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TinySA ULTRA 4" - No longer works

 

The device was purchased on 2023.12.10 from the official AliExpress store "Zeenko Store".
I used the device a couple of times during the entire period and was satisfied with the device.
In 2024, I updated the software and everything worked correctly.
?
In other words, the device was in its box for six months and now when I started the device, something happened to the hardware, because almost all the circuits are out of order.
I also did a "Clear Config" and removed the battery from the device for a few hours, but that didn't fix the situation.
?
Additionally, I noticed:
* The device will no longer save changes to the time and date.
* Windows computer no longer connects to device
* "PRESET" - "LOAD FROM SD" - "ERROR NO CARD" (32GB SD card is actually fine)
?
Has anyone else experienced this error and can it still be repaired ?
?
I'm attaching some pictures of the device's condition.
?
Sincerely,
g.
?
 

Can you push the jog button to the side (NOT down) and restart the device?
This should restore the normal scan display
Did you connect CAL and RF with a short coax cable when doing the self test?
--
Designer of the tinySA
For more info go to

 

Hi.
?
> Can you push the jog button to the side (NOT down) and restart the device? This should restore the normal scan display
I did, but it doesn't change the situation.
?
> Did you connect CAL and RF with a short coax cable when doing the self test?
Yes, I took a picture of that too
?
At the moment it seems that the fault is with the hardware, can the hypothesis be tested ?
?
Sincerely,
?
g.
 

On Thu, Apr 3, 2025 at 06:14 AM, Gerd wrote:
Can you push the jog button to the side (NOT down) and restart the device?
I meant to say: Can you push the jog button to the side (NOT down) WHILE RESTARTING the device?
So keep it pushed to the side until the full display appears.
--
Designer of the tinySA
For more info go to

 

Hi.
?
> I meant to say: Can you push the jog button to the side (NOT down) WHILE RESTARTING the device?
?
Yes, I held the rotary knob on the right side and then started the device until the image appeared on the screen.
I also did it while holding rotary knob on the left side. The situation does not improve.
?
Is there any other test or electronic circuit to measure ?
(I have several Keysight lab measuring instruments)
?
Sincerely,
?
g.
?
?
?
 

With nothing connected to the inputs and all default settings (after clear config)? the screen should look in a certain way.
It should be like the first picture on this wiki page
If this is different than please post a photo where I can read the dBm scale numbers as they were very weird
--
Designer of the tinySA
For more info go to

 

Hi.
?
> With nothing connected to the inputs and all default settings (after clear config)?
?
I did a "clear config" again and was able to set the time and date correctly.
Last time I put a point between the dates and it broke the recording.
?
The remaining errors are the same.
?
Sincerely,
g.
?
 

I wonder if there is a possibility that the firmware is corrupted in some way. Perhaps re-installing the same version of firmware might produce a clue?

Just my 2 cents!

Sam Reaves
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On Thu, Apr 3, 2025 at 4:21?PM Gerd via <gerd.vipre=[email protected]> wrote:
Hi.
?
> With nothing connected to the inputs and all default settings (after clear config)?
?
I did a "clear config" again and was able to set the time and date correctly.
Last time I put a point between the dates and it broke the recording.
?
The remaining errors are the same.
?
Sincerely,
g.
?
 

Try:

Remove your SD card.

Clear configuration
Load defaults
Level calibration


On Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:21:44 -0700
"Gerd via groups.io" <gerd.vipre@...> wrote:

Hi.

With nothing connected to the inputs and all default settings (after clear config)
I did a "clear config" again and was able to set the time and date correctly.
Last time I put a point between the dates and it broke the recording.

The remaining errors are the same.

Sincerely,
g.
--

73

-Jim
NU0C
 

It looks like the MCU can't read data through the SPI interface. if it still doesn't work after removing the SD card, the MUC's SPI port may be faulty. the SD card, LCD, and RF chip are all mounted on the same SPI bus. Maybe the SPI bus was damaged when the SD card was inserted or removed.
 

Indeed, the display test failed also. This indicates bad communication over the SPI bus.
Can you open the case and try to reseat the LCD cable? Maybe that will solve the problem
--
Designer of the tinySA
For more info go to

 

Hi.
?
> Can you open the case and try to reseat the LCD cable ? Maybe that will solve the problem.
Erik, did you design the printed circuit board ?
?
Before I started to disassemble the device, I decided to check if the signal generator was working. A picture of this menu is attached to the letter, the problem also affected this part of the control circuit. When I selected LOW OUTPUT - ON from the menu, a signal appeared at the RF tinySAoutput, but the frequency barely ran 50MHz. From that frequency onwards, the device could no longer hold the signal carrier. I have not tested the signal generator of this device before, so I have no comparison of how it should work.
?
I opened the tinySA ULTRA at Erik's suggestion and a visual test did not detect any poor connections.
Since I have had problems with similar cable connections in other devices before, I cleaned the cable terminals just in case (even though there was no visible problem).
?
After reconnecting the ribbon cable, almost all problems disappeared. Self Test was successful.
?
Even after a successful Self Test, the signal generator is unable to transmit a signal in normal mode, I have to activate LOW OUTPUT - ON in the menu. Is this a normal approach or is there another problem here? I also took a picture of the last measurement.
?
Erik, based on the information you provided, could you tell me which terminal in the ribbon cable had a poor connection? I'll look at it later with a powerful microscope. (It seems that some types of connectors are not worth the money.)
?
Sincerely,
g
?
?
 

Could it be alingment or some solid particle? I had issues like those with expensive connectors.


On Sat, Apr 5, 2025, 01:32 Gerd via <gerd.vipre=[email protected]> wrote:
Hi.
?
> Can you open the case and try to reseat the LCD cable ? Maybe that will solve the problem.
Erik, did you design the printed circuit board ?
?
Before I started to disassemble the device, I decided to check if the signal generator was working. A picture of this menu is attached to the letter, the problem also affected this part of the control circuit. When I selected LOW OUTPUT - ON from the menu, a signal appeared at the RF tinySAoutput, but the frequency barely ran 50MHz. From that frequency onwards, the device could no longer hold the signal carrier. I have not tested the signal generator of this device before, so I have no comparison of how it should work.
?
I opened the tinySA ULTRA at Erik's suggestion and a visual test did not detect any poor connections.
Since I have had problems with similar cable connections in other devices before, I cleaned the cable terminals just in case (even though there was no visible problem).
?
After reconnecting the ribbon cable, almost all problems disappeared. Self Test was successful.
?
Even after a successful Self Test, the signal generator is unable to transmit a signal in normal mode, I have to activate LOW OUTPUT - ON in the menu. Is this a normal approach or is there another problem here? I also took a picture of the last measurement.
?
Erik, based on the information you provided, could you tell me which terminal in the ribbon cable had a poor connection? I'll look at it later with a powerful microscope. (It seems that some types of connectors are not worth the money.)
?
Sincerely,
g
?
?
 

On Fri, Apr 4, 2025 at 04:32 PM, Gerd wrote:
Erik, did you design the printed circuit board ?
?
Yes
?
?
Before I started to disassemble the device, I decided to check if the signal generator was working. A picture of this menu is attached to the letter, the problem also affected this part of the control circuit. When I selected LOW OUTPUT - ON from the menu, a signal appeared at the RF tinySAoutput, but the frequency barely ran 50MHz. From that frequency onwards, the device could no longer hold the signal carrier. I have not tested the signal generator of this device before, so I have no comparison of how it should work.
?
You have to switch the signal generator LOW OUTPUT to ON to get the correct output signal
?
?
I opened the tinySA ULTRA at Erik's suggestion and a visual test did not detect any poor connections.
Since I have had problems with similar cable connections in other devices before, I cleaned the cable terminals just in case (even though there was no visible problem).
?
After reconnecting the ribbon cable, almost all problems disappeared. Self Test was successful.
?
Happy to hear
?
?
Even after a successful Self Test, the signal generator is unable to transmit a signal in normal mode, I have to activate LOW OUTPUT - ON in the menu. Is this a normal approach or is there another problem here?
?
This is normal behavior
I also took a picture of the last measurement.
?
Erik, based on the information you provided, could you tell me which terminal in the ribbon cable had a poor connection? I'll look at it later with a powerful microscope. (It seems that some types of connectors are not worth the money.)
?
Don't know, sometimes we see this problem, hence the suggestion to reseat the cable.
--
Designer of the tinySA
For more info go to

 

if you have a look to the copper pattern of the ribbon cable you can see that it is not centered - you can also see that the size of the isolation area at the edges is different -? and also on the imprints of the connector.. a bad fabricated ribbon cable..
 

(sorry for my reply in bold letters)
 

Hi.
?
Erik, thanks for the reply.
?
For a few hours tinySA ULTRA was turned off and when I restarted it, this information appeared on the screen (Pictures attached to the letter).
The only way to get out of this state was to do a "hard restart" // push the jog button to the side (NOT down) WHILE RESTARTING the device //.
?
Is this a pure software problem and not indicative of a hardware defect ?
?
At that moment TinySA ULTRA has on it that software: "tinySA4_v1.4-109-g5cfd570"
I installed the latest software on the device "tinySA4_v1.4-199-gde12ba2" and will see if this type of anomaly occurs again.
?
?
Sincerely,
g
?
?
?
 

Hi.
?

> if you have a look to the copper pattern of the ribbon cable you can see that it is not centered

?

Yes, it caught my eye right away.

I enlarged the picture I took earlier.

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