Laboratory equipment usage

[romhunter]

So, I will just assume everyone who watch this topic has at least ONE test gear at home, or in the lab, or the shed, or anywhere they please. Some of us (well, most) tend to have the habit of buying test gear and stack them in our own lab. So here's the question:
1. Why do you all need to have that much equipment?
2. If you can please list them out. What do you use them for?

Let me go first. I currently have 2 oscilloscope, 2 wave gen, 1 current shunt box (fluke A90), 1 spectrum analyzer, 1 frequency counter and 4 bench DMM.

+ Oscilloscope: I usually learn electronics or analyze some strange circuit by viewing the waveform. The digital one is the crap DSO from china and only prove to be helpful when I am working with microcontroller.
+ Waveform generator: one is use to generate sine wave to test circuit and the other one is capable of 50MHz so I'm often use it as a clock source.
+ Current shunt: not much use, I rarely use it. It is nice and more accurate than the crap (handheld) DMM I'm using
+ Spectrum analyzer: not much to say either, I'm still green in RF field
+ Bench DMM: very handy when I need precision measurement since those are 6 1/2 digit. I usually measure sleep current and sometime my own VLSI chip's current

I found out that I don't really need to use my test gear very often. The only reason I'm buying so much is because I like them .

Edit: I forgot to list A TON of equipment which I have never used even once. Like the GPO110-1 110V DC PSU, or the Flash counter (what is it used for again?)
And do you all make your own equipment? What might it be? I'm trying to make a voltage reference, a millivolt meter, a DC load and a few other strange stuff (500V lab bench PSU, nixie tube VOM, milliohm meter, etc...)

[PartialDischarge]

You need to refer to the TEA thread ASAP!

Even if the time frame you use an equipment is short I will buy equipment that will allow me to take specific and useful measurements for my projects.
Also i will buy if:

- It is dirt cheap and broken and you can get useful items out of it
- It is dirt cheap and works and I can resell it
- It could be useful in the future
- you want to post the purchase here
- you have a buying spree
....

[Bassman59]

So, I will just assume everyone who watch this topic has at least ONE test gear at home, or in the lab, or the shed, or anywhere they please. Some of us (well, most) tend to have the habit of buying test gear and stack them in our own lab. So here's the question:
1. Why do you all need to have that much equipment?

Whaddaya mean, "need?" We have it because we want it!

2. If you can please list them out. What do you use them for?

a) Tek TDS2024 oscilloscope. Because you have to have a 'scope.
b) Fluke 179 meter. Because you have to have a meter.
c) HP54510A 250 MHz/1 Gs/s digitizing 'scope. Got it when it was excessed by a previous employer. It's in the day-job office (more room).
d) HP1661E logic analyzer. Same excess sale. I used to use it often, but now that most things are FPGAs, it gets little use. It's in the day-job office.
e) HP16500 logic analyzer system, fully loaded, with 1 Gs/s dual 'scope cards and 500 MHz logic analysis cards. Got it at the local electronics surplus place for $100. It came with a shitload of probe cables and the grabby-guy clips. The pile of clips is worth more than the analyzer. It all works well, but the thing is really loud. It sounds like a jet taking off when it's turned out. So it lives in the shed.
f) Lab Nation SmartScope. Got it on a Kickstarter. Now that their software works, it's a decently-usable little two-channel scope and 16-bit logic analyzer and pattern generator. It gets the most use decoding SPI and I2C bus transactions.
g) HP5315A universal counter. Got this at the same surplus place as the 16500, I think it was $100. Handy for measuring the frequency of digital audio clocks. This is something you can do easily with an FPGA, but this has a nice case, connectors, power supply and display!
h) Metcal SP200 soldering system. Because you have to solder things.
i) Xilinx, SiLabs, Segger and Atmel JTAG pods. it would be nice if I didn't need to have all of these variations on a theme.

[dmills]

Amen on the jtag probe thing, very annoying.

Lets see now:

Scopes : 465B and a modern Keysight, because sometimes only analog will do.
Logic analyser : HP 16500 LA, seldom used these days.
Power supplies : 2 HP system power supplies, good for 20V @ 5A, only interesting thing is they are two quadrant. Also a Delta Electronica 50V @ 30A variable job for RF amplifier testing.
Network analyser : Old HP with separate S parameter set and cal kit, APC-7 rocks but the test port extensions are **Expensive**.
Multimeters : Avo model 8 and a few Fluke, because "In fluke we trust".
RF Power meter : Marconi with 50 and 75 ohm heads.
Spectrum Analyser : Two and a half weirdly, there is an old Anritsu CRT jobbie brought because it had a TG and the seller did not realise it), fecking heavy. The more modern instrument is a Cobham/Marconi/Aeroflex job, quite nice, but windows based. The half is an Anritsu 8801 brought for nearly no money at a rally, the Anritsu seldom gets used (slightly soft CRT, must recap that thing, but the power supply looks painful to work on).
Signal generators: Mix of HP and old Marconi kit.
Counter : Old Marconi kit, also mod meter from the same stable.

Far too many attenuators, inter series adaptors, measurement bridges and other such toys.

My first love is RF which is the expensive end of this hobby!

73 Dan.

   

[Edison]

I described the list of devices in the topic of our home lab and why we have them .... evening I sit down, turn on all of them and they are beautifully colored lights .....   

[MadTux]

2. If you can please list them out.

Are you serious? You want a like a 3 page list of equipment?

Why all this equipment:
-Fun fixing it (in most cases) and saving it from the dumpster, also fun to look inside and see/understand on how it was made and how it works
-Having the right piece of gear for a given task when I need it.
-Sometimes selling it for profit

[Neomys Sapiens]

Far too many attenuators, inter series adaptors, measurement bridges and other such toys.

This sentence is severely wrong! There is no such thing as 'too many adaptors'!

[xrunner]

So, I will just assume everyone who watch this topic has at least ONE test gear at home, or in the lab, or the shed, or anywhere they please.

Reasonable assumption.

Some of us (well, most) tend to have the habit of buying test gear and stack them in our own lab.

I never knew ...

So here's the question:
1. Why do you all need to have that much equipment?

It's a weakness I have. I just deal with it by buying more test equipment

2. If you can please list them out. What do you use them for?

Well I don't want to go and make a whole list, but I use them for ham radio repair mostly.

I found out that I don't really need to use my test gear very often. The only reason I'm buying so much is because I like them .

You don't have to rationalize the reasons - it's all good. Go to the link in my signature below. 

[james_s]

Of the equipment I actually "need", I use my multimeter and soldering equipment the most, followed by my scope. Most of the other equipment I have because it was useful for some specific application, somebody gave it to me, or I just thought it would be cool to play with.

[neo]

Well this is going to be a long one. Grab the  , folks!

Multimeters.
8400A, used to measure low ohms and VAC mostly
8300A, used to measure low VDC and thats about it. These two are often coupled together for VDC and ripple measurements.
5346A, to make sure the above two are right as well as the main workforce of my DMM section. + i got a .1 ohm resistor so it also can measure current.
8050A, for when i just need another multimeter!
177, current measurements as well as my quick use meter.
8010A, a spare.
7050, NIXIE TUBES!!!! Besides that the thing is AMAZING at what it's good at.
8034, Another spare
209A, You always need a VTVM, don't you? Of course you do, so why not two identical ones?
Lafayette, No model number hand held analog meter, piece of junk if you want accurate ohms but VDC is spot on and continuity test is AMAZING.

Frequency generators,
8020H, So i have 2.
3312A, So i have 2, also goes to 13 MHz which the above doesn't and is just a joy to use for low frequency.
608C, Well at first it was free, then it was an annoying project and it still ain't done but it gives me a 500 MHz sinewave. I then use that to check my counters and scopes.
415A, it is a very very old (1942) frequency generator. I keep it because it is beautiful but it's use is surpassed by the 608C which has double the output frequency and better voltage.

Counters,
1801, interesting project and red leds.
FC-200, the one i use the most, mainly because it's the only one that works.
5340A, a real tough project but oh so amusing.... most of the time

'Scopes;
7704A, 200MHz daily driver. Very nice scope with 7A18, 7A26, 7B85, & 7B80. It's even got all the knobs!
V-1065A, Spare or what i drag out if i need another 2 channels, which hasn't happened yet.
2465B, interesting, educational and expensive project (I'm stuck in the 70s and replacing this things aging ram is digital! Send help!)
0-12 with switch for dual channel operation, why do the birds sing?

PSUs
TW-4005, Daily driver and does everything i need. Most of the time.
PS-26K, 6-12V @ 25A, need i say more?
Numerous homebrew, so many i'm, tripping over the old ones in the garage.

In order,
Fluke, Fluke, HP, Keithley, Fluke, Fairchild, Instek, Hickok, Lafayette, Instek, HP, HP, Simpson, B&K, Bel-Merit, HP, Tektronix, Hitachi, Tektronix, Heathkit, Power Designs, Pyramid, me, and the soldering is Metcal.

I use the frequency to check the counters, and the counters to check the frequency and i use both of them to check the scopes which also check the other two.

[Harb]

Because I can..............Over

[Hypernova]

Scope: Agilent MSO-X3024A
Meter: Agilent 34461A + Sanwa PS8a pocket solar powered meter
LA: Saleea clone, Open bench logic sniffer
Thermal camera: FLIR E4+
USB microscope
PSU: GW Instek 4ch, currently display on one half is dead so using company one.
HAKKO-936 clone
20MHz differential probe
Programmer: ICD3, AVR

The only gear I allow others to borrow is the FLIR and USB microscope

[PartialDischarge]

Computers: Xeon workstation, laptop, 2*NUC,

Sold your MBP?

I SWEAR I AM NOT GETTING INTO RF OR METROLOGY

Smart, RF needs and endless supply of accesories and metrology its all about endless discussions

[HKJ]

I have always had a electronic lab, but at one time I started doing reviews of stuff and I like reviews based on measurement and not only on opinions.
This means my lab has slowly been evolved into a testing lab and most of the equipment get used a lot (Some of it has been used more than 10000 hours, there are devices that has been used more than 50000 hours).
The equipment is DMM (6½digit+), electronic loads, power supplies, mains power measuring device, oscilloscope, SMU and ARB generator and I have more than one of everything. Everything is linked to computers where I can control the measurements and logging of data.
I believe the most I have done is 8 test at a time, usual it not more than 4-6 test at a time. A test can take from a few minutes to weeks and I basically always have a couple of multi-day test running.

[tggzzz]

I SWEAR I AM NOT GETTING INTO RF OR METROLOGY

Time will tell. (So will voltage).

[dmills]

And he already has an SA and some probes! Doomed I say.

Regards, Dan.

[BravoV]

Far too many attenuators, inter series adaptors, measurement bridges and other such toys.

Just acquired a spectrum analyzer recently, and I can feel this curse is coming upon me ...   

[romhunter]

Should I learn about RF and getting RF gear? I only have a SA and a few accessories (50 ohm terminator, crap chinese coax cable). It seems painful for a lot of people