Building a lithium-powered electronic magnifier to hunt for gold inside chips

Er Gaozi builds a lithium-powered electronic magnifier (hunting gold in chips): spare 18650s spot-welded with an AWithZ UF20B (supercapacitor 10.5kW, auto / manual / foot pedal), 12 pulses per group, ‘round welds, no scorching’; 3D-printed 3P cell holders, two groups; self-designed protection board (over-charge / over-discharge + charging + boost, open-source on LCSC), dual switches, IO cover, the finished ‘big power bank’ powers it

To hunt for gold inside chips, first build an electronic magnifier: camera, lens, light, screen, power supply, stand — set up quickly, magnifying phone-screen pixels, surrounded by blue (a meme). The magnifier works but has countless power leads, so convert it to lithium: find a few spare 18650s, and if you have cells you must have a welder — an AWithZ UF20B with a built-in supercapacitor, max output 10.5kW (nameplate 1750A, 100–240V), supporting auto, manual and foot-pedal welding, ‘welds better than Lao Bai’; ‘fingers like the wind, fast as lightning’, positive then negative, 12 pulses and one group is welded, round welds with no scorching, solid connections. Designed a 3P cell holder for 3D printing, repeated to make two groups. Designed his own protection board: over-charge / over-discharge circuit (over-current detection 2.5A), charging circuit, boost circuit (the schematic recommends 3 × 18650 in parallel), schematic → PCB → soldered. Made two switched leads: internal battery switch, external adapter switch; fitted the board; missing an IO cover, so extruded and cut one in CAD and 3D-printed it, with the character for ‘big’ (da) meaning ‘poke a hole in the sky’. The finished ‘big power bank’ powers the magnifier with no messy leads; magnify a PCB to read chip markings, magnify a chip die, lots of gold bond wires, ‘off to refine gold’. Open-source at oshwhub bat1600_v1_1. Comment: is this about the magnifier or about building a battery.

Outcome

Steps7 steps · click a frame to jump

1. 
   1. Set up the electronic magnifier; too many leads

   Parts: camera, lens, light, screen, power supply, stand; set it up and magnify phone pixels; it works, but countless power leads at the back are a nuisance.

   00:00 – 00:41
2. 
   2. Spare 18650s + AWithZ UF20B (supercapacitor 10.5kW, three trigger modes)

   Convert to lithium; a few spare 18650s; with cells you must have a welder: AWithZ UF20B, built-in supercapacitor, max 10.5KW, supports auto, manual and foot-pedal welding; welds better than Lao Bai.

   00:42 – 01:08
3. 
   3. Spot welding: 12 pulses per group, round welds, no scorching

   Fingers like the wind, fast as lightning; positive first, then negative; 12 pulses and one group is welded; round welds with no scorching, solid connections.

   01:08 – 01:34
4. 
   4. 3D-printed 3P cell holders, two groups

   Design a 3P cell holder and print it; repeat to make two groups of cells.

   01:34 – 01:43
5. 
   5. Self-designed protection board: over-charge / over-discharge + charging + boost

   Design the protection board: over-charge / over-discharge circuit (over-current detection 2.5A), charging circuit, boost circuit; schematic → PCB → soldered; 3 × 18650 in parallel recommended.

   01:43 – 02:00
6. 
   6. Dual switched leads, fit the board, 3D-printed IO cover with the ‘big’ character

   Two switched leads: internal battery switch, external adapter switch; fit the board; missing an IO cover, so design and 3D-print one, with the character for ‘big’ (da) meaning ‘poke a hole in the sky’.

   02:00 – 02:27
7. 
   7. Install and power up, magnify the chip die and gold wires

   The big power bank powers the magnifier, full of energy; no messy leads; magnify a PCB to read markings, and a chip die with its gold bond wires; off to refine gold.

   02:28 – 02:59

Bill of materials

Creator’s tips

• Design the cell holder for 3P and 3D-print it; repeat to add groups 01:34
• The protection board integrates over-charge / over-discharge, charging and boost, with separate switches for internal and external power 01:47
• The open-source project can be reused (oshwhub)

Pitfalls

• Comment: is the video about the magnifier or about building a battery (scattered narrative)

Li-ion safety

Quotes