SSD1306 OLED - Beware

[Colin G3YHV]

I have just noticed something horrible !
Look at the power connections in the attached image
Colin

[keytapper]

It looks that they are not from the same manufacturer. Obviously nothing impede them (on the far east) to copy each other idea.

[John Drew]

Hmm, that is confusing Colin.
I can't check my OLEDs as they are in a controller at a remote repeater site.
A trap for young players. How are you going to check them out?
John
VK5DJ

[keytapper]

Mine has VCC-GND-SCL-SDA and uses SH1106 chipset.
Perhaps it may be necessary also for the chipset.

[Colin G3YHV]

The connections are swapped around so the silkscreen is correct on both.
I see SSD1106 and SSD1306 types being sold on ebay -  they look the same.
Are the drivers very different I wonder? -  will they both work with SDD1306 driver ?
I expect you are correct John  -  different manufacturers maybe.
We have designed a WSPR transmitter  for our club project.
Using DS3231 RTC, AD9850 DDS and one of these OLEDS
Will get a board made from china when all finished  -  glad I spotted this mix up!
For non radio ham types WSPR is this.
https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wspr.html
Colin

[Mapo]

I have the 2 versions with SSD1306 controller
Change the manufacturer

[rick.curl]

It looks like the mounting holes on both are plated through. This often means that they are connected to GND. Might be interesting to use an ohmmeter to check for continuity between the mounting holes and the pin labeled GND.

Glad you spotted this, Colin!

-Rick

[Dompie]

Many 1.3 "Oled (SH1106 and SSD1306 controllers) on the back of the print have 0R resistors with which you can swap the GND and VCC. But then you have to be able to solder SMD resistors (I ordered a number of OLEDs from one supplier because SMD soldering is not my hobby)

Johan

[John Drew]

The WSPR project sounds interesting Colin.
Is it being written up?
John

[Colin G3YHV]

Hi John . We did a wspr tx for the local club a few years ago
Using a 18f1320   It used the whole chips memory and each chip had to be programmed
for each person with their callsign/qra/power ! we also found the dds modules varied quite a lot in frequency
so that had to be individually programmed in also.
The new version uses an 18f26k22 and the data can be programmed in by the user, so much better.
I have written most of it including the UI and Dave G0CJG is doing the hard sums!
Colin

[John Drew]

Sounds a great project. Will you put the design in the public domain? RSGB Bulletin, Australia's Amateur Radio Magazine, QST maybe.
Cheers
John
VK5DJ

[Colin G3YHV]

Who Knows John ! but it sounds a good idea.
I am sure it will appear on the club website at the very least.
Our poor club has not met for over a year thanks to covid.
We meet on the air and on zoom now.
Colin

[John Drew]

We've been meeting on air too Colin.
We have two meetings a month. An activity night (often lectures or demonstrating projects) and a business meeting. We've now restarted our activity night in the clubrooms but we can only fit 15 people with covid spacing. There's no substitute for face to face. I have to drive 50km  at night through kangaroo infested country highway so once a month suits me.
Have a look at our website www.serg.org.au
Cheers
John
vk5dj

[Colin G3YHV]

Hi John Thanks for the  club link
here is our club
https://shirehampton-arc.org.uk/
Colin