Let's build the Ultimate Cable Tester

Thanks to pcbway.com for sponsoring this video. If you're interested in getting pcbs, using this link www.pcbway.com/setinvite.aspx?inviteid=446230 is a huge help to the channel.
Check out my Learn KiCad 8 video kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXetg3t8grSbh6M

[@emagiannu]

Keyed connectors are pretty much a must. Things must either only fit in one way or it shouldn't matter how they fit. A green LED with some logic behind it that lights up after a few (quicker) successful tests would be a great QoL improvement. So you don't have to pay attention through the whole cycle.

[@AnotherMaker]

If we can't key the 40 pin connector, it will be pretty much impossible to plug in wrong because the board will run into itself.

[@Ac3ofDr4gons]

I think it’s a great idea. I only have 2 suggestions: 1) Give me something to keep all these boards in (maybe each one comes with a case than connects to the other cases, like the food containers that snap into each other?), or I can guarantee you that at least one board will get lost or damaged in some way. 2) Make it as dead-simple to use as possible. I don’t want to spend an hour trying to figure out how things are supposed to go, how I’m supposed to run a given test, or how to interpret the results. If I’m handed a mission-critical cable to test, I need the results displayed as quickly and clearly as possible. (If something I said is confusing or doesn’t make sense to you, please don’t hesitate to ask. I don’t mind clarifying or expanding on my thoughts above, if there’s a chance doing so could improve the end-result.)

[@tripplegracing8276]

This got me thinking, need to look at some ECU looms, will be a bit more complex in the sense that each ecu manunfacturer has its pinouts and then the amount of end points but its a fun engineering excersize

[@AnotherMaker]

Oh yeah. That would be fun to do the footprints

[@user.A9]

25 pair telco cable tester (RJ-21)? It needs to be able to detect miswires and reverse polarity pairs. It also needs to be able to test m-m, f-f, and m-f cables. I think Siemon MT-5000 was the last tester built for this, but they had a yellow rectangular test set before that. It separated into halves and had a master and slave end. The master had 25 LEDs that lit up in sequence and the slave had 25 red/green LEDs that lit up green for correct polarity and red for reverse. I preferred the older tester.

[@AnotherMaker]

Yeah. We are thinking modular on both the connector types and being able to split the unit

[@AnotherMaker]

Also, because the latest version doesn't just go to the 40 Arduino pins, bumping to 50p is possible without incompatibility for existing modules

[@DMike92.]

Connecteurs are often painful to change ; the problem with all these testers is that they never gives you which connector is faulty (which end).

[@GnuReligion]

Yes, I would like to be able to massage the parts of a sus cable, while plugged into a tester, and have it beep only when the data signal is lost. This way, one may discover which part of the cable is faulty. The circuits for injecting a differential signal, then tuning it are fairly simple.

[@AnotherMaker]

Yeah. Looking at differential and reflection is going to be key

[@AnotherMaker]

Looking at reflection, we should be able to get some timing to get an idea where a break is

[@4bSix86f61]

Are they lead free PCBs? The lead free option is more costly.

[@AnotherMaker]

It is open source so you can order leaded or lead free

[@4bSix86f61]

@@AnotherMaker I'm asking about what version you ordered. Lead/Lead Free?

[@GnuReligion]

Are you collaborating online to design this, through Github or such? Whenever making a dev board for an MCU, the first thing I make is a tester for the GPIO pins. 2-legged 2-color LEDs are nice, as they can indicate direction, and 3-state, even PWM.

[@AnotherMaker]

Yes. I'm expecting once at least the next board is released that we will probably open source every bit of it so it can be iterated on by the community

[@anon_y_mousse]

Wait, you're telling me it's pronounced KiCAD? All this time I've been pronouncing it KiCAD. 🤣

[@AnotherMaker]

I found out later from my southern friend that it's actually KayCad

[@ronaldsavaliya1917]

Howdy man, "Building the Ultimate Cable Tester" I have nothing against to say but first let me ask just one question, what tests are you planning to run for the cable? Judging by your current build it seems like you're testing continuity only. Let me know if I'm wrong. (I have tested many cables and it's never been easy) so i want to know what ultimate actually is. If your idea is decent I'll share my cable harness testing design.

[@AnotherMaker]

It will take some iteration of the hardware and the software but the plan goes beyond just continuity only. The latest design is not just hooking 40 wires to 40 pins. I'd love to be able to test reflection and transmission time etc