Garrett Infinium LS

[wam]

Hi, I just bough new Garrett Infinium LS to have a look what is inside but I can not find a way to open it. Is anyone having idea how to do it?
Regards,

[Rov]

Yes,is not difficult.
unscrew large round battery compartment door,remove 8cell AA battery holder.
deep inside bottom of battery compartment is 3 screws.one has white nylon washer on it.
use long blade philips screwdriver for deep access an remove this screw only.
not the other two.
use large long flat blade screwdriver an invert the control box housing.place flat blade carefully on on outside edge/lip off clear polycarb facia panel,an gently Bump the two pieces of control box apart
has 2 two lubricated O ring seals on clear facia panel.
Now you have the control box apart in two pieces,you have access to slide in PCB an other internals for your investigation.
assembly is reverse using fresh silicon grease for waterproof an tightening of this one screw.
removal of front facia panel knobs is not necessary.they have twin grubscrews on each knob bty.
Any dissembly by non Garrett service agents may void your warranties?
your choice?
Rov

[Rov]

A couple of quick pics,box open.
Rov

[wam]

Thank You for photos, I had a problem to remove front panel. Now I know why.
I will try again. Any way, my observation is that this detector is not any "Advanced".
The way it works suggests that it has no digital signal processing or digital filtering or even audio seems not to be made by any software. It appears to be very simple analog circuit driven by logic-gate-electronics working out very primitive audio output adjusted by pots driven circuits. I just need to see it to be sure if Garrett can be trusted and worth $1000. It has no simple LED to communicate via transparent front panel window, what a pity. Is any chance that You confirm my worries and name any "advanced" pieces of electronics on PCB so I do not need to crack it.
Regards.

[Rov]

a few more quick pictures
Rov

[wam]

It looks like they removed names from some ICs. Why Garrett does not promote its product by reviling some tech. details like what uP, memory, software update etc. The way I see, it could be worth to check uP and because it is removable and if they do not use external flash it may by tempting to crack peripherals and try own uP with own software ... looks like all I need to have some good time with PC. Thanks again,
I believe it is worth to open it.

[wam]

What is it made of ...?

What is it made of … ?
It is made of software and hardware.
The microcontroller is PIC16C74B-20 (4k program memory, 192 bytes RAM,
8 bit A/D x 8, Serial ports SSP, SPI, I2C, USART).
If I need to make a comment – it is not what we call “Advance” for last 10 Years.
The detector has visible two analog gain amplifier lines. Each line has a pair of digital pots made of DS1867 (50k). It looks like between PIC and analogue inputs is placed AD converter made of TLC2543C (12-Bit-Resolution A/D Converter 10-ms Conversion Time). I believe that this converter is use because it does conversion by itself and does not occupy microcontroller and it has better resolution. I think it is design from many Years ago. Present days all can be 10 times more advance by using simple DSPIC or ATMEL controllers (and cheaper). Other ICs are low noise op amplifiers.
There is one D/A converter made of 8 resistors on the socket corner for PIC. It goes to
audio output. So hardware does not look better then any micro development kit PCB for $50. I hope that up to 4k software is very “advance”. The irritating is that electronic hardware (even very advance) is very cheap today and available so why Garrett goes with this old technology. I do not mind to pay $50 more but run software at 300MHz, with DSP futures and 1000 k of program and USB access. I made this observation because I believe that MD market needs sort of competition like computer market – manufactures have no fear to publish what electronic technology is used in the product.

[wam]

Hi res picture

This is hi resolution photo.

[Rov]

Good one wam,you got it open.very good picture also.
you are fortunate that no IC were defaced as some of mine were.all values are as I expected.I have a different version Flash on the micro tho,as for Australia,maybe for the high mineralised conditions with different timings,parameters.
Did you have the Foil screen over the rear end of pcb an grounded to the rear metal clip?
What are your intention for modifications,any?maybe you have a Mono coil with your unit,do you have these spec.and pinouts for comparison with what i have.
regards Rov

[wam]

It is with DD standard coil and withfoil screen as Yours one. I will measure it and I would like to take sample signals from test points on the PCB. My curiosity is if signals from coil can be taped to other more advance circuit and used for analyses. I have one of the "Friendly Arm" LCD module to play with. So if it will be a mod it will be rather a try to restore control signals from test points using my Arm unit and collect signals via external AD converter to see it on LCD. I have my own concept for electronic circuit (let say professional engineering) but this detector is only for reference how worse or better is my approach. I love the mechanical construction of this box, I am tempted to design my own PCB for this unit. Speaking electronics, did some one ever said that every thing (technology) what modern detector needs was present in picture tube TV, example: deflection coils control system, phase detection for color signal decoding, all amp. circuits for low noise and auto signal gain control – this is the most advance electronics ever made but never followed by metal detectors designers - why?

[GoldenKiwi]

Hi Wam, Rov, excellent thanks very very interesting!
I wondered what was inside, and especially what MCU was driving the Infinium.

Very interested to hear more on your progress.

Cheers
GK

[wam]

Garrett Infinium 96 frequencies ?

Hi, does any one have idea what is it with 96 frequencies in this detector. I have checked that pulsing signal is manually adjustable between 720Hz to 733Hz.
Garrett says:
"Possibly the most impressive aspect of the Infinium LS ... is its 96 frequencies. No other manufacturer even comes close to creating a detector with this many frequencies! This is possible thanks to the API (Advanced Pulse Induction) technology that simultaneously provides the greatest number of multiple frequencies of any detector on the market." ?????? -
What it means in language of electronics ???
Any way I am posting some samples from TX test point and from first stage of RX coil signal (if I got it right).

I have observed RX signal with 5uS/dev and it was giving very clear difference between coins and metal. Practically if You can walk with oscilloscope at RX point You should be able to say what kind of metal is under.

[WM6]

I have observed RX signal with 5uS/dev and it was giving very clear difference between coins and metal. Practically if You can walk with oscilloscope at RX point You should be able to say what kind of metal is under.

Interesting research wam.

Can you put some comment about your scope display pictured.

Maybe Garretts 96 simultaneous frequencies are only harmonics.

Speaking electronics, did some one ever said that every thing (technology) what modern detector needs was present in picture tube TV, example: deflection coils control system

Are you sure that EM field can be deflected in such usable way for detecting in near field?

[Qiaozhi]

Hi, does any one have idea what is it with 96 frequencies in this detector. I have checked that pulsing signal is manually adjustable between 720Hz to 733Hz.
Garrett says:
"Possibly the most impressive aspect of the Infinium LS ... is its 96 frequencies. No other manufacturer even comes close to creating a detector with this many frequencies! This is possible thanks to the API (Advanced Pulse Induction) technology that simultaneously provides the greatest number of multiple frequencies of any detector on the market." ?????? -
What it means in language of electronics ???
Any way I am posting some samples from TX test point and from first stage of RX coil signal (if I got it right).

I have observed RX signal with 5uS/dev and it was giving very clear difference between coins and metal. Practically if You can walk with oscilloscope at RX point You should be able to say what kind of metal is under.

Hi Wam,

Please can you explain what we are looking at in the various oscilloscope images.
I suspect you could find the answer to your question by feeding the TX signal into a spectrum analyzer.

[wam]

Infinium signals

The first picture is a test point for TX signal (You can see amplitude voltage is about 60V).
The second test point is output from RX coil after op. amplifier. Oscilloscope pictures are zooming on first pulse. The first pulse was the most responding in shape for different types of metals.