HardLabs

Continuity tester

vpatkov·continuity-tester·pcb/ct.kicad_pcb

Continuity tester PCB layout, top view — open source AVR/Arduino board by vpatkov
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About the Continuity tester PCB

Continuity tester is an open source AVR/Arduino PCB design by vpatkov, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 52.1 × 65.4 mm, with 37 components from 27 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the ATMEGA88PA-A, from the AVR/Arduino family. Other key parts include the TLV431 and MCP6V61. By type, the board carries 17 resistors, 6 capacitors, 4 diodes, 3 ICs, 3 connectors and 1 transistor.

From the project

Ultra low-voltage, low-current, and fast continuity tester

Ultra low-voltage, low-current, and fast continuity tester.

- Open circuit voltage is 100 mV, short circuit current is 100 μA. No risk of damaging sensitive components. Keep semiconductor junctions closed. Multimeters usually apply much higher voltage and current to the probes (and not always specified).

- Resistance-dependent beeper tones with chromatic steps. Allows to differentiate resistance by ear. The range is 0–10 Ω with 1 Ω steps. Multimeters usually have a pretty big threshold and require you to look at the screen to read the resistance, e.g., to catch a bad connection.

Continuity tester, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the Continuity tester

TLV431MCP6V61ATMEGA88PA-A

Continuity tester bill of materials (BOM)

37 components, 27 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

QtyPartRefs
1
TLV431
U1
1
MCP6V61
U2
1
ATMEGA88PA-A
ATmega88PA-A
U3
1
IRLML6402
Q1
1
Banana
J1
1
Banana
J2
1
AVR ISP
J3
1
CR2032
BT1
1
PKLCS1212E4001
BZ1
1
Button
SW1
2
BAV199
D1, D2
1
BAS316
D3
1
PESD3V3U1UA
D4
1
100P
100p
C1
1
100N
100n
C2
1
1n
C3
3
100n
C4, C5, C6
5
10K
10k
R1, R9, R13, R15, R16
1
5.1K
5.1k
R2
1
12.4K
12.4k
R3
Show 7 more
QtyPartRefs
1
1.1K
1.1k
R4
3
1k
R5, R6, R14
2
100
R7, R10
1
560K
560k
R8
1
10
R11
1
30K
30k
R12
1
0
R17

Continuity tester design files

The KiCad project lives in the vpatkov/continuity-tester repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Continuity tester: common questions

What microcontroller does the Continuity tester use?

The Continuity tester is built around the ATMEGA88PA-A, from the AVR/Arduino family.

How big is the Continuity tester PCB?

The Continuity tester measures 52.1 × 65.4 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Continuity tester?

37 components, from 27 distinct parts, with part numbers taken from the project's own BOM. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the Continuity tester design files?

From the vpatkov/continuity-tester repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout, the schematic and the BOM; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the Continuity tester design in my own project?

The repository has no license, so all rights stay with vpatkov. Use it as a reference, and ask the author before reusing the design.

Can I test firmware for the Continuity tester without the hardware?

Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug AVR/Arduino firmware against it before you order a PCB.

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