Products > Test Equipment
I am building brand new, 5K$ lab for a small startup, Judge my choices
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nctnico:

--- Quote from: PlainName on November 21, 2023, 09:49:26 am ---Similarly, I've bought recommended expensive kit and regretted it because something is the way someone else likes stuff, not me, and it sits unused.

--- End quote ---
Top tip:
When buying something expensive: 1) do research to understand pros/cons 2) create a test plan 3) get the device on loan for a thourough evaluation (or make sure you can return it).

Over the years I have send quite a few pieces of equipment back because it didn't meet expectations. There is nothing wrong with that.

But I agree with your bottom line though; in the end it is only yourself who can decide which piece of equipment fits best.
ebastler:

--- Quote from: Martin72 on November 20, 2023, 11:07:58 pm ---What I imagine a "laboratory" to be:

- Oscilloscope
- Spectrum analyzer
- Signal generator
- Multimeter, several
- Supplies, several
- Loads, multiple
- Soldering station
- Rework station
- Reflow oven
- Microscope
- Thermal camera
- Current clamp, one stand-alone, one for the oscilloscope
- Tools in general, tweezers, pliers, circuit board holder, etc
- Test leads
- Work lights

If you can manage all that for 5000, respect.

--- End quote ---

For the type of projects outlined in the original post, I think the spectrum analyser and electronic loads are not required, and probably the current clamps as well. (Get one of those USB power meters instead, FNIRSI FNB58 or similar.)

I agree with nctnico that a reflow oven is also not a necessity. But a rework station (at least a hot air soldering iron) certainly is, and a minimal version was included in the OP's shopping list.

For a microscope, personally I prefer an optical stereo microscope by a large margin. If you don't expect to sit in front of it all day but only for occasional checks and repairs, the slightly uncomfortable sitting position when looking through the eyepieces is not a concern; and the stereoscopic view helps a lot! Get one with a large free working distance, to be able to solder and manipulate components comfortably.

As others have said, get a wired soldering iron for the bench. If you really find yourself doing "mobile soldering" a lot, you can add a battery-powered iron later.

I don't concur with the "get an A brand, anything else is unprofessional" attitude. But I would strongly suggest to get properly safety-certified equipment in this context, to meet workplace health & safety and liability requirements. The YIHUA rework station might not make the cut here.

Overall, I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with the $5000 target. Electronics work is a sideline of the planned business; and if you want to start growing the business incrementally, rather than selling your soul to an investor or a bank right away, you need to be thrifty.
nctnico:

--- Quote from: ebastler on November 21, 2023, 10:14:47 am ---For a microscope, personally I prefer an optical stereo microscope by a large margin. If you don't expect to sit in front of it all day but only for occasional checks and repairs, the slightly uncomfortable sitting position when looking through the eyepieces is not a concern; and the stereoscopic view helps a lot!

--- End quote ---
A good quality magnifying lamp can also do wonders. These take a minimal amount of desk space, can be looked through with both eyes so you have depth perception and serve as a desk lamp as well. I have one from Daylight with a 5 diopter lense and this is good for soldering 0402. For closer inspection I have a seperate magnifier. The advantage is that this allows to look at a board at many angles to check solder joints. A joint may look good from the top, but looking at it sideways may reveal things are not OK. Even looking under BGAs to get a glance of how well these are soldered is possible.

In the past I have used a Mantis as well and I liked it (with 4x or 6x lenses) but I don't have the space for it. Using a stereo microscope doesn't appeal to me though. And microscopes typically have too much magnification for soldering work so you'd need to get extra lenses that reduce magnification and increase the distance between lense and board.
dobsonr741:
If I would co-founded a startup and I’m the chief hardware EE, I would not buy all the gear I can think of blindly without the actual need these day. Everything is just a click away, I would only by a DMM and a scope (Rigol, Siglent or a Tek), a reputable and reliable soldering iron and nothing else. If anything extra is needed you can always have it within days, meeting or exceeding what you need. And not from Ali, as this is an investment, assuming value kept and returned when used. With Ali you have no warranty, no specification to count on and can fail at any time. All that nicely devalues your investment. Still can be appropriate, but do not count on them, it’s a one time disposable asset. Also priced by Ali/CN manufacturers that way.
Construct:

--- Quote from: dobsonr741 on November 21, 2023, 11:41:06 am ---If I would co-founded a startup and I’m the chief hardware EE, I would not buy all the gear I can think of blindly without the actual need these day. Everything is just a click away, I would only by a DMM and a scope (Rigol, Siglent or a Tek), a reputable and reliable soldering iron and nothing else. If anything extra is needed you can always have it within days, meeting or exceeding what you need. And not from Ali, as this is an investment, assuming value kept and returned when used. With Ali you have no warranty, no specification to count on and can fail at any time. All that nicely devalues your investment. Still can be appropriate, but do not count on them, it’s a one time disposable asset. Also priced by Ali/CN manufacturers that way.

--- End quote ---

Having done the shoestring budget startup thing before, I fully agree about buying things as needed.

Budgeting is good to calibrate your expenditures now, but it's generally a mistake to rush out and buy a lot of gear you think you might need in the future.

AliExpress can actually be fine for certain pieces of gear if (and only if) others have already vetted the supplier and product. Don't go the AliExpress route for mission critical gear, though.



Keep your priorities in mind. A 5.5 digit benchtop multimeter is very convenient, but you can't justify it as one of your first expenses because you might use it with a future climate chamber. If you need it for the future climate chamber, buy it with the future climate chamber.

For the rest of the gear, it's really hard to say without knowing what you're building. Is the NanoVNA something that you think might come in handy in the future, or does your work require a lot of RF measurements? If you're doing RF work, I'd start cutting budget on other things (5.5 digit DMM, Sensepeek setup) to prioritize everything you're going to need for that. Cables, adapters, and other gear add up quickly. If you're not doing RF work, I'd skip the NanoVNA entirely and wait until you have a specific need, then buy the specific tool that will solve it.

Don't spend all of your budget up front. You will encounter unexpected tool needs as you go along.
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