#148

[@daveburgess412]

It's about time I said this. I love your videos, not just because they concern things I'm interested in. But because they are well structured and thought out, complete with a nice summary at the end. Keep on making them!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for your nice words!

[@gd.ritter]

@2:49 I have that same cheap load and it does have nice sized solder pads on the bottom marked as +/- for you to add wires to any connector you want though. It lets you easily use it as a CC load with an existing data logger if you have a cheap LiPo discharge tester for example.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for the tip!

[@alidollar1994]

My wishlist increases with every upload of your video.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Christmas is closer every day...

[@Suncatcher173]

Dear Mr. Spiess. I bought the "light" version after watching your video and tested a 12v lead battery with 3 Amp which gives me 35 Watts of power. The temp of the heatsink went up to 51°C measured with a FLIR camera. It ran for over 2 hours. And still no problem about overheating, any overpower protection, which is good! Thank you for the nice structured video. Sadly i'm not an engineer, but i wish i had your knowledge and capacity of understanding concepts. Weiter so und freundliche Grüße aus Luxemburg :)

[@LesEcrous]

This is the guy with the American accent...love your videos! Great work. Thank you.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@boblewis5558]

Keep making the watches! (think about it) :)

[@boblewis5558]

watches = videos!

[@klassichd10]

Thanks a lot for this very interesting contribution. These devices also could be helpful to test small power supplies or DC/DC converter. Testing These Units, an additional measurement of the noise would be helpful. Of course, we can measure the noise with the scope in the lab, but an integrated AC ripple measurement would be the next step to make these little devices even more versatile.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I think, to measure noise an Oscilloscope is always better because you can see also patterns which help to find the root cause for the noise. But I do not know, how much noise these loads themselves create...

[@klassichd10]

they should not create too much noise by themself because unsing the transistor as a linear load. DC/DC converter are different. you can try to power the cheap radar sensors you presented a few weeks with a small DC/DC converter. Probably this will fail because of the ripple. Powering by a linaer regulator they will work. Similar using DC/DC converters for audio preamps.

[@distancelab2010]

Got to get me one of these. Thanks for the heads up on these devices. Great videos as usual ...Thanks.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@Hasitier]

Now I am very interested in what you will present as new device in your next episode...

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@michaelpadovani9566]

Liked this video! Measuring V/I/R and logging the data is fun for a lot of devices. As you mentioned, you can make your own custom wire/connector adapters.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks!

[@manickn6819]

Thanks for the great review. Very versatile indeed. Reasonable price and sure beats the two multmeter setup and manual logging. I am going to add the cheaper one to my list of items to purchase.

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@EwaldBurger]

Having watched your video in your beautifull country on our way to Italy makes it an extra special one for me. You appear to be a succesful agent for Banggood as the gold version is currently sold out. Anyway, hope one will be waiting for me at the door mat in 4 weeks😀😀 thanks Andreas!

[@EwaldBurger]

Being able to order the gold one at one of our other Chinese friends for even less money (18.06 euro): www.aliexpress.com/item/QC2-0-3-0-MTK-PE-Trigger-EBD-USB-DC-Electronic-Load-Battery-Voltage-Current-Capacity/32815976527.html

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good to know fro other viewers...

[@4.0.4]

Super interesting little devices! I have a simple USB load with two fat resistors, now I want the one you're showing instead!

[@AndreasSpiess]

I made this video because I like the data logging feature which comes in addition. Your resistor loads are ok to quickly test a power supply. But it needs time if you want to test the capacity of a power bank without logging function...

[@billd01rfc]

Fantastic tutorial and test, thnx!!!! I received my ZKE EBD-USB+ today (based on your recommendation, and after prolonged Covid19 shipping delay ;-) and it is an amazingly powerful piece of test equipment for the price. I tested my collection of power banks, chargers, PSUs etc and was pleasantly surprised by quite a few of the cheap, Chinese devices (far exceeded ratings); but also underwhelmed by some others that didn't even come close to specs . . . I'm experimenting with solar power for some Wemos Mini devices, this will be invaluable to log actual power needs withn sensors connected then chosse the best solar panel. Thnx again for a great video! cul billd

[@AndreasSpiess]

Glad you like it. It seems to be very useful for your many projects!

[@RodneyDorville]

Great video, thank you. Never knew that you could data log to a computer. How about the other electronic loads which have integrated display functionality, how do they compare? Keep it up!

[@AndreasSpiess]

They are ok, but without logging. I used one in two of my videos. Usually, they also support higher loads.

[@arthurschroeder3003]

Just got one love it. Hope more devices like this comes down the pike. Thanks.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome

[@rajmulay4062]

i am electronic and sound engineer.... you dont give any chance to criticise... i all ways download and see it again and again.... for example video on 431 or solar power Li ion batery charger... your video gives me more and more stimulation to think on new idea... look forward for Moore videos

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you!

[@artbecker5618]

Speaking of power banks, if you try to use one with a low power device, the bank might think that you are trying to charge a device that is already fully charged, and it will shut off automatically. The trick is to add another device to the power bank, like a USB flash drive, or, of course, a cell phone. That will draw enough current to keep the power bank on.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for the tip!

[@dodge911]

I would use another adjustable electronic load set at a known number of amps, just to make sure afterwards you can calculate the differences...

[@lostintheelectricalaisle5318]

I have a whole bunch of ZKE Tech loads and chargers. The smaller USB models are great, especially for the price as you can use more than one at the same time and then it works like a more expensive multi channel charger. Depending on the model, there are different features that will show up in the software. I regularly use a EDC-A10H for battery testing but it does leave some things to be desired that would be easy to add via software but aren't implemented. The cheapest place to buy them is AliExpress and even cheaper than directly from ZKE tech themselves. But with all the larger units, the first thing you will want to do is crack it open and convert the fan to have the speed controlled based on temperature because they sure can be loud. (that is where the load from your other video excelled, it varied the fan speed based on load. You really have to research all the different specs of the zke tech products to figure out which one is best for you. They have weird changes to what you get with each model number, a A20 isn't necessarily better than a A10 as a A20 may only be able to charge at 5 volts unlike A10 which has a fairly wide range, but the A20 can discharge at a higher current. The X series multichannel charge/discharge unit seemed great to me until I realized it can't charge something over a single cell lipo. It is better to buy 8 EDB-USB+ and a simple battery charger with data-logging. useful to have but come with some limitations that could be overcome in software and some great features are missing that could easily be built into the application. Maybe one day...

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for your feedback. I do not know the other ZKE products. Software seems to be an issue for most of the Chinese manufacturers...

[@wolfgangkaiser8843]

Grüzi. Ich habe mir den goldenen bestellt und der ist jeden Cent wert. Allein schon zum Aufnehmen der Kennlinien von Akkus, um die tatsächliche Kapazität und die Entladekennlinie zu prüfen. Zur Messung der Leistung von Solarzellen habe ich das Gerät drahtlos an einen WLAN-IP-USB-Hub (LONGSHINE Print Server LCS-US204) angeschlossen und das hat auch bestens geklappt, incl. Zuweisung eines COM-Ports und Energieversorgung über einen USB-Port des LCS-US204. Für den mobilen (externen) Betrieb habe ich den LCS-US204 aus einem 12V-Akku versorgt, der ganze Aufbau verbraucht bei laufendem Ventilator 190 mA incl. WLAN-IP-Verbindung.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Danke für dein Feedback. Es ist immer schön zu lesen was meine Videos auslösen...

[@christianneuhaus1354]

Thank you very much for this interesting video! I got a quick question that may seem silly, but for me as an electronics newbie is important: where do you get your wires from (e.g. the 18AWG you mention) and what collection of wires do you propose to have in a lab? I recently went to a DIY shop and the wires they had there did not seem too useful - they were generally thick and single-stranded (consequently stiff) wires.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I got all my wires from AliExpress (silicon stranded). You should find a link in one of my mailbag videos.

[@christianneuhaus1354]

Ok thanks a lot.

[@dodge911]

Great video about one of my most used tools for my videos. Plus, it saves me making one, because it says it better than I ever could have :) I wanted to yell you you can do discharge or charge tests using the female USB with logging of the capacity by using the start/stop function instead of the monitor function when in meter mode. But don't trust the continue function when testing, there have been some problems with that (check BLF for more info on that.)

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for your tip!

[@dodge911]

You're welcome :)

[@AbcDef-hl2ic]

Nice work as usual!

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@AbcDef-hl2ic]

I miss the "again" in your catch phrase. It gaves you a special touch. I'm sure you will be cited I hackaday soon! Congrats again!

[@AndreasSpiess]

I changed it since a long time, because I felt, it was too offensive.

[@AbcDef-hl2ic]

I noticed it, but it's my first coment on your channel and I take the opportunity to tell you my thoughts. It is not offensive. To me it fells more like self-mockery.

[@AndreasSpiess]

No problem. We just have another judgement. Maybe my native language also plays a role in this decision. I hope, you can live with it. Anyway, after 50'000 I maybe have to think to change something again ;-)

[@avejst]

Thanks for sharing your new discoveries 👍😀

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome. I thought, these are really useful devices for people who do not need the full blown load I bought a few weeks ago...

[@Aviation437]

Dear Andreas, your videos are awesome! Cheers from Israel

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you!

[@ThunderheartReviews]

Excellent review, Andreas! Thanks a lot! Hello from Belgium:)

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@RaymondJerome]

power IS voltage time current with phase taken into account, and yes as this video is for DC power should not matter much but i think some loads are nonlinear

[@AndreasSpiess]

Most DC loads are somehow non-linear (at least over time)

[@elesjuan]

Nice! Thanks for the video. These look quite useful in a home gamers lab!

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@ky-effect2717]

Astonishing, its exactly what I was looking for. Thank you, I just subscribed to your channel. Now Im wondering if there is a way to access/decode the tx/rx for my own software applications.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Welcome aboard the channel. Maybe somebody else already wrote some code? Did you ask Google?

[@LiquidRetro]

Very good video, thanjs

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@renesolis2604]

Will buy one for my lab.

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@abdulallam9499]

Hi Andreas your videos are very informative and helpful. Can we use this testers for testing simple super capacitor prototypes. Thanks

[@AndreasSpiess]

Maybe. If you keep the values inside the specifications of this device it should work.

[@alexreeve]

Grüezi Andreas, thanks for the review, very cool little device :)

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@jimquinn]

Thank you! I am about to purchase 3 of these "+" devices. Please elaborate on the banana cables.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Just male or female USB connectors connected to banana plugs (plus and ground lines)

Thanks for the video. I was wondering what were you using to log power. Alas, the software is Windows only, so I'll continue with my ina219 logger project.

[@pepper669]

I'm doing something similar - my first noob project. I'm using two INA219 and a Wemos D1 mini board to log stuff and to calculate the efficiency of - say - DC to DC converters. I'm using websockets and JSON to transmit data to a browser over Wi-Fi and the C3 Javascript library (which is based on the superb D3 library) to display it. As a load, I only have the cheapo board. Maybe I'll replace the 10-turn potentiometer on it with an electronic one to adjust the amperage (I'd then try to implement the other modes like CV, CW, and CR via software). It would be nice if these more expensive loads had some simple API over UART, I2C or some other simple connection. It's been a lot of fun so far and I've learnt a lot. Thanks Andreas for the general infos, the inspiration and the encouragement!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Maybe somebody hacks the protocol of the software. It should not be too complicated...

pepper669 That sounds like an excellent project. Have you documented it?

[@pepper669]

Thanks! Not yet, but I will. Right now it's a still a bit messy... When it's ready, I'll post something on my YT channel, so you might subscribe to it :). I'd like to know more about your project, too!

[@Biky750]

Thanks again! Great stuff!

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@cirelefebure5485]

Great video sir, thank you

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@einars899]

I just got the "Gold" version. When starting measurement my DAB+ radio experience huge problems! The reception come and go. Distance between EBD-USB and radio is about 5m. Well, there is no CE marking in sight either. Now I know why. I'll take it to the spectrum analyzer and sniff it one of these days. I bet it sends out overharmonics with youthful enthusiasm.

[@AndreasSpiess]

And maybe you even find a way to stop it?

[@DeeegerD]

I have the cheapy and although these devices are interesting I just want to test USB ports for current capabilities. ie: take the current up until the voltage drops out and see if they are working properly and how much current they can provide. Perhaps if these come down in price ;) (I'm a cheapy too lol)

[@AndreasSpiess]

That is the purpose of the question mark in the title: Everybody has different criteria...

[@DavidKohen]

Important note: The software is Windows only!

[@gregsullivan7408]

Very nice! Ever come across cheap dynamic loads?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks. No, so far, I had no need for such a device...

[@noweare1]

I did not know what these things could really do. Thank you. Could you also monitor the discharge rate of a smart phone with these devices ?

[@AndreasSpiess]

No, because the battery is connected to the electronics inside the smartphone case.

[@voltlog]

Excellent review Andreas. I'm curious to what thermal camera are you using?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks. I use the Flir add-on to my iPhone. It is quite convenient.

[@Hasitier]

Have the same flir one as it is called. Works perfectly and is much cheaper than a stand alone thermal camera with similar specs

[@brycedavey1252]

This was a useful video and I might get a couple

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@CarsonNiepper7118]

Excellent review Andreas, as usual. Thank you. I have a question. Is it possible to attach let's say ESP8266 instead of smartphone and to see current and voltage during the transmission and sleeping? Or ESP8266's current and voltage are too small to measure with this device? Thank you in advance. Regards from Portugal.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You can use these loads for all sorts of devices. But nor for deep sleep. For microamperes, you need special equipment as I use in my videos.

[@5Komma5]

I have the ZKE EBD-USB and noticed an issue when attempting to test the capacity of a single AA NiCad cell. The discharge test triggers the low voltage cut off as soon as I hit start. Regardless of how low of a discharge current I specify in the software. As far as I can tell, the load draws a lot of Amps for a very short time, as soon as a discharge test is started. My single AA cell can not supply it and instantly triggers the low voltage cut off. Doing the same test, at the same settings, with a cell phone power supply does not trigger the LVC but that is at 5V compared to ~1.2V I tried to add a resistor in series to limit the current but still run into the issue. Not sure what is going on. Have you noticed anything similar?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I used a fully charged IKEA NI-MH AA cell for tests with the red EBD-USB. Here are the results (0.2, 0.5, and 1 ampere): 1drv.ms/f/s!AifVcl0bSyX8hZs6PJOelb8To4sz9g It worked and I had no effects as you describe.

[@alphonsesynrem28]

Thank you so much.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@wolfgangkaiser8843]

Gibt es eine Dokumentation der Pinbelegung, damit klar ist, wo man die Last etc. anschliessen kann ?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Das weiss ich nicht. Aber es hat ja nur 2 oder drei USB Stecker. Für mich war es relativ schnell klar.

[@janbarthelmes1700]

Thank you, Andreas. Just recieved the golden one. Works great! Keep up the good work! One day I might even get used to your accent. ;-) Did anyone ever consider to make a proper FDM printable housing? I have the skills and own a printer, but I lack some inspiration. Any suggestions? Would anyone be interested into stl-files, once I am finished?

[@AndreasSpiess]

You have to adapt to my accent. I am too old to change ;-)

[@theprepperfrog167]

Thank you sir.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@paulmeynell8866]

My PC is not finding my plus version. It says use a USB to ttl lead? I just used a normal USB cable but the computer does not see it.

[@paulmeynell8866]

Solved it was on a comport above number 10 changed to com 2 all working

[@john543]

It looks like none of the load testers you list are available, do you have any currently available recommendations?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I added a link to a more recent one.

[@tjs81]

Andreas your character is entertaining as heck, but you need to work on that signoff or goodbye. It's been giving me the creeps enough to write something about it to be honest. I'm not sure if it's a language nuance thing or just an amazing awkwardness in signing off but it's super strange in the best way, it just could be more close ended. Great videos though, your pacing is perfect it's like listening to the Attenborough of electronics. ^_^

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for your open feedback. So, what would be your proposal? I am open to new ideas.

[@hoekbrwr]

Dear Andreas. I have a problem connecting the EBD-USB+ to my PC. It recognizes the unit and a serial port is defined, but It is not present in the dropdown box and I cannot connect to it. What are the settings for this port like baud, stop bit, that you use?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not remember and I use now a different load. So I deleted the programs. But if you cannot see the port the problem is somewhere else, not in the definition of the baudrate.

[@hoekbrwr]

@@AndreasSpiess For those who are interested. The settings are 9600,8,Even,1,None. After a while, I found out that there is an issue with my Desktop and I cannot get a connection. I switched to my laptop with the above settings. I have seen a remark(see here: budgetlightforum.com/comment/1192992#comment-1192992 ) that it would not recognize port numbers above 10, but that did not help as well. So I have to dig a bit deeper why the USB connection does not work although the driver is connected with the unit, it is weird.

[@matheokoning4456]

I bought it to test tp4056 chargers and ICs. To check if the tp4056 does not go below or above the 4.2 voltage and to monitor the charging curve (voltage vs current) via the PC software. Unfortunately, this device does not seem to be suitable for it. The voltage at the output of the tp4056 does not match the value that the software indicates when the li-ion is connected. It does match if the li-ion is not connected. Also, the voltage does not match when you measure the input and the output of this device. Used very short 18awg cables. Any tips on how I can get this to work or do you think it's not suitable for this?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not know your setup. Maybe you look also at the datasheet of the TP4056. Particularly at its charging curve.

[@matheokoning4456]

@@AndreasSpiess That's why I was testing this. To see if the charging curve matches the datasheet. but unfortunately this device does not seem to be suitable for this.

[@roganthoerson1909]

Is it possible to log 2 at the same time over a boost or a LPO or a transformer to get the efficiency ?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not know.

[@roganthoerson1909]

Andreas Spiess ok i have ordered a second one. In maybe 1 month i should be able to tell.

[@roganthoerson1909]

I have got the 2nd one. It is possible to log 2 together in 2 different window so they are not synchronized in time but i think for slow events that should not be a problem. On top of that i think that it should be possible to synchronize in post (excel or OO calc) just by matching the signals.

[@Anna-tl8xh]

What if the external loader over 25W, is this device able to monitor properly?

[@AndreasSpiess]

It will only monitor up to its max. power.

[@Anna-tl8xh]

@@AndreasSpiess thanks for your response

[@jimsmindonline]

Thanks! I'm looking for something similar to test supercapacitors. I need to be able to use very low voltages, currents and discharge to 0v. Would this be suitable?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did a test with my 2 Super caps (with protection board). 0.5 A, Cut-off voltage 0.00V. You find the diagram here: 1drv.ms/i/s!AifVcl0bSyX8hZs1Bn_J6cTjOY2AMw

[@jimsmindonline]

Andreas Spiess Thanks!

[@muppetpaster]

1:55 their name is not EDB-USB but EBD-USB

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for the correction

[@sojueray5929]

which digital load do you recommend? that this between the $ 50 to use it with a solar panel, I want to see if the panel that I have can deliver 500mA thanks

[@AndreasSpiess]

I think the video covered this topic.

[@wb7ond]

Here's the link to the English software and manual: www.zketech.com/nd.jsp?id=14#_np=7_302 I used the EB and not the EBX. I have the Gold 4.0A tester...

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for your link!

[@juliusvalentinas]

You show 170deg C on the plus version? That is not safe IMO. You should test a westmountainradio CBA IV Pro, you have all the gear to do a professional review and find out if expensive load like that is worth the money.

[@AndreasSpiess]

This looks like a good device with interesting software. But the 160$ plus shipping is too much compared to a versatile load like the one I used in my video #146. Maybe someone will write an open source Software for these testers to do Solar panel profiling? Should be possible.

[@noweare1]

That was 70deg C

[@tropicaljantie]

Thank you Schnitzel 😂

[@bdot02]

Can you test the Espotec Labrador? I just got mine (it's great) and I'd love to hear what you think of it.

[@pepper669]

Sounds interesting - what is it?

[@bdot02]

pepper669 it's a $35 oscilloscope, waveform generator, power supply, logic analyzer, and multimeter that works over usb. And if you have Android and it does USB otg, the guy even wrote an app to make it work on Android.

[@bdot02]

It has it's drawbacks, and the desktop application isn't super pretty, but for me and my hobbying, it's a step up from the dso138.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Google did not show any results A special dog?

[@bdot02]

Andreas Spiess it's on crowdsupply. They started shipping at the beginning of the month, I think with crowd supply, after funding you can just order and have it shipped right away.

[@mouldykev]

This is all well and good, but if you cannot get the software then it is useless. I have tried to download this software from 3 locations now and all i get is a useless file with .RAR file extension ? My computer refuses to read this ?

[@AndreasSpiess]

+kev wallcroft rar files are archives. You have to use a program like winzip and you see the content. Rar files are often used to distribute software.

[@mouldykev]

Andreas Spiess ok i will try this again thank you.

[@mouldykev]

Hi again it would appear that you were quite correct sir, many thanks i do now have the software. However could you please answer another question for me regarding the type of usb connection to the PC from the unit. it specifies that it must be a USB to TTL Serial converter cable ? did you yourself use this type of lead and if so could you tell me where to get this from. many thanks

[@noweare1]

Has anyone got this software to run on Linux. When I bought it I was running Windows now I tried loading it under wine in linux but it looks like its a no can do.

[@dergerat2150]

Joey Mac as far as I know, this unit is supported in sigrok/pulseview

[@deangreenhough3479]

Morning Andreas. 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

[@AndreasSpiess]

Morning Dean!

[@john543]

Is there any software for the Mac that works with these devices?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Unfortunately, I do not know.

[@john543]

@@AndreasSpiess I have a virtual windows also, but your link seems to be only chinese or similar

[@AndreasSpiess]

@@john543 Usually, you can change the language of Aliexpress.

[@juliusvalentinas]

I wonder if there is a load like this but 100W?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I only found these two. There are 100W loads but without logging. And of course, more expensive ones like the one I used in other videos

[@johncoops6897]

You cannot get a load like this for 100W because a USB interface is only originally designed for about 1/10th that power. You need to be more specific about the voltage and current that you want to dissipate. For 60W with logging, I suggest the ZKETECH model EBC-A05 (5A 30V 60W). For 100W, the larger model EBC-A10H will do 10A 30V 150W. Both use the same software as Andreas shows in this video. Dumping 100W of power takes some serious amounts of cooling, so it will be much more chunky machine than these little USB units.

[@juliusvalentinas]

ZKETECH is expensive for what it is (bild quality is low) , why nobody build expandable with remote load like the CBA IV ? I rather build one myself and get the logging too www.scullcom.uk/category/projects/dc-load/

[@juliusvalentinas]

please Show how to calibrate them

[@AndreasSpiess]

You can test them with a normal multimeter using the 4-wire method shown in the USB cable video.

[@juliusvalentinas]

How does it calibrate? Is precision current or voltage source required?

[@AndreasSpiess]

You should be able to do it with a normal multi meter. This is not a precision instrument.

[@juliusvalentinas]

My question was is the calibration performed by measuring voltage or current and then inputting the true value or the precision voltage or current needs to be inputted to the device. That is the two different calibration process, one requires a measuring device with 4 wires, the other requires precision voltage / current source with 4 wires.

[@marioremyalmeida]

Have you done a video on source measurements?

[@AndreasSpiess]

What do you mean by "source measurement"?

[@marioremyalmeida]

www.tek.com/keithley-source-measure-units/smu-2600b-series-sourcemeter#

[@AndreasSpiess]

These devices are a combination of software controlled power supplies and software controlled electronic loads and way above my budget. The first part (of course much simpler and not at all as accurate, but more in my budget range) is this device here. The software controlled power supply will follow in the next weeks (also the budget version). In principle, one could build such a combination using the two devices.

[@marioremyalmeida]

Andreas Spiess correct they are over my budget too. All of your video's are on low cost products which I like them a lot. And that is why I asked this from you. Thanks a lot.

[@trygveflathen]

Anyone reverse engineered the communication protocol these things use? With that information they would be really useful for me, unfortunately the existing software is not.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Maybe you have a look at this project: sigrok.org/wiki/ZKETECH_EBD-USB

[@roganthoerson1909]

Can the data be exported to .csv or text files or... ?

[@AndreasSpiess]

You can save csv files

[@roganthoerson1909]

I have finally got one and started to test the batteries of my Canon camera as no charger is giving the capacity of the battery. It is very interresting to see that no-name batteries can store as much as genuine ones for 5 times less money. Something that i could have felt but was never able to put a number on it.

[@roganthoerson1909]

small finding for people using coma as separator for decimals you should use the format .dat to save the data because it uses a tabulation for data separation and not a coma like the .csv saving.

[@thebeststooge]

I had read that even the Swiss are now finding it hard to find Swiss clocks and many are Made in China now.

[@AndreasSpiess]

That is definitively fake news ;-) We have strict rules on how much value has to be created in Switzerland to be "Swiss Made". But as always, you find a lot of fake watches ("LOLEX" instead of "ROLEX")

[@thebeststooge]

LOLEX? heheheh. Good to know that swiss movement isn't dead yet.

[@69danielei]

I have 12v battery , where do I connect it ? Can it take just 2 cable leads ?

[@AndreasSpiess]

If you want to test the battery, you have to create a female USB-banana plug connector as shown in the video and connect it to your battery and the male connector on the load. Make sure, you do not mix up plus and ground... You can also solder 2 cables to the PCB, if you are experienced enough.

[@big_whopper]

Hi Andreas, I've done a bit of reverse engineering on the pro version of the electronic load, and I posted what I've learned so far as a gist. Once we work out the checksum computation, it'll be quite simple to create a python library that will drive the thing gist.github.com/ccrome/d2b5bd30b2c8ece0bfa5ba84b5511e43

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for the link. I would ask the supplier directly if he is willing to help. Maybe somebody writes a library (or connects it to Sigrok?

[@big_whopper]

I sent an email. His email seems to be [e-mail]. We'll see if it goes though.

[@wernerwalser2007]

Thank you for your work. Today i placed some more results in the comment to this video.

[@mdijkens]

Hi Just noticing this I have reverse-engineered this protocol a few months back to write my own client (I wanted easier to use UI and logging) What info are you still missing? I have it all running in not so commonly used QB64 code: gist.github.com/mdijkens/0f28abc5bb5855871c53b5ff1e6863c3 Windows App (ugly but easy) can be downloaded here: www.dijkens.com/mdFluke/mdEBD-USB.exe

[@big_whopper]

Maurits Dijkens qb64 huh? That's all I was missing, thanks! Do you have a GitHub repo ?

[@fiveangle]

Thanks for the video. I purchased one of the "cheap" loads and found the same limitations as you. Unfortunately found your video too late ;) Have you tried using the logging output of the software and importing to DataExplorer (www.nongnu.org/dataexplorer/) to see if you can support calculation of the values the original software cannot ?

[@AndreasSpiess]

What would be the benefit of the dataExplorer compared downloading a CSV file to Excel? Does it has an interface directly to the ZKE device? I did not fin it in its list.

[@fiveangle]

If you are only going to do it once, there would not be much value. But if you want to use it routinely, DataExplorer provides framework that could allow similar experience to the ZKE software, but you can add calculated values such as Capacity and Consumed Power (as you mention around 6:30) displayed in realtime. DataExplorer is also cross platform and open source, which is nice. It would of course require similar to your "making the invisible visible" operation to suport the device natively. which may be easy or hard, depending on how the ZKE device is interfaced over the USB bus. But offline support of the resulting logfiles would likely be trivial (and easie/faster for routine use vs Excel/LibraOffice). Can you provide a sample of the output log from the device that I can review ?

[@mikebiermans4273]

Hello Andreas, and others reading this. Because I've been scammed so many times when buying powerbanks I decided to buy this electronic load, also because Andreas endorsed it. After getting it delivered, witch took very long, and was badly packed, so badly even that the acrylic piece was damaged. After a close inspection though I could not find any other damage, so I started the hunt for the drivers. I have to say that I think its very disappointing from all these chinese companies to dump their products in europe and the US without even having providing the needed support in english. It took me hours to find these drivers, and in all fairness I do have better things to do. It's a good thing we have Google translate because otherwise it was impossible to get the drivers, and why do they have to password protect the pages that contain the drivers? For all those out there, if you are looking for the drivers and a manual, here they are drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7To5Cv3hUkGc2VaSmFYVE1Qbjg Please let me know if you managed to get everything working ok, since I can't test it right now. I have a chronic disease and right now I don't have access to my Windows laptop. I hope to have helped some of you. Andreas, Thank you for all your videos, I enjoy watching them.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for the link. The USB to Serial chip used on this board is used on many other boards and probably are installed on many of our computers from another project. So you had bad luck because this load needed these drivers the first time... Hope it runs well when you test it.

[@johncoops6897]

You really should be linking to the OFFICIAL software from the manufacturer, rather than distributing some random files that you found online. Here is the link to the manufacturer's website with links: www.zketech.com/nd.jsp?id=15#_np=101_304 Use Chrome and translate - the software is "Online software (EB V1.8.5)"

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for the link. I included it into the description

[@mikapirinen3558]

translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=zh-CN&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=www.zketech.com/nd.jsp%3Fid%3D14&xid=17259,15700023,15700124,15700149,15700168,15700173,15700186,15700190,15700201&usg=ALkJrhgjYB0A2F3vqOu4LVrlFwFdcSvJTw#_np=7_302

[@juliusvalentinas]

Now why ZKETech have so shitty website is beyond my understanding. Why they do not have listed these mini eLoad devices is another fact beyond my understanding. They however make another mini eLoad called EDB mini Plus that is exactly like this but has LED display and a rotary knob. Now this actually usable.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Many Chinese manufacturers are better at producing HW than documentation...

[@juliusvalentinas]

True, but if Chinese manufacturer does not have their product on their site seems odd.

[@ElmerFuddGun]

1:00 - "Amperemeter"... LOL it is just *ammeter*. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammeter

[@H4zuZazu]

on Ebay is a 150W load, but i'm sure how usable it is, it can be found with this Search words: 150W Constant Current Electronic 60V 10A Battery Load Discharge Capacity Tester

[@AndreasSpiess]

They usually work (I used a similar one for a project). But they have no connection to the computer. This is, what I like with this one (and I wanted to build myself in my project).

[@f1mqjf1mqj19]

You have some analysis of it on Voltlog or electrobidouilleur

[@devorrahtester5439]

FIRST!!! haha

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)