Data from a PCB

[MoAw]

Hi, I am a new member ☺

I am a Leisure Vehicle Engineer. One of the main jobs I often come across is Combi boiler in a caravan or motorhome where the pcb either fails or locks out.

There is a data connection which sends signals to a control panel for the user to select various options to operate heating.

I would like to connect directly to the pcb and read the data and reset the pcb, and unlock it.

I was wondering whether it is possible to use an Arduino set up to read and display the data, reset the pcb.

The manufacturer of the Combi boiler provides a little gadget, size of a cigarette packet, and software at a cost of over £800, that's correct £800!!

I am electrical and gas qualified to repair the boiler, I want to help my customers without adding more costs.

Thank you

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

It really depends what the device is actually doing - it could be a programmer?, and it's uploading a completely new version of the software (because of corruption off the original).

You could presumably do it with an Arduino (or any micro-controller), but you need to know exactly what the connection and interface is, and to have access to whatever might need uploading (which is almost certainly not available).

If you want to try and reverse engineer what's going on (and in the hope that it doesn't need the software reprogramming), you could use an Arduino to read and display what's going on, but you'd need to reverse engineer the hardware before you could even start on the data transfer.

 

[MoAw]

Thank you. Yes I agree. I think it's a microcontroller programmed to manage the various functions and sensors. I'll study the pcb a bit closer to identify the various data and signal ports.

I'll see if I can post a picture of one.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Thank you. Yes I agree. I think it's a microcontroller programmed to manage the various functions and sensors.

Almost everything is these days, it's just so cost effective - it's likely that such a device uses obscure Chinese devices, which could explain the problem.

 

[MoAw]

Yes Nigel, it does not surprise me