EEVblog #168 - How To Set Up An Electronics Lab

[tekfan]

Here's a very complete description of a pretty advanced electronics lab.

http://www.timefracture.org/labdocs/lab_notes.html

And photos:
http://www.timefracture.org/lab.html

He's got all the right stuff. This should be featured in WOTW on Theamphour.

[firewalker]

I have to say something about soldering irons that plugs directly to mains. In my opinion the good brands (Weller, JBC etc) are much better than the cheap ones that provide temperature control.

For years now I am using a JBC 30S. I also have a mains socket that is controlled by an incandescent lamp dimmer. I have "mapped" the dimer's position with the temperature of the iron tip and...

[david77]

Yes, a simple good brand soldering iron is good to have, in my case it's an Ersa Multitip 25. I use it for quick fixes around the house or the car, it lives in my electricians toolbox.
But for the lab you really want a proper soldering station. After all, with the money spent  on a good iron, a stand and maybe a dimmer switch & socket you could have bought a reasonable quality chinese soldering station aswell.

[amigo]

Here's a very complete description of a pretty advanced electronics lab.

http://www.timefracture.org/labdocs/lab_notes.html

And photos:
http://www.timefracture.org/lab.html

He's got all the right stuff. This should be featured in WOTW on Theamphour.

tekfan,

I can't get to that site, the server is refusing connections. Does it still work for you?

[firewalker]

Yes, a simple good brand soldering iron is good to have, in my case it's an Ersa Multitip 25. I use it for quick fixes around the house or the car, it lives in my electricians toolbox.
But for the lab you really want a proper soldering station. After all, with the money spent  on a good iron, a stand and maybe a dimmer switch & socket you could have bought a reasonable quality chinese soldering station aswell.

Yes. You have to have both. And I do. But I really enjoy a lot more using my "good" soldering iron than the fancy cheap stations (well not that cheap. Cheap relative to the branded ones).

The main difference is the alloys used for the tips and the main body.

[lowimpedance]

 Excuse me if this has allready been mentioned, (looked through the posts and not noticed!)

Another essential item is a large 'heat capacity' soldering iron such as the Scope (see link) or similar.
Great for getting heat into those larger copper jobs (wiring, copper ground planes etc).


http://www.wiltronics.com.au/catalogue/509/test-equipment_tools/tools/soldering-irons/scope-soldering-irons/

[torch]

how can you miss such a party?... Review: Hantek DDS 3X25. Anyone own one?  (Read 4922 times). you should be around more frequently. and its not 75MHz sine generator as advertised, its 100MHz.

Geez, that's quite a thread! And some very nice work on fixing the S/W bug. I guess you've convinced me 

[Bored@Work]

And photos:
http://www.timefracture.org/lab.html

He's got all the right stuff. This should be featured in WOTW on Theamphour.

To neat and tidy. That is a museum, not a home lab.

[SnakeBite]

Excuse me if this has allready been mentioned, (looked through the posts and not noticed!)

Another essential item is a large 'heat capacity' soldering iron such as the Scope (see link) or similar.
Great for getting heat into those larger copper jobs (wiring, copper ground planes etc).


http://www.wiltronics.com.au/catalogue/509/test-equipment_tools/tools/soldering-irons/scope-soldering-irons/

i disagree. it's not very essential . of course it depend on what you doing , some people won't use that iron at all and some very often.
anyway i really don't see the need to get 100w iron for electronics.


nobody had comment about my other item on my list that i've added like:
*esr meter
*capacitor meter

which i think you can't live without.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Another essential item is a large 'heat capacity' soldering iron such as the Scope (see link) or similar.
Great for getting heat into those larger copper jobs (wiring, copper ground planes etc).

Unless you have a Metcal , in which case you just use a big tip when you want to solder TO220 tabs to groundplanes

[lowimpedance]

Excuse me if this has allready been mentioned, (looked through the posts and not noticed!)

Another essential item is a large 'heat capacity' soldering iron such as the Scope (see link) or similar.
Great for getting heat into those larger copper jobs (wiring, copper ground planes etc).


http://www.wiltronics.com.au/catalogue/509/test-equipment_tools/tools/soldering-irons/scope-soldering-irons/

i disagree. it's not very essential . of course it depend on what you doing , some people won't use that iron at all and some very often.
anyway i really don't see the need to get 100w iron for electronics.


nobody had comment about my other item on my list that i've added like:
*esr meter
*capacitor meter

which i think you can't live without.

 Actually from my industrial perspective a larger iron is essential (yes I do electronics and yes I solder more than just PCB's ) and use the 'scope  iron' regularly and that is on some pcb work too. Electronics is just not PCB work.  My home lab has the hakko 936 and the scope and I use both depending on the task requirements.
Ok I will give that hobby labs may not require immediately but given time they will probably aquire one.

As for the ESR and capacitor meter, I think the capacitor meter yes and for the ESR, if you do switchmode ps work etc then yes but not essential when setting up your lab

cheers
John

[AdShea]

Regarding the big iron, I just use one of the big Metcals (200W, I don't remember the model).  It works for PCB stuff just as well as the RF-heating that Metcals use doesn't overshoot temperature and just keeps providing power until temperature is reached or you run out of power.

[dengorius]

[snip]


nobody had comment about my other item on my list that i've added like:
*esr meter
*capacitor meter

which i think you can't live without.

Well the capacitance meter in included in any decent DMM

[vk6zgo]

The capacitance meter in most DMMs is not worthy of the name!

They mostly have severely limited range---- I have compared the "C" range on a fairly recent HP with a homemade capacitor checker,& the

home made one was superior.

The HP may have been more accurate within its range,but  if I have a Capacitance meter,I expect it to be useable throughout the normal range

of values I might find.

Having to drag the home made one out when the HP runs out of range defeats the purpose of having a capacitance range in the first place.

There were some very good LC testers made in the 1980s,which include loss readings for the Cs & "Q" for inductors.

These may be available fairly cheaply from time to time.


The other alternative is an old style LCR bridge.


VK6ZGO

[Ed.Kloonk]

Check the built-in cap meter has decent specs before you buy a MM. I agree with the above poster, a bad capacitance meter is worse than not having one at all. 

Some Meters have a separate port for the capacitor test instead allowing the use of the normal leads. This means you have to insert the two leads of the capacitor into the front of the meter. I thought I wouldn't care until I realized I can't easily check just one capacitor of a few in a new ream. If you have a ream of unused new caps, you either have to remove one from the tape or insert wires and alligator plugs connected to the mystery cap. Sux.

Being able to test capacitors by turning the dial and using the red and black probes is a feature worth having IMO.

BTW, the meter I am referring to is a Digitech QM-1320
http://www.elecspess.com.au/products/product/QM-1320?category=RFOGJVII&

Notice the cap tester holes are located between the amps input and the main dial.

[Leo Bodnar]

I have recently stumbled across a useful "Starting up an electronics workshop" article here

There are practical suggestions not covered in Dave's blogs like keep careful notes, have lots of junk at hand, etc.
I found it amusing and useful.

[Slobodan]

Dave's video in ECN magazine:

http://www.ecnmag.com/video/2011/04/eevblog/Set-Up-an-Electronics-Lab.aspx

[adam_lumpkins]

As for as dental picks go i found some very nice ones at a welding supply for 10 bucks {us}

 http://www.forneyind.com/proddetail.cfm?ProductID=70710

[saturation]

That's interesting to say, vk6zgo, on your home made one vs "HP" how do you know for certain your home made one is the more accurate of the two?

You mean fairly recent Agilent, yes?  As HP has not been in T&M since Agilent was born.

Although I too would be skeptical having recently received an Agilent DMM with those 'not worthy' C range but a valid cal certificate only a few months old, which includes a check of its C range to 1%, its reading is fairly consistent with my other C meters.

The capacitance meter in most DMMs is not worthy of the name!

They mostly have severely limited range---- I have compared the "C" range on a fairly recent HP with a homemade capacitor checker,& the

home made one was superior.

The HP may have been more accurate within its range,but  if I have a Capacitance meter,I expect it to be useable throughout the normal range

of values I might find.

Having to drag the home made one out when the HP runs out of range defeats the purpose of having a capacitance range in the first place.

There were some very good LC testers made in the 1980s,which include loss readings for the Cs & "Q" for inductors.

These may be available fairly cheaply from time to time.


The other alternative is an old style LCR bridge.


VK6ZGO

[vk6zgo]

That's interesting to say, vk6zgo, on your home made one vs "HP" how do you know for certain your home made one is the more accurate of the two?

You mean fairly recent Agilent, yes?  As HP has not been in T&M since Agilent was born.

Although I too would be skeptical having recently received an Agilent DMM with those 'not worthy' C range but a valid cal certificate only a few months old, which includes a check of its C range to 1%, its reading is fairly consistent with my other C meters.

The capacitance meter in most DMMs is not worthy of the name!

They mostly have severely limited range---- I have compared the "C" range on a fairly recent HP with a homemade capacitor checker,& the

home made one was superior.

The HP may have been more accurate within its range,but  if I have a Capacitance meter,I expect it to be useable throughout the normal range

of values I might find.

Having to drag the home made one out when the HP runs out of range defeats the purpose of having a capacitance range in the first place.

There were some very good LC testers made in the 1980s,which include loss readings for the Cs & "Q" for inductors.

These may be available fairly cheaply from time to time.


The other alternative is an old style LCR bridge.


VK6ZGO

Sorry,--Alzheimers strikes again!!! I should have written Fluke!!
It wasn't accuracy that was the problem,the thing just wouldn't read caps above or below its range.
VK6ZGO

[Leo Bodnar]

Here are the best side cutters for component pins you can get.

[saturation]

They are!  But depending on its make, you can dull the cutting edge.  These are better, toenail podiatric grade clippers.  Looks familiar but built to last.  About the same price for a good nail clipper, $4-10.  Also strong enough for dogs and cats claws, if you do such things.

Here are the best side cutters for component pins you can get.

[Mr J]

Hey Dave great video, nailed it. The only thing I would add is a digital camera, probably already own one, i think most do now a days. You want to take pics of your projects and build a portfolio. Or even start a blog like mine www.n1ir.com I wish I had taken picks of some of my early stuff.

[torch]

I was going to build a power supply, but I was in Sayal electronics (hobby shop in Canada) and came across a 150W power supply board with 3.3V/6A, 5V/3A, 12V/1A , 12V/300mA and 35v/800mA outputs. For $6. I can't buy the parts for that price! No instructions, but once I got it figured out (one of them needs a load or you get a ~800mH sawtooth wave) they all provide a nice steady ripple-free output. I figure on putting it in a box, adding some jacks and maybe an LM317 with a pot on the 35v leg to make it adjustable. A cooling fan on the 12V/300mA leg should make a nice load (I've got a 220 ohm resistor on there at the moment)

[alm]

Are the outputs floating? Do they have an adjustable current limit so your DUT doesn't get fried when you screw something up (6A/3A is a lot for say an ESD protection diode or a bond wire)? Are they short-circuit proof? If it is uses resettable fuses (eg. Polyfuses), keep in mind that they get worse (slower) after being tripped.