winetricks

2. Install uTracer Assuming it is in $HOME/Downloads/uTracer_v3p11_9_12_2014

   wine $HOME/Downloads/uTracer_v3p11_9_12_2014/Package/setup.exe 

3. Add serial port Using an USB-serial cable with CMOS levels that appears as /dev/tty.usbserial and linking it to COM1:

   cd $HOME/.wine/dosdevices
   ln -s /dev/tty.usbserial com1

4. Running it:

   wine .wine/drive_c/Program\ Files/uTracer_3p11/uTracer_3p11.exe

This is the first real test with the 12EK6 (purchased from RF Parts). It's pretty ugly, but seems to work! Here the first traces (NB: calibration yet to be done!):

<doodle |[utracer] Interested in joining this project>

</doodle>

• uTracer3 web page