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Today I will share a practical tool – a USB and RJ45 cable tester that can determine the integrity of the entire cable. First, let’s take a look at the demonstration effect:Current functions:
Diagnose over 10 types of cable including RJ45, USB B/B3, USB A/A3, USB C, USB MINI, USB Micro/Micro3, etc.
The touchscreen menu can be set to automatic detection mode and manual mode for deeper diagnostics.
Displays pin loops on the input and output ports being used.
Step 1: Required Materials
1. Arduino Mega 2560 board or Arduino Due2. Arduino expansion board, can be ordered from Tindie or made by yourself3. ILI9341 2.8″ TFT touchscreen x 1 (Note: If using Arduino Due, ILI9341 is required)4. 3D printing model, provides 3 parts5. 1m long USB A cable x 1 – for connecting USB charger to cable tracker unit6. USB A charger – for powering the device
Step 2: Prepare Arduino
The required code and libraries for the project can be downloaded at the end of the article, load the code into the Arduino Mega.To successfully connect the screen to Arduino Mega, some libraries need to be loaded in the Arduino IDE.First, in your Arduino IDE, delete the following libraries in the /Arduino/Libraries folder:
SPI.h
Adafruit_GFX.h
MCUFRIEND_kbv.h
TouchScreen.h
Then download the document CableTracerLibraries.zip provided at the end of the article. Unzip the files to the /Arduino/Libraries folder, replacing the deleted library files.
Use a USB A to B cable to connect the Arduino Mega to the USB port of your PC. Ensure the board is on a non-conductive surface to avoid electrical shorts. Load the code mentioned above.If you encounter problems, there is a utility to help identify the LCD type. Press the upload button, after loading the code successfully, disconnect the USB cable power. Next, you can test the 2.8-inch TFT screen on the Arduino Mega.First, unplug the power from the Arduino Mega, carefully insert the screen into the Mega board, ensuring the pins align. Then reconnect the USB port power and check if the initial screen displays correctly and if the touchscreen menu works normally.Note: If a white screen appears after loading the code, alternative screen code is provided in the code folder, you can try it.If you want to connect an external power supply to the Arduino Mega, you can use a standard 9v DC power adapter for Arduino Mega, or purchase a USB A to 9v adapter plug, which can avoid soldering, or directly solder the USB cable to the base of the Arduino Mega.
Step 3: Print 3D Case
Print an appropriate case based on the size of the expansion board, of course, you can also go without a case.
Step 4: Build Your Own Expansion Board
The Gerber files and BOM list for the expansion board are provided in the attachment at the end of the article, you can directly sample and download if needed.
Step 5: Assemble and Test
Assembly is very simple!You can start testing now. I hope everyone can have a fully functional cable tester. The cable tester is designed to test over 10 types of cables, using RJ45, USB B/B3, USB A/A3, USB C, USB Mini, USB Micro/Micro3.The cable tester has two modes: automatic and manual. By default, it is in automatic mode, using predetermined cable conditions to identify and display input and output cable configurations. At this time, there are two counters at the bottom left of the screen. “Pre” and “Post” are used to trigger the screen configuration redraw. If the cable connection changes, this will trigger this action.When using manual mode, you need to disconnect the cable being tested, then touch the “manual” button on the main screen. You will see a cable options menu to choose from. These options force the cable tracker to display the selected cable connector. Plugging one end at a time allows you to see the effects of the operation. Before connecting to the other end, you will be able to see the pin loops at the end of the cable. This is useful for identifying shorted cables, open pins, damaged or loose plugs.Start testing the cable in automatic mode. If the tested cable is abnormal or severely damaged to the point that automatic mode cannot recognize the cable, switch to manual mode.During testing, various issues may be found, such as:1) USB C cables missing 2 or 3 ground or VCC pins, while there should be 4 ground or VCC pins2) USB C cables not charging certain devices because the device requires data pins to loop back3) Shorted or broken USB cables can power devices but do not transfer data between devices4) RJ45 crossover cables mixed with straight-through patch cables
With this cable tester, we can quickly determine if the cable is useful, rather than suspecting the electronic device is broken when it cannot charge. (Don’t ask me how I know this）
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