Wish List Preferences

Good choices - I left off a spectrum analyzer only because the scope has some ability to do FFT.

Douglas, I think that PCB production main bottleneck is just time, it's true. Not only because the PCB outsourcing introduce a variable and inverse proportional to costs time delay but also because as we (we? maybe, you sure ) makes research it is not rare that while a small sample of PCB comes back from production in the meantime I discover a better way to do it, a simplification or a small addition... This equals tossing money out of the window. Then there is another aspect I consider; the low PCB price (we can set it symbolically to 5$) is a chimera. The minimum number of PCB that has sense to make outside is 5 that means anyway 15-25$ a batch. So if you sum an entire production year of tests and prototypes maybe that price is widely justified. Remain the advantage of time that also strongly contributes to a cost breakdown of a project.

Enrico

fvan Very nice machine at a decent price. I want one too (although that link didn't work for me)

Which laser cutter do you like for value?

balearicdynamics I think you get a lot for the money. I was delivering a speech on wearable electronics at a symposium last week where I saw this machine in action. I was impressed that it could heat-cure the conductive ink into a durable finish. Essentially the machine looked like a perfect tool for my type of prototyping. Even with all of that, I am still struggling to justify purchasing one. The cost of off-shore PCBs is just so low, this machine will not really save money. The only benefit is time - it would be faster to make prototypes - which can be very important. Anyway, that is why it is on my wish list and not already on order.

Hi,

As a developer i would say, yeah, measurement equipment would be the most important for the electronics laboratory.

1) Tektronix MSO2024B - the point, analog also digital measurement (logic analyzer) would be very important for an all around working place.

Last we have had seen the Keysight DSO1102G in RoadTest. Now, if this Tektronix comes out for testing, we can compare with the Keysight.

2) Tektronix AFG2021 - Function generator; without this equipment there is no possible testing e.g. amplifiers.

3) Metcal MX5251 - one of the best soldering and rework station ever i worked with; i worked with an older type of this soldering station.

Metcal is a brand OK International.

Hand Soldering Systems - Metcal

If I can test one of this in the RoadTest, it would be a honor for me.

Best Regards,

Gerald

I chosen the Voltera by intuition... Then read the details of this hardware and I saw pricing. Ok, it's apaprently very high but if the tool do what is documented (and it really seems able to) price is not so high, really. I will put in the wish list for my next sponsored project; do you think that on a prototyping budget of 20K Euros the 3K investment for this device it is the worth ? Impact remains anyway high, 15% of the total budget ...

Enrico

Rachael,

what is the magnifying factor you need? I am curious to know what are you planning to use for; small soldering of chip dissection ?

Enrico

At the moment I just have a reasonable magnifier. A binocular microscope would be better but trinocular so I can also use a camera do really close up inspection on a board seems like the best overall solution I think. I keep looking at an Amscope one, I saw a few reviews and Luis Rossman did a review on his YouTube channel saying they are great. Only available on Amazon in the UK though and quite expensive for the decent ones.

A spectrum analyser is very high on my wish list but a good 3D printer would help immensely when it comes to the mechanical side of building projects so that's right up there too.

I like the trinocular idea, especially since I have a binocular microscope already.