A continuity tester is a pretty mundane piece of gear, but very useful.
I have several, but I started thinking about designing and building one that meets my obsessive fantasy specifications.
I am often working on some prototype and just want to quickly validate connectivity, with minimum effort.
My fancy Fluke multimeter has a good continuity function, but it's a pain to turn it on and switch the mode, I have to twiddle the dial and push buttons, I need a dedicated tool that suits my workflow - just pick up the leads and test, always ready, nothing to think about.
1) It's just a box with 2 banana jacks and a beeper. Super simple.
2) No ON/OFF switch.
I want it to always be ready, just grab the leads and test.
3) Long battery life.
Standby current of a few uA.
4) Only beeps when it sees less than 5 ohms on the test probes.
Ignores bad connections and most components in the circuit.
5) Ignores diode and transistor junctions- it's a CONTINUITY tester!
6) Outputs a limited, safe current.
Less than 10 mA? Will not damage delicate parts.
7) Robust- withstands my absent-minded probing of live circuits without blowing up.
50 V AC/DC without damage.
8) It should respond really quickly.
This allows me find intermittent connections in connectors and cables, etc.
Some multimeters suck at this! drives me nuts, have the designers not ever used the thing??
Anyone have any circuit concepts?
I will share my design as the project unfolds.
I have several, but I started thinking about designing and building one that meets my obsessive fantasy specifications.
I am often working on some prototype and just want to quickly validate connectivity, with minimum effort.
My fancy Fluke multimeter has a good continuity function, but it's a pain to turn it on and switch the mode, I have to twiddle the dial and push buttons, I need a dedicated tool that suits my workflow - just pick up the leads and test, always ready, nothing to think about.
1) It's just a box with 2 banana jacks and a beeper. Super simple.
2) No ON/OFF switch.
I want it to always be ready, just grab the leads and test.
3) Long battery life.
Standby current of a few uA.
4) Only beeps when it sees less than 5 ohms on the test probes.
Ignores bad connections and most components in the circuit.
5) Ignores diode and transistor junctions- it's a CONTINUITY tester!
6) Outputs a limited, safe current.
Less than 10 mA? Will not damage delicate parts.
7) Robust- withstands my absent-minded probing of live circuits without blowing up.
50 V AC/DC without damage.
8) It should respond really quickly.
This allows me find intermittent connections in connectors and cables, etc.
Some multimeters suck at this! drives me nuts, have the designers not ever used the thing??
Anyone have any circuit concepts?
I will share my design as the project unfolds.