Hardware Lab Home Setup

When you first tell your friends that you’ve designed and built an electronics product at home it sounds a bit odd, but not so much after you show them a professional lab in your little apartment balcony!

 

 

 

Capabilities

Power and Signal Generation

• Digital Power Supply: TENMA 72-10495, 30V 5A
• Signal Generator: Rigol DG1022, 25MHz 2ch

Measurement

• Oscilloscope: Rigol DS1054Z, 50MHz 4ch (extended to 100MHz)
• Logic Analyzer: Saleae 8CH 24MHz
• Multimeter: UNI-T UT71D, True RMS 100kHz, 10µV, 1nA, 1pF
• IR Thermometer: UNI-T UT302D, -32 to 1050°C

Soldering

• Soldering Station: Hakko FX-888D, 250-500°C 60W
• Hot Air Station: Atten 858D, 100-500°C 800W
• Reflow Oven: Self Made Smart Controller, 60-240°C 1200W
• Fume ventilation: Bench fan
• Fume extraction: Overhead kitchen hood with external exhaust

PCB Prototyping

• Printing: Lexmark MX310DN, 600dpi, 2 print masks per layer
• Boards: Presensitized Copper 2 layer FR4
• Curing Lamp: UV LED 30W, 3 to 5 min exposure
• Developer: Sodium Metasilicate
• Etchant: Sodium Persulfate
• Trace Width and Spacing: 6 mil (0.15mm)

Miscellaneous

• Passive components (through-hole / SMD 0603), Analog and Digital IC
• Passive tools, Breadboarding kits, Cables, Adapters, Connectors
• Modules: Bluetooth HC-06, Ultrasound HC-SR04, IMU mpu6050, Magneto HMC5883L, GPS, LCD n1100 / n5110, OLED ssd1306
• Development Boards: STM32F4, STM32F3, Arduino Micro, RF cc2530, BLE nRF51822
• Recycled Electronics: GSM modules, Video TX systems, Mechanical and Optical assemblies, Smartphones, etc.
• Medals on Display: Mathematics and Physics

 

While I’ve had several tools, devices and electronics at home to play with for more than 10 years, it was only last year that I setup a proper lab to do R&D work for IoT devices.

There are still several things which are lacking, like a proper drilling machine, LCR meter, VNA, but they aren’t very much needed at the moment so I’ll see how to prioritize my purchases.

You can also notice some RC models, like a self built flying wing and quadcopter, a commercial boat, and some control accessories like radio transmitter and FPV video helmet. I also have another self built plane and another commercial plane but I keep them in my bedroom since there’s not enough space.