Products > Test Equipment
Longest desktop instruments (in a home lab)?
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nctnico:
IMHO 80cm is a good depth for a bench. I second the suggestion to leave a slot (say 5cm) so you can run cables at the back of the bench instead of the front or on the bench. On my bench I have mains outlets and slotted cable trunking underneath the desk to keep cables from the floor.
DaJMasta:
I use about 45cm deep shelving behind my bench, and yes there's an electronic load and some RF gear that overhangs a bit, but you leave some space behind for cabling (ideally, space to walk, it's tight work back there), and you set the middle shelf height to about the same or just over the height of your workbench, that way you can use a shorter workbench and just have shelves with the gear behind it.  I think a 4' (1.2m) deep bench or so would be preferable still, but I was able to get one tall shelving unit and make two half height shelves with two tiers each, so I can get a good bit of equipment behind my more standard depth bench.
Smokey:
I used 18in (457mm) depth shelves for my bench.  That works great for the stuff I have and my setup.

The deepest thing I have is an HP6625A at 20.4" (518mm).  It overhangs a little in the back, but my racks are attached to the bench, not the wall so it's all fine.
https://www.keysight.com/us/en/assets/7018-03377/data-sheets-archived/5991-0033.pdf

The shortest thing is the scope at 122mm, which actually sucks a bit since I want that central on the bench and it makes it hard (impossible) to stack anything on top of it.  I built a little bridge shelve that sits over the scope so I can put the normal depth function gen and counter over it.
artag:
An HP16500C is 500mm deep. I think there are a few other instruments of that size and they're post 2000, not antique imho. Any later models that take the expansion cards from the back will be just as deep, but I think some take them from the side, which helps.

Even a keithley 2000 is 360mm so I would have some shelves at least 400. I have several shelves that are 500 deep and I butt some right up to the desk so things can overlap shelf to desk if needed.

My present scope is only 150mm but has a pointy top so nothing can stack on top of it. But it sits on top of a 350mm deep 19" wide power supply. This only works if the scope is LCD.


Update :

A friend's HP11848A is here, though it isn't in my bench stack. That's 600mm deep and needs to be racked up with a load of other instruments.

Of course, most of these can be rack mounted, sometimes in pairs /quads (quarter or half-width). But they're sold ready to be put on a bench, with feet etc. You can't really discount all the instruments that are wide enough that they have conveniently been provided with the option of fitting rack ears.

 
TheDefpom:
If you have the room, allow for instruments that are 80cm deep PLUS a working area in front of them, especially if you might be picking up older used equipment.

My bench is 85cm front to wall (has a 5cm gap at the back to allow for cables/plugs), so although it sounds a lot, it is too small.

If you can have a bench at least 120cm deep, you will appreciate the working space, if you don't need that much depth you can always pull instruments closer on the surface, I really wish my bench was about 120cm deep.

As for shelving, I found 40cm is bit too shallow, it is OK for most things but 50cm would be better, for instance I have a modern Siglent SDL1030X DC electronic load that takes up my entire 40cm shelf and is pushed up against the wall, and I also have a R&S CMU200 that overhangs my 40cm shelf, its front feet dont even touch it, that needs a 50cm shelf.
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