What Is Your Favorite Roadtested Product of 2019?

Any tool test Is always intriguing as I always like to upgrade or further my test and repair bench. This is because I like to fix anything more so than come up with and create a project. Don’t get me wrong, I have ideas and even built some great things in my time, but as a stay at home dad that does free repairs on electronics to keep them out of the landfill and give a big black eye to the companies that like to sell new products instead of fixing and keeping used things.
Also in general everyone hear has an interest in in tools, without them we would program boards with rocks and mains AC.

Poll closed for end of year reports:

Randall

There were so many great roadtests performed this year, but my favorite was the DAQ970A Data Acquisition System.

These polls are interesting. You bring up a list that's very different than my pick. This is a good time to visit those reviews.

I really like road tests that include real applications and unique uses for the product.

Here are some of the road tests that stood out for me....

The Particle Mesh Wi-Fi Bundle included Grove sensors to implement an application:

Particle Mesh Wi-Fi Bundle + Grove Sensor Kit - Review

Particle Mesh Wi-Fi Bundle + Grove Sensor Kit - Review

The Raspberry Pi 4 of course has lots of possibilites:

RoadTest the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (2GB) - Review

RoadTest the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (2GB) - Review

RoadTest the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (2GB) - Review

The Klimate Board for micro:bit also had some applications:

Klimate Board for the BBC micro:bit - Review

The Tenma Handheld Power Supply had some interesting applications:

Tenma Handheld DC Power Supply - Review

The Matrix Voice Dev Board also had some interesting applications:

Matrix VOICE Dev Board - Review

Not one for being pedantic but technically the "3 Series MDO Mixed Domain Oscilloscope" has yet to be road tested and I note the road test submissions are only due in Jan 2020...

I selected 'other', to choose the Siretta SNYPER-LTE Graphyte Cellular Signal Strength Data Logger, and to blow my own horn, so to speak.

I was awarded the review by the RoadTest selection committee for this product. I not only got a great piece of test equipment but I also got the chance to do a deeper dive into the equipment by working with the vendor. Working with the product developers, opening up a the superuser world of the device and doing field tests after new code loads enhanced my experience of this RoadTest.

The Element14 Community didn't get to experience any of the behind the scenes stuff. They experienced continuous delays in the RoadTest being completed. I believe the RoadTest provided some substantial benefits to the vendor. Being retired provided a flexible schedule at this end of the pond, since the vendor is in Europe. I was available when they wanted to work. On a few sessions I just gave them unfettered access to my computer over the Internet to do a deep dive into their device.

It was a great experience for me and for that reason it is my favourite RoadTest.

I voted for the Infineon gate driver, the scope was out because no reviews or blogs are posted yet.

The gate driver is interesting  - it's one of only two on the list that I'l buy or design into a customer's product.

(The other was the Pi4, but although it's nice it is just another Pi )

I voted for the parts, not the reviews.

MK

There were a large number of road tests this year (thanks Randall) and many great road test blogs. It is tough to pick just one, but one other road test I found interesting was the Matrix Voice Dev Board.

The Pi4 RoadTest got my vote because it allowed me to do some AI experiments I was interested in at a time I could not obtain one otherwise.  But thanks to all the manufacturers and e14 for the RoadTests this past year.