Dream lab setup - help/ideas?

[neverendingstudent]

Low voltage tech/contractor here.  Been in the field for a while but only recently decided to set up a home lab bench - I've gotten use out of it so far repairing 'for parts' stuff off eBay and other stuff I had on my repair to-do list, and it has got me thinking of the lab as a long-term project.

I have one idea of what I would like to do with it, which is to have all my major equipment (Scope, DMM, Power Supply, Microscope) all connect to a computer and be controllable through said computer.  I love the idea of having a computer with multiple screens showing the microscope camera take while being able to set my power supply output and work my scope and DMM controls at a single point.

Now, maybe this is more 'just because I want it' and not really necessary, but it seems like it would be a fun project.

What I am looking for at the moment would be suggestions / ideas for what equipment would work towards this, and also what will play nice communicating with (and preferably have software for) a Linux desktop environment.

Ideas?

[BillyO]

It seems like you have a good start on a list as it is.  Do you want recommendations and actual make and model of various equipment or just a list of useful devices?

If you just want a list of equipment I think we'd need to know a bit more about what kind the tech you are working on (computers, audio, radio, etc...)

If you wan recommendations on specific makes and models, then we'd probably need a budget too to really help.

If you get mid to high end hobbyist equipment from good manufacturers (Siglent, Rigol, etc..) you will have no trouble connecting them to a computer and using LAN or USB to control them with industry standard commands.

[neverendingstudent]

Hm.  I'll start with something I should have added: what I'm currently working with.  Also preferred budget.

Currently I'm using a Fluke 199C Scopemeter as both my scope and my 'bench' meter (I have other meters, but those are field units that live in my toolbag: Fluke 289 and 377).  Instek GPD-3303S power supply.  No microscope yet, just an el-cheapo armature light/magnifying lens.

"Do you want recommendations and actual make and model of various equipment or just a list of useful devices?": I'll take both please?  With a weighted desire for specific make/model recommendations.

What I work on: Misc consumer electronics repair (for personal hobby / getting stuff cheap), commercial low voltage stuff (access control mostly - for work), battery pack repair (Milwaukee M18s - that's the tool ecosystem I use), repair of cheaply acquired 'for parts' stuff on eBay that will contribute to the lab (currently fixing a BK Precision 1786B programmable power supply).  Interested in getting into/learning Raspberry Pi in the future since I see them integrated in so many things.

Budget: looking to spend under $1K ea for the scope and microscope (a trinocular or basically any microscope solution that gives me video output, preferably HDMI with a nice camera instead of USB with a crappy camera), under $500 ea for the DMM and power supply.  Minimum 5.5 digit DMM, don't think I'll ever need more than 6.5 digit (and above that is absolutely out of range for what I'd want to spend anyway).

But with all of it, I want to keep an eye to having everything be compatible with a single software solution (if that is possible) to integrate all the data logging, realtime viewing, and control functions onto a computer.  I would want to avoid, say, Scope A (that only works with software A) and DMM B (that absolutely won't work with software A).

[nctnico]

Likely the software solution alone will cost you $1k. Free software that comes with an instrument is typically pretty crappy and not universal at all. I'd start from what kind of software environment you want to use and go from there.

[neverendingstudent]

Ooh, ouch.  I didn't think of that part.

Any open source solution for lab equipment management that you know of?  I'm also googling this now.

[tautech]

Ooh, ouch.  I didn't think of that part.

Any open source solution for lab equipment management that you know of?  I'm also googling this now.

Yes, this:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/program-that-can-log-from-many-multimeters/

Don't let the name of the thread fool you as there are many instruments supported.

[nctnico]

Ooh, ouch.  I didn't think of that part.

Any open source solution for lab equipment management that you know of?  I'm also googling this now.

There are some. Even on this forum. Look for the thread 'program that can log many multimeters' and there is another one that allows easy (Lua) scripting to read from test equipment. https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/open-source-lxi-tools-and-liblxi-v1-0-released-for-gnulinux/

[neverendingstudent]

Ooh, ouch.  I didn't think of that part.

Any open source solution for lab equipment management that you know of?  I'm also googling this now.

Yes, this:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/program-that-can-log-from-many-multimeters/

Don't let the name of the thread fool you as there are many instruments supported.

Hahaha!  I knew I came to the right place for this.  Awesome.  Thank you.

[BillyO]

For the DMM I'd suggest the Siglent SDM3055.  I got one a few weeks back and I am pleased as punch with it.  It has basically paid for itself already in diagnosing problems with two old 360K floppy disk drives and a IBM 5150 motherboard.  I'm sure there are other meters in the same price range that would work as well, but I just like Siglent stuff and their support has been terrific so far.