Test equipment

> A Logic Analyzer is really useful for certain tasks, but for my money, a
> basic o'scope is a required piece of equipment. My thoughts on order of
> electronic tool purchase based on how often I use them are:
>
> A simple set of good quality hand tools
>
> A good soldering iron
>
> Good desoldering tools.
>
> Digital Volt/Ohm meter
>
> O'Scope
>
> Logic Analyzer
>
> I believe strongly in buying good tools and taking care of them. They will
> last a long time and not be a pain to use.
>
> Soldering iron. Doesn't have to be an electonic temp controlled one, just
> not a $3.95 piece of crap that overheats and burns the tinning off the tip
> in minutes. Coated tips are a good sign. A decent iron in the 10-20 Watt
> range with a sponge to clean the tip on should be in the $20-$30US range.
>
> Desoldering tools. Can be as simple as solder wick. The blue or maybe
> silver "Soldapullt" solder suckers are an excellent investment.
>
> Digital Volt/Ohm meter. Personal preference goes a long way here, there
> are many decent meters on the market from about $30US up to several
> hundred dollars. Myself, I hate autoranging meters because I am always
> waiting for them to find the right range before they tell you what you
> wanted to know. Many people seem to like them.
>
> O'scope. Analog scopes work well for most of what I want a scope for. Once
> in a while a digital scope would be nice - they show certain types of
> problems very well, but I still don't have one yet. Scopes are rated by
> their maximum frequency. Analog scopes will actually show higher
> frequencies than their rated top end but the amplitude accuracy suffers.
> If you are looking to see if a fast CPU bus bit is wiggling, an analog
> scope will show you. Digital scopes will lie to you if you exceed their
> sample frequency/2. They require some care in general use to be sure you
> really are seeing what is there. A new analog, 20MHz dual trace Asian
> scope can probably be had for about $400US. An old Tektronix 465 100Mhz
> dual trace analog scope can probably be had in the $150US range. The Tek
> 465 is a really fine scope within it's capabilities. The Tek 2465 scopes
> are really nice but as you say in the $500 - 800 range.
>
> Logic analyzers. There are many choices depending on how fast, how deep
> and how many channels you want. Some problems require a logic analyzer,
> but not that many home type project ones do in my experience.
>
> I am sure other people will add stuff I have forgotten or disagree with
> some comments. Some of the choices depend on exactly what you are doing at
> home.
>
> Good Luck,
> Bob