IK3OIL 16F84 PIC Frequency Counter Files

IK3OIL Frequency counter built by Wayne McFee.  This is from IK3OIL’s web site, and the cost of the counter was about $2, minus the display, which was about $7.  Wayne got the source was www.shopeio.com.  They are located in Gardenia, California.

Design and Code by Francisco IK3OIL

This frequency counter was mentioned on the QRP-L mailing list.
I offered to put up some more information on the counter on this web page.
I have not built one (yet) nor do I have any further information than what is here.

UPDATE!: I did build a counter it was not an IK3OIL counter but based on comments by PIC Elmer WB8RCR on Echolink, I built instead an OM3CPH counter.
It works FB! Thanks for the hints and the great work with the PIC Elmer course John!

Davewb4 at aol.com    provided these files

Here are some comments he made to the QRP-L list:

HI All: Wayne got the hex code for the counter  from me. I got it from 
Francisco (IK3OIL). I have built 5 of these counters and  all work from the git-go. 
I have the hex code and can supply it to anyone who  wants it. I also have 
redone the art work for Francisco's board. He used some NO  tactile switches that 
are hard to find so I changed the board slightly. I will  be happy to supply 
that to any one who wants it. The counter costs about $ 10 to  build since you 
can get the PIC16F84 chip from Micro-Chip as samples. If you are  going to 
Orlando this week end for the ham fest I will be there at the ARCI  meeting with 
a IK3IOL micro counter and some Unicounters and a 2N2/20. IF anyone  wants to 
build a Microcounter but cannot program a chip, just send me an 18pin  Dip 
16F84 and I will be happy to program one for you. I also have the schematic  for 
the Micro-counter.
73
Dave Rogers
WB4CHK
Plantation, FL

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www.eio.com/lcdprodt.htm

Here is a good  place to purchase the LCD. Click on character LCD and in the 
middle of the page  find Seiko L1671BIP...... A 1x16 character LCD, its back 
lit and the $ 6.00  price is nice. 

I must say I am overwhelmed by the interest
73
Dave

---

Since there is so much interest in this project,  here is what you get.

1. A very nice stand alone frequency counter for  the bench or
2. A digital readout for any rig. With the mode switch you can  set the IF 
offset to any of three combinations i.e.: VFO+IF.... VFO-IF or  IF-VFO
3. With some additions it can count into the Gig region. It has a  pre-scaler 
option. ( Wayne McFee NB6M has some mods for that, so if you are  interested 
in counting that high you should contact him. I use them for rigs I  build.  I 
installed one in my 2N2/20. It has an 11meg IF & a 3meg VFO  so I use VFO+IF 
to read 14MHZ
4. A typical 14mhz count would be  14.060.45
If you use my art work for the PC board, please note I use MS paint  and 
everything is oversize. I suggest first of course, reverse the design then  print 
a copy of the board. Place an 18pin dip socket on the print and compare  the 
hole line up. It will probably be to large. I then use the size program on  my 
HP laser jet program to reduce the size. Try 74% that should be close. Once  
you get the Dip to exactly the correct size all the rest will be OK. I use PnP  
blue to make the boards. If you want to build the counter and do not have a  
programmer for the PIC16F84, just send me one and I will program it for you. 
Any  questions just ring. I also have some pictures of the completed board, the 
 switch change, the LCD connections and the finished counter. It's a large 
file  3.5MB.
73
Dave  

Here is the link to the PDF file by IK3OIL:
http://digilander.libero.it/ik3oil/_private/Frequenzimetro_eng_2003.pdf

Here is a link to the AN592 MicroChip Application note referenced in
Francesco's Frequency Counter above:
http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/AppNotes/00592d.pdf

Here is a link to the NorCal meeting where the counter was mentioned:
http://www.norcalqrp.org/mtg2005_02.htm

Here is a copy of the PIC source code that I got from Dave ( Davewb4  at aol.com )
ik3oilcounter.hex

Here are the layout/schematic files compressed into a zip file
layout.zip

NOTE: Daveb4 at aol.com has agreed to be a contact person re this counter as I know nothing more
than what is here.
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Here is a note from ve7wrs re a similar PIC Counter project

 All,

You might also want to check-out the frequency counter that Phil Rice,
VK3BHR,  in Australia produced. It is an almost identical design; PIC 16F84
with a single input transistor. In fact he gives credit to IK3OIL for
inspiring the design.
http://ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au/~rice/

Phil even makes the source code available if you want to tweak it. On the
web site click on the Updated Frequency Counter. I haven't built it, but I
did email Phil for ideas about using a TCXO instead of the 4 Mhz crystal. He
was very helpful.

Phil also has a PIC16F84  L/C meter project which I did build. It functions
very much like the Almost all Digital meter (which I don't own).  Mine works
great, and is really useful for sorting out unmarked or illegible inductors
and capacitors. Highly recommended.

-Walter
VE7WRS

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Here are some photos from Dave for the ik3oil counter

K3OIL Micro-counter mounted in a K8IQY  2N2/20
Mounted in a 2N2/20 with the PC board separate from the LCD and connected by a 16 pin cable

Source: IK3OIL 16F84 PIC Frequency Counter Files

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