Test Equipment and Other Equipment
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Contents
Test Equipment
Logic Analyzer
- Keith has made a list of "PC USB logic analyzers that cost under $1000."[1]
XYZs of Logic Analyzers from Tektronix
Multi Meter
if digital then a Digital Multi Meter or DMM
- Digital Multimeter Shootout!
- EVERYONE Needs a Multi-Meter
- Multimeters How to use 'em
- Using a Digital Mulitimeter to Make Simple and Accurate Resistance Measurements
- How to use a digital multimeter
Oscilloscope
Semiconductor Analyzer and Curve tracers
Signal Generators
Stepper Motor Tester
Beginner's List
This is what you should get in approximate order. The type of electronics may vary this list a bit, here we are assuming you are starting with Microcontrollers.
- Arduino, perhaps a beginners kit, if not components similiar to a beginners kit. LadyAda has one, as does Sparkfun.
- Power Supply: you can start with a 9 v battery, when you need more current a wall transformer ( left over from some device you or a friend has thrown
out should be fine. For fancier regulated power you can just add some simple circuits using 3 terminal regulators ( or these may be built into your project.
- Some resistors 100 ohm, 200 ohm ( for led's ) 1K and 10K (for pull up/down) is a good first start. Should be 5 cents a peice at most. 2 cents is not too hard to find, even for 1% resistors.
- A cheap multimeter is not as good as an expensive one, but for 4 bucks ( harbor frieght ) you can be up and running.
- Wire is nice, sometimes phone wir or network wire can be had for free and will supply a large amount of wire.
- Some simple hand tools: needle nose pliers, wire strippers, and diagonal cutters. All for under 10 bucks at harbor freight ( and other places )
- Soldering iron. This is one place where cheap does not do well, you really need thermostatic control, and plated replaceable tips. Rough guess is that $50 is about as low as you can go.
- Signal generator ( sine square and triangle ) is nice, but a 555 timer square wave generator may be all you need and you can build it yourself.
- Oscilloscope really really useful. Can be very expensive, but you may be able to find a used analog 50 mhz scope on ebay for around $50.
Once you have most of the above you will probably know enough to know what comes next.
See Also
- The Open Bench project is developing a set of open source benchtop tools for the electronics workbench -- adjustable DC power supply; LCR meter; waveform generator; frequency counter; logic analyzer; oscilloscope.
