Most people who know me, know that I am a “Tools over Toys” kind of guy. That is, I would prefer to have a new useful piece of test equipment over some new tech toy. You may have heard the quote, “The right tool for the job”. In any profession things go smoother when you have the right tools to do what you’re trying to do.
History
When I first got into electronics and computers I spent all my money on what I will call, “toys”. Some new IC or computer peripheral would come out and I had to have it. This resulted in no budget for “tools”, especially test equipment. Then when something needed to be repaired I had to resort to very primitive methods to troubleshoot, borrow the tool or in some cases build my own test tools.
Over the years my philosophy has changed. It is more important to me these days to have decent tools and test equipment before I think about buying parts or things I don’t need, no matter how good of a deal it is. My packrat status has evolved into a need for useful tools to help me realize not only my project goals, but to troubleshoot, debug and even hack.
An Efficient Workstation
It used to be that the majority of my tools were home-brew. Over the years I have learned which commercial tools I prefer to use and have acquired most of what I need to do the kind of work I do these days. I work as an Engineering Tech for Parallax Inc and I spend most of my day at my workstation (Figure 1), so it is important for me to have everything I use the most available to me at my bench and not have to go looking for it or worse, not have it.
Looking at my workstation you can see some of the tools I tend to keep handy on or near my bench. Some are in the rolling drawer cabinet to the left of the bench (partially obscured). In my normal duties for Parallax I provide technical support to customers having issues getting our products working. Sometimes this involves determining if the customer has the appropriate test equipment to do things like obtain voltage measurements on various pins, check for communication, etc. I also design some of the sensors and other products Parallax sells. For this task I need the right tools as well. Often tools the average customer would not typically be using, but that other developers may be using.
I am often asked by customers as well as visitors to my website, “What tools do you use? What do you recommend?”. So I’d like to start by exploring the tools I feel are important on any bench if you work with electronics and / or microcontrollers as an experimenter, hobbyist, technician or engineer. Let’s start with test tools first.
Digital Multimeter
The most basic test tool you should have is a digital multimeter. I can’t overstate how important a DMM is and how many times an issue was related to something simple like low voltage, current issues, a broken trace / wire or something else that could be easily detected with a DMM. A basic unit can help you easily obtain voltage and resistance, and can be gotten for $10.00 from many retail sources. Of course if you prefer quality, features and safety, you’ll want a decent unit. Especially if you use it as often as I do, which is almost every day. I prefer Fluke digital multimeters as do most of my colleagues and peers. Fluke multimeters are high quality, dependable tools that offer high accuracy and robust features.
Figure 2 shows my favorite Fluke DMM models and the ones I use for personal and work projects. Both models offer quality and features not available in cheap multimeters and a level of reliability and consistency that makes the choice easy for me. In addition to measuring AC/DC voltage / current, resistance, continuity, capacitance and temperature, they also have a diode checker, analog bar display and a host of other features. See the Fluke website for more information. I also reviewed the 287 on my website.
Logic Analyzers
A logic analyzer is a must with the type of work I do. A logic analyzer can capture digital signals allowing you to easily detect missing signals or improper timing. I use the logic analyzer for timing and communication issues. Most logic analyzers have protocol decoders which allow you to see the communication on various types of busses such as SPI, I2C, Asynchronous Serial and more. If you work with these signals and have a need to see what is being sent on various busses, then a logic analyzer is truly valuable.
My logic analyzer of choice is the Saleae Logic (Figure 3). I have been using the 16-channel and 8-channel models for several years. The Logic 16 since it was released, and both models have been reviewed on my website as well. Parallax currently carries the 8-channel unit. Saleae is also in the process of releasing some newer logic analyzers which also support analog, though at the time this article was submitted I did not yet have access to the new hardware for review. Please check my website for a future review of the 4 new models coming out.
Note: Unlike most of my other test equipment, the Saleae Logic requires a PC and is a USB device.
Oscilloscopes
A good oscilloscope is an important part of much of what I do and has always been the hardest tool for me to acquire when I first got started. Scopes were expensive in the 80s and 90s and I just didn’t have the funds to purchase one, forcing me to use scopes I could get access to at school or college. These old Tektronix analog scopes were how I got started. The first scope I ever owned was a Heathkit scope that was partially assembled and that I picked up in the late 90s. Later I was able to acquire a more modern Tektronix 2-channel digital oscilloscope. When I started working at Parallax most of the scopes were Tektronix digital units, some with storage capability and other features.
An oscilloscope can help you see things that a DMM and a logic analyzer cannot. A DMM is typically too slow to show rapid changes in voltages or currents and therefore cannot see noise, dips or spikes. A logic analyzer shows only logic ones and zeros, so voltages that are outside of the logic threshold are often invisible to the logic analyzer. A scope can see a signal in real time, showing a graphical representation of the signal on the screen. The scope is looking at a relatively narrow period of time and expanding that to be more visible so you can see the details of the signal, such as rise / fall time, level, noise and other properties.
The scope also has the ability to trigger on the signal or some external event, and modern scopes have even more capabilities that let you see and troubleshoot many types of signals, as well as store and analyze data. One such scope is the MDO3000 series from Tektronix (Figure 4). See the Tektronix website for details on this robust scope.
The MDO3000 series is actually six instruments in one tool, providing an Oscilloscope, Spectrum Analyzer, Logic Analyzer, Arbitrary Waveform / Function Generator, Protocol Analyzer and Digital Voltmeter. So as you can see, having this tool on your bench can replace several pieces of equipment. This tool is ideal in a manufacturing or production environment, as well as for anyone who designs products that require the tools included in this scope. Savage///Circuits will be reviewing this scope on our website, as well as using this scope in our upcoming episodes of Savage///Circuits TV and Short Circuits.
I realize that the average experimenter or hobbyist cannot necessarily afford a full-featured scope like this, however Tektronix has options for you as well.
A decent entry level scope from Tektronix is the TBS1022 (Figure 5) which provides 2 channels and a lot of features at a very nice price. I would recommend this as a starter scope if you’re looking. I have found Tektronix instruments to be solid, reliable and accurate. I may write up a review of the TBS1022 in the future.
In the mean time, if you feel you fall somewhere in between these two scopes, I have also owned and used the TDS2024B and the MSO2024, which are both solid scopes and have a great price-point for the features. You can read my review of the MSO2024 on the Savage///Circuits website.
Another oscilloscope I have not yet used but wanted to mention is the WaveSurfer 3000 from Teledyne LeCroy. The thing that caught my attention about this scope series was the interface. I’m a geek and I tend to like scopes that have a lot of knobs and buttons, especially if they’re well placed and functional. However some people find instruments with a lot of controls to be intimidating and even confusing, and for those people Teledyne LeCroy offers an advanced interface called MAUI. Designed for touch, all the important oscilloscope controls are accessed through an intuitive touch screen. Look for a future review of this scope on the Savage///Circuits website.
Other Test Tools
Many of you probably won’t recognize the tools in Figure 8. This is a Micronta Logic Probe and Pulser set. Every once in awhile I find myself working with discrete CMOS and / or TTL logic and it is then I break these tools out.
These tools aren’t very popular anymore and I don’t use them very often, but I wanted to mention them because they’re useful for what they were designed for, and the fact that someone like me can still find an opportunity to make use of them is pretty cool. Before I bought this set from Radio Shack back in 1990, I built a set from scratch.
You probably wouldn’t think of a power supply as a test tool, but it actually is. Figure 9a shows my main bench supply which is an Agilent E3644A, and my backup which is a BK Precision 1697 (Figure 9b). Sometimes you need to produce a specific / known fixed voltage, and you can count on a good digital power supply to do that where your linear regulator, wall-wart or battery pack just won’t. These supplies can also be set to limit the current available on the output which can assist in troubleshooting a circuit, especially when testing for short circuits.
Now you’ll notice I mentioned digital power supplies? I’ve used a few analog bench supplies and I have seen many issues with these, such as the potentiometer for voltage or current adjustment getting dirty and throwing the settings off, and the panel meter on the front not showing accurate voltage / current on the output. That’s not to say this doesn’t happen with digital units. The BK Precision unit isn’t the most accurate supply I have ever had and does some flaky stuff of its own. But it has been relegated to being a “back-up“.
Soldering is a core task in my profession and hobby, and so for me a good soldering station is a must. I have a HAKKO 936 Soldering Station that I am very happy with. I used one at work years ago and later purchased a set of two from eBay with tip cleaners and extra sponges. I also have extra solder-suckers for desoldering. I currently do not have a desoldering station or a hot air pencil for SMD work, but do wish I did. At this time these are fast becoming necessary for the work I do and are slated for future acquisition.
Bench Tools and Holders
Besides test tools, any good bench needs hand tools and other support tools to design, build and repair. One tool I used to use all the time for various things was a little set of helping hands I got from Radio Shack many years ago. It was clunky, loose and tipped over frequently, but it was what I had. Then, I found PanaVise.
The PanaVise Model 201 (Figure 11), also known as the PV Jr. is so popular that once I found out about it, I introduced it to Parallax and we used them in soldering kits for expos and other events. This little guy is solid and has many options for mounting. In fact, I learned early on that PanaVise products aren’t very expensive and they have a large selection of vises and PCB holders, not to mention camera mounts and other accessories.
The PanaVise Model 324 Electronics Work Center (Figure 12) is my choice for larger PCB work and has the solder holder, and soldering iron holder, though I don’t actually attach those accessories and just hang the solder spool off the main rail. I actually have several PanaVise tools and even one of their camera holders. You can see my reviews of their tools on the Savage///Circuits website. You should also visit their website for more information.
Speaking of holders, I also have Pomona and E-Z-HOOK Test Lead Holders (Figure 13) hanging up to store my Scope Probes, Power Supply Leads and USB Cables when I am not using them. These are a very useful system of management because when the leads were left connected and on the bench, they would get tangled and just made a mess. This was even worse when I stored them in a drawer and would pull them out all tangled into each other. So while these aren’t bench tools they do benefit your bench by helping keep it clean when you’re not using your leads / cables.
Did you ever layout a PCB and find that the holes in the pads were too small for the leads of a part? How about the mounting holes, or even the dimensions? Well before getting myself a set of digital calipers I used to have to guess on measurements for PCB layout. Digital calipers take all the guesswork out and you can get a cheap set of these (Figure 14) on eBay or via places like Fry’s Electronics or MCM Electronics. I have not found a name-brand set I like yet.
Electrical tape does not make good protection for spliced and soldered wires, especially when you’re soldering to component leads. You really need to use heat shrink tubing to get a professional, clean finish. Often heat guns are expensive but you can get one on a budget. Figure 15 above was purchased at Fry’s Electronics for about $15.00, leaving me enough to stock up on various sizes of heat shrink tubing.
A glue gun (Figure 16) is one of those tools that I am always glad to have when I need to affix an LED or some other component in place in the absence of a hardware mounting option. Often times a little hot glue is all it takes to secure some components in a project box or on a PCB. These can be purchased very inexpensively and you can even get them at your local hobby shop, or the hobby section of your favorite department store.
Figure 17 shows my two hand-tool draws in the cabinet next to my bench. The top drawer (Figure 17a) shows screwdrivers mostly while the second drawer (Figure 17b) is mostly diagonal cutters and pliers of various configurations. If it seems like a lot of redundant tools it is because I have a set a diagonal cutters for cutting tie straps and thicker wires and connectors. Another set is just for trimming leads while another is for clipping the leads from PCB components. I also have three sets of needle-nose pliers I use for different purposes. I even have two sets of wire strippers. One set is fixed at 22 gauge wire while the other is adjustable. I find having different sets for different jobs more efficient and the wear is spread out over multiple tools. Anything I think will be replaced a lot is a brand that is guaranteed for life, such as Craftsman.
The last tool on my bench that I wanted to mention is my magnifying lamp (Figure 18). When working on small parts, especially SMD parts, this lamp comes in very handy. I picked it up from MCM Electronics for under $50.00 and it is very solid. I supplement this lamp with several 10X loupes I keep handy and got for $1.50 each.
Power Tools
I didn’t mention power tools because I keep my power tools in my garage, and I have a separate bench out there where I cut and drill to keep the dust outside the house when possible. The two most important power tools I have are my DeWalt Cordless Drill and my Dremel. Both tools are essential to my work and both are used at least weekly for some tasks. The cordless drill has both drill bits and taps which allow me to thread holes into metal for screws. My Dremel tool is often used to cut holes, screws or deburr and polish panels. Always wear proper eye protection when using power tools and even when soldering or trimming leads! Never underestimate the damage a flying component lead or molten solder could do to your eyes.
Final Thoughts
Did anyone notice the blue mat that covers my entire bench? If you don’t have one or didn’t know what it was, it is an anti-static mat and is grounded at the corner of the bench. This provides static protection when I am working on the bench, especially since the weather here is always dry and everything is carpeted. If you don’t have one of these you could use an anti-static wrist strap. But don’t underestimate the importance of static precautions when working with electronic components and devices.
As often as I am asked what tools I use, I hope this article not only answers these questions, but also offers some insight into my motivation for using some of the tools and brands I use. I think of myself as pretty particular about my tools. Since I make my living using them, I do not loan them out, however I have been known to pass on tools I no longer use, but that are useful. If you are the recipient of such a tool then you know how I feel when I acquire one from someone else as well. If you’d like to discuss test tools, how to build your own test equipment or just want to discuss projects and technology, feel free to comment below. Also if you haven’t already, be sure to check out the product websites listed in the resources sidebar. Thanks to everyone who has provided equipment and / or photos. Special thanks to Leah at Fluke, Amy at Tektronix and Tom at PanaVise.
Resources
Saleae Logic Analyzer – Review
Discuss this article on Savage///Chats
This project was published in the November 2014 issue of Nuts and Volts Magazine
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