• ElectronicsLab

Electronics Lab

This page has some ideas on setting up your own electronics lab, either for the home or in an educational setting. The emphasis is on low-cost tools and components and build rather than buy.

Components

• Electronix Express has a good assortment of component starter kits: #N32 CAP KIT (capacitors), #N32 STS (potentiometer kit), #N13 RK2501 (resistor kit), #N32DIODEDGRAB (diodes).

• Electronix Express has an assortment of 100 LED's (part #32LEDGRAB) for $6.

Power Supplies

You can either buy a self-contained commercial power supply product, with current limiting, digital readout, etc. for a few hundred dollars, or roll your own starting with a surplus power supply core yanked from a product. The latter will be much cheaper, but you will have to add connectors, a front panel, etc.

Commercial Products

• Electronix Express sells the Instek GPC 3030 (part #N01GPC3030D) for $389: dual adjustable 0-30V@3A, fixed 5V@3A. Other Instek models are available at this site.

• Electronix Express also sells the ultra-budget N01GPC3030D, a triple-output supply with no meters or fancy stuff, but it's only $65.

• Electronix Express also sells the N01PS6100, a programmable (RS232) triple-output supply for $389.

• Electronix Express also sells the N01PS1310, a low-cost ($160), low-power triple-output supply.

• Finally, Electronix Express sells the surprisingly cheap ($157) N01PHSY3002-3, a triple-output supply very similar to the Tektronix PS280, which sells for about 5 times as much.

Surplus Supplies

• Here's an example of the price difference between self-contained commercial supplies and a surplus supply: the All Electronics #PS-511, a 220W switching supply (from a PC) for $10. Watch out, though: these types of switching supplies usually require MINIMUM current loads, often more than 1A.

• All Electronics is a good source of cheap, open-frame switching supplies (don't forget about minimum current loads on switching supplies).

• Marlin P. Jones also has a good selection of cheap switching supplies.

Oscilloscopes

• Bitscope

• PCS100

• DSO-2102S

Logic Analyzers

• DigiView

• Link Instruments

Probes & Leads

• Probemaster oscilloscope probes, test equipment leads, etc.

Wire

• Electronix Express sells 22AWG solid hookup wire in a variety of colors for less than $1 for 25ft. Part numbers are 270022BK, 270022RD, 270022GR, etc.

Tools

• The Molex 63811-1000 universal crimp tool is a good choice for home use (part WM9999-ND at Digi-Key) and at $40 is a lot less than production-quality, ratcheting crimp tools. It will work for terminals and contacts ranging from fairly large to small-ish (i.e., 22-24AWG wires) but not smaller. You'll need something else for 2mm contacts, for example.

• Found a cool toy you just have to take apart but it is held together with some kind of "tamper-proof" security bit? No problem! Order part #431-1013-ND from Digi-Key which is a 36-bit set of security bits (from Wiha).

Miscellaneous

• Digi-Key sells a small tube of thin (0.020") silver-bearing solder for $0.67 (part #KE1802-ND). This works nicely for hand-soldering SMT components.

• Electronix Express sells some useful soldering supplies: #N060722 (flux pen), #N060830 (solder aid kit)

• Digi-Key also has a flux pen, part #KE1804-ND (no-clean) or #KE1803-ND (RMA).

• Electronix Express has a field service kit (part #N030CSK1) for about $15, much less than others. It has an anti-static mat, wrist strap, and ground clip. Not as high-quality as a 3M anti-static mat but much cheaper.