Bench layout suggestions

[nanofrog]

Years ago I used KVM switches and a single monitor. That was back in the days when I'd also have paper databooks open on the bench. These days, more and larger screens have replaced paper documentation.

As I sit here, I have four monitors surrounding me... two 32in units on the main workstation, plus the laptop and its external 27in screen. All of the standalone monitors are wall mounted to free up the work surfaces below them. (The 27in is over the bench and has three power supplies and a function generator below it.) When I'm working on the bench all four typically have things displayed - IDE in debug mode on one 32in, docs (pinouts, schematics, etc.) on the other 32in, I/O support (Ethernet sniffers, CAN monitors, USB debugging, etc.) on the 27in, and often some sort of data capture going on the laptop's internal screen. Sometimes if I'm working on dual-firmware environments (example: developing hardware that connects to a smartphone), I'll have an IDE running on both PC's so I can monitor/step through the code on either end of the connection simultaneously, watching how each interacts with the other.

A KVM environment would be a serious step backward, at least in this environment. More and bigger screens is the present and the future! 

The reason I was thinking software KVM, is it would allow you to display both computers simultaneously on a single monitor (data of unit B is delivered via Ethernet). Works great with a widescreen monitor; say 29" - 32" range. Not terribly expensive either if you've the monitor for it (or are in need of an additional monitor).

You've clearly got enough screens, but I'm not quite certain of what you're trying to do.

• For example, do you really just need to have a single keyboard that can access multiple systems?
• Or do you truly need to display information from 2 systems on a single monitor?

 

For disclosure, I've a 32" LG that has this capability (Split Screen software). Currently it's only connected to a single system, but I do see the benefit of additional units.  Currently I've 4 non-functional units that I may get lucky enough to cobble a working system together (IIRC, they needed motherboard repairs).

[IDEngineer]

• For example, do you really just need to have a single keyboard that can access multiple systems?
• Or do you truly need to display information from 2 systems on a single monitor?

I don't need nor want to change anything with respect to my display setup. This thread was started to discuss how to arrange things in a new lab, the screen thing is just a subthread. It's just too useful to have two fully functional PC systems available 100% of the time without having to switch the monitor-to-PC relationship, the keyboard/mouse-to-PC connection, etc.

Have you seen stage musicians playing two synthesizers, one with each hand, on two keyboards at a 90 degree angle? That's how I work sometimes, with the chair centered between them....

[neo]

Thats how i use my two laptops at times as well, albeit not for anything near as complex as what you've described. Smartphones and the like are beyond my technical knowledge to work on at this point.

[GreyWoolfe]

Mine uses the same construction as this:

I had one of those sitting in my garage that i got for free.  My intent was to use it for a soldering station but I could never figure out how to make it fit with all the other stuff in my office.  It was in the garage for the better part of a year.  We were cleaning out the garage (finally) after we got back home from evacuating for Irma and I put it on the curb.  It was gone in 10 minutes.  As for the hose, I had the heating element burn out on the ZD-985, so I simply got a complete replacement gun.  It was the hose on the replacement gun that I cut.  I took the original hose and replaced it.  Next trip to the local surplus store, I will take a piece of it to get some more in case of more stupidity.  I got the Tek 2465 off of the desk and on the cart with the GW-Instek scope so the 2 soldering stations are back on the desk and the ZD-985 and the 858D are now on the top shelf of the rolling unit I built , so the hose no longer hits the floor   

I do have a teacher's desk that has company equipment on it.  The equipment is being phased out as part of a refresh to be done before the end of the year and will go away.  I will have to buy a new LED shop light fixture for it, though.  That is for pondering and ruminating.