Re:The End of Arduino 101: Intel Leaves Maker Market
by dbcurtis on Wednesday July 26, 2017 @01:35AM
(#14853862)
This is a great starter list, and I agree with most. A multimeter with an audible continuity checker is an absolute must. It gets used more than any other tool. For bonus point, get a multimeter that can take a thermocouple probe. Not a necessity, but very nice when you need it.
I disagree about home made pcbs. Its just too much fuss and mess, and there are a lot of places that can give you cheap 4 or 5 day boards in small Quantities. AP Circuits usually is a good deal for my hobby stuff, but I always price out others, too.
One word for PCB beginners: DO NOT obsess over making every board perfect. It wont be. For one-off hobby quantites an x-acto knife and some wire will fix most basic mistakes in a few minutes. PCB design is like golf, low scores are better, holes in one are rare. Too often beginners fear fabbing a board because they think it is cast in stone. Mistakes just arent that costly at low volume.
Re:The End of Arduino 101: Intel Leaves Maker Market
by pjmlp on Wednesday July 26, 2017 @03:09AM
(#14854176)
> I find that you can do a lot with two hands. You figure out all sorts of clever way to hold your work, wires and the soldering iron ;)
Including holding the soldering iron from the wrong side, as it happened to me once.
- I'd get a used good scope. Personal preference would be a digital Tektronix. A logic analyzer can probably wait.
- A digital multimeter. My preference is Fluke. You'll want a buzzing continuity tester in whatever you get.
- You might want to invest/experiment in some method for home manufacturing of PCBs. Breadboards are a pain ;) We used to do wire-wrap back in the day, probably no one does that any more :)
- I find that you can do a lot with two hands. You figure out all sorts of clever way to hold your work, wires and the soldering iron ;)
- Heat shrink tubing.
- Crimping tool(s) and various connectors that are convenient for what you're working on. It's a bit of an investment but you want to connect stuff easily and reliably.
- One of those magnifiers on an arm with a light built in...