Portable calibrator repair attempt and success (Accidental connection to 220V)

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Electrical Metrology | Measurement Tips & Products | Calibration standards > Electrical Standards & calibration accessories

Kiriakos GR:

--- Quote from: Marco1971 on July 10, 2020, 12:21:23 PM ---ICL7129ACPL, a glorious descendant of the ICL7106.

Marco1917

--- End quote ---
My first DMM at 1988 had one of these. :)

This time I did order three ICL7129ACPL form China, after eight days the tracking indicating customs clearance in Greece, now I am assuming another one week of waiting.

Kiriakos GR:
After all those months I am still totally confused and totally disappointed regarding the purchase of the MAXIM Voltage-meter IC.

I thought that China this is the source of Evil, but now I were double-crossed by LittleDiode ltd in UK.
While I did paid full price they shipped to me an ancient 26 years old IC that is half working.

After-sales service of LittleDiode ltd in UK this is terrible, even within eBay the customer service of LittleDiode ltd this is again unacceptably poor.
I did request several times to receive actual product pictures before shipping and they are in denial.
After my report that I did receive an ancient half-working IC, they told me to send back the old so I to receive an replacement.

Shipping back to UK this is 4.5 Euros as return postage.
Therefore I did insist having a picture of the IC that they plan to use as replacement.
AND I received DENIAL AGAIN in my request for a damn product picture.

After several emails, they came with the plan about them receiving the old, so them to offer to me a refund. :P

I lost 35% of my money because of this piss poor company, I did wasted and lost significant time.
Now beginning of September , I am waiting for the response from Time Electronics UK about their help of delivering to me one working IC voltmeter.

Kiriakos GR:
I do feel thankful to Times Electronics again !! :)

I got stuck at troubleshooting the fried PCB, and my friends at TE U.K. they did decide to assist me, by the offering of one new blank PCB.
Yes I am determined to transfer one by one all electronic components from the old at the new PCB.

Greece now under a second lock-down, I will use the free time as opportunity so to bring the calibrator back to life.
Additionally, Times Electronics UK service team, it did email me special technical documentation for Repair and Calibration. 8)

Kiriakos GR:
Dear readers of ITTSB Blog this is the final report about this blog post.

Personally as expert in electronic repairs, I did my best in this project regarding troubleshooting and time spend, the help of TE about schematics and new delivery of PCB this was significant.

But my personal diagnosis this got deeper, and actual source of the problem ended to be software programing corruption at programmable IC and hart of 1048 Calibrator.

Volt meter IC ICL7129ACPL this is also connected with PIC16C710 IC, when 1048 calibrator this accidentally connected to mains, portion of the electrical charge were transferred from ICL7129ACPL to PIC16C710.

Now my 1048 calibrator has recover functionality in most functions, but the damaged PIC16C710 IC this does not aloud ICL7129ACPL to operate at High-resolution of digits.
But I got partially lucky, one FAKE ICL7129ACPL (with lower digits resolution) this is working on that circuit.

At that point, the team of Time Electronics UK, they were unable to remotely assist me any further.
Even so they decided to send to me another NEW 1048 calibrator :)

I did a very good job repairing what was possible be repaired at my First 1048, and this is now fully capable to operate as Source when second 1048 this is connected as Measure unit.

I do recognize and appropriate all help received from Time Electronics UK.
They did proven, at least to me, that they are primarily humans with high values.

It is also unfortunate, that Brexit this is now effective and shipping for UK to EU along EU to UK, this is now considered as importation of goods.
This new change, now also forced Time Electronics UK to make a new shipping note for customers out of UK.

THE END..