John Larkin wrote:
On Wed, 05 Mar 2008 04:56:54 GMT, "West" wrote:


I'm not sure if this post is OK for this NG but are there any good plans and
ideas for an electronics workbench? Perhaps someone built one that they're
proud of. Thanks in advance.

west



This is the mini-lab in the corner of my office. Each of our engineers
have one like this, and we have one big lab where we put together
systems or do things that won't fit into the offices. All this is from
Ikea; the workbench is one of their "computer workstations" and is
very sturdy. Their stuff is really good.

The cabinet to the left is full of plastic bins of parts, like one for
caps, one for resistors, one for diodes, etc. Within each bin, parts
are stored in labeled kraft-paper coin envelopes, with any interesting
things noted, and the Digikey label or whatever taped to the back or
stuffed inside. Some bookshelves and drawers nearby hold other test
equipment not being used at the moment, connectors and adapters and
such, and cables hanging on those Pomona wire loom things.

The Metcal iron and the Mantis viewer are expensive, but worth it if
you work with fine-pitch stuff. The in-reach whiteboard is wonderful;
I draw a schematic and breadboard simultaneously, keeping them
synchronized. I can take pictures of the breadboard, the schematic,
and scope traces in stages, all along the way, to have a record of
what affects what.

This is pretty efficient. Electronics is messy, so if I had a bigger
bench I'd just make more mess.

John





Nice and clean workspace! I noted the wondeful lighted magnifier. The
miniaturazation of traditional components has to be the most stark
difference when comes to realing a circuit or system. Glad we dont need
HV for electrons generation in tubes, but now simple resistors have
become sub mm nightmares and semiconductors and ever tightening lead
pitches. .

Marc