MN Electronics

We have seven electronics benches, numbered 1–5 and 7–8 in the accompanying floor plan. Benches 1–4 are each equipped with a small set of standard items including various hand tools (wire cutters, strippers, needlenose pliers, ...), a multimeter, a soldering station, and an antistatic mat. We haven't yet decided on the standard equipment for benches 5, 7 and 8, but you can bring equipment and supplies to any bench as needed from the storage areas described below. Please put items back where they belong before leaving.

On table 11, we have oscilloscopes (and probes) and function generators. On table 10, we have a microscope, our multimeters (excluding the ones assigned to benches 1–4), and various other test equipment.

Cabinet 9 holds a variety of tools and supplies, including extra soldering and unsoldering gear, miscellaneous hand tools, electrical tape, heat guns and shrink tubing, etc.

Shelf rack 12 houses a supply of components that have been donated. You are free to use the donated components. However, if you're doing a big project using a lot of something, then you should buy your own supply - and maybe add some to the donation shelf? We have spools of wire on the window ledge behind bench 8 and in boxes between bench 8 and the component shelves (12).

Bring equipment and supplies from the storage areas above to your work area as you need, and please return them (or the unused remainder in the case of components) to where you found them when you are done.

There are three unpowered work tables in the middle of the room. Bench 6 currently has no accessible electrical outlet and also functions as an unpowered work table. Please leave work tables completely clear and clean when not in active use.

In the hallway just outside the main (west) door of the Electronics Lab are an area for donated equipment and the cable-swap rack. If you want to donate something to the Electronics Lab, please leave it here. Our Electronics Lab Stewards team will decide if we need to add the donation to the Electronics Lab or not.

Read on for more details about all the above.

Also just outside the main (west) door are a fire extinguisher (FE on the floor plan) and a badge reader (BR). We'd like to get an idea how many members are using the Electronics Lab, so please badge in when you enter. (There's no need to badge out.)

Shop Steward

Myles Barman is our lead in the Electronics area. He oversees the layout of the lab, the home location of tools, and decides whether donations will be added to the lab or not.

Note that we are rigorous about throwing away things that are left in the E-Lab. If you want to leave a project overnight be sure to have an orange card on your project, signed by a MOD. Things left in the E-Lab without an orange card are considered donations and may be discarded or taken apart to be used by someone else.

Members are free to make use of the various parts and miscellany left in the E-Lab.

Oscilloscopes

We have four oscilloscopes. The oscilloscopes and oscilloscope probes are stored on table 11.

• Multicomp PRO MP720107 300 MHz 2.5 GSa/s Oscilloscope

• Siglent SDS1202X-E 200 MHz 1 GSa/s Digital Storage Oscilloscope

• Tektronix TDS 320 Oscilloscope

• Tektronix TDS 380 Oscilloscope

Function Generators

Function generators are stored on table 11.

• Multicomp PRO MP750510 35 MHz 500MSa/s Arb Waveform Generator

• BK PRECISION 3010 Function Generator

Multimeters

• Etekcity MSR-R500 Digital Multimeters (x4)

Each of benches EL1–EL4 is equipped with one of the above Etekcity multimeters and a pair of pointy-ended leads. We have an assortment additional multimeters and a variety of test leads (such as ones with alligator clips or mini-hooks) on table 10.

• Fluke 8000A Digital Bench Multimeter
• Adafruit DT-9205B Digital Multimeter
• Cen-Tech 98025 Digital Multimeter (x2)
• Cen-Tech 90899 Digital Multimeter
• DT-830B Digital Multimeter (brand?)
• GB Instruments GMT-18A Analog Multimeter
• Mastech MAS830L Digital Multimeter
• MIC-3010 (brand?)
• RadioShack 22-820 Auto-Range Digital Multimeter

Microscope and accessories

The Olympus microscope and accessories are kept on table 10.

• Olympus SZ-PT Stereo Microscope
  • Panasonic WV-CL830/G Color CCTV Camera
  • Olympus LG-PS2 Fiber Optic Light Source

Soldering

Our soldering equipment is a mix of brands and models. Soldering equipment not assigned to specific benches belongs in the storage cabinet (9) when not in use. Be sure to let irons cool to a safe temperature before putting them away.

• Weller WES51 soldering station

• Velleman VTSS5 soldering station

• Hakko FX888D-29BY soldering station

We likewise have a variety of fume extractors:

• Weller WSA350 Solder Fume Extractor

• Antidious FA-400 Smoke Absorber

• OK Industries SA-9-E-115 ESD-Safe Smoke & Fume Absorber

A couple soldering safety notes (not an exhaustive list):

• Be sure soldering irons are turned off and unplugged before you leave. For example, don't create a situation where someone else might turn on power for a bench to run some other piece of gear and unwittingly start an iron heating up.

• We ask that you always use a fume extractor when soldering, regardless of whether you are using lead-free or lead-containing solder, as fumes from the flux can also have health impacts.

• Want to know how flux works?

Lead Free or Lead Containing solder? An interesting article.

Heat Guns

We have several heat guns. When not in use, they belong in cabinet 9. Give them time to cool before storing them.

• Wagner HT3500 Heat Gun
• Steinel HG 2310 LCD Programmable IntelliTemp Heat Gun
• Master Appliance Corp. HG-301A Heat Gun

There's likely to be a supply of donated shrink tubing in Cabinet 9. However, we don't aim to keep particular sizes and colors in stock.

Power Supplies

• TENMA 72-2690 Digital-Control30V 5A DC Power Supply (x4)

We currently have one of the TENMA power supplies on the shelf above each of benches 1–4. If you need to use one at a different bench, please put it back when you're done. We store the remaining bench power supplies on table 10.

• Caswell SPC-9250 1-15V 1-25A Switching Mode Power Supply

• Kenwood PD56 10D Regulated Power Supply

There's a box of "wall wart" power converters on the shelf over bench 6.

Miscellaneous test equipment

These items are stored on table 10 (or on the window ledge behind tale 10).

• Pico Technology TA167 AC/DC Current Probe (clamp ammeter) (x2)
• Jack Test 2 UTP/COAX Tester
• BSR Model SA-3X Real Time Spectrum Analyzer

This is for audio frequencies, not RF.

• GB Instruments Circuit Tracker Transmitter GET-1200

Miscellaneous other electrical/electronic devices

• iMAX B6AC V2 AC/DC Dual Power Professional Balance Charger/Discharger
• Ryobi CD100 12V Drill Driver
• Texas Instruments TI-36X Solar Calculator

Miscellaneous Hand Tools, etc.

We keep extra wire cutters and strippers, pliers, crimpers, etc. in cabinet 9.

Community Components

We have a supply of donated components for members' use in shelf unit 12. They're mostly sorted into labeled boxes by category. Items within a box may be further sorted into small bags. Categories include:

• Transistors, ICs, etc.
• Resistors, LEDs, Diodes (all kinds)
• Connector parts
• Connectors
• Standoffs, Screws
• Cables (various)
• Motors, Servos, Switches, Relays, Battery clips
• Capacitors

The area isn't perfectly orderly, but it could be a lot worse. Even if you can't (or don't have time to) increase the level of order, please try not to increase the level of chaos.

Donations Area

Donations to the Electronics Lab should NOT be placed in the lab. All donations should be placed on the bench immediately outside of the ELab door; the one with the sign "Electronics Donations".

The ELab stewards will periodically review the things left in the donations area. They will either incorporate the material/equipment into the ELab, donate to other parts of the makerspace, or flag it for disposal.

We appreciate donations but we hope the donors recognize that not all donations are useful. They might be redundant, we might lack space, or they might be low usage items that we just can't support in the ELab at this time.

Cable Swap Rack

The cable swap rack outside of the ELab is for any member to use. If you need a cable and find one there, please take it.

OTOH, if you have relevant, useful cables to donate, please bag them up and place them on the rack. If you really don't have time to bag them up, you can leave them in the open tray and a volunteer will either bag them up or throw them away.

Please DO NOT leave boxes or bags of miscellaneous cables on the floor; they will be thrown away.

Buying Components

Suppliers with Local Pickup

• Jameco is off HW101 in Belmont. They have an extensive inventory. You can order on-line and then pickup at their will-call office 30 minutes later.

• Anchor Electronics in Santa Clara off San Tomas Expressway.

Online Suppliers

• Adafruit
• Sparkfun
• Mouser

PCBs

• JLC PCB 2 weeks. Cheap per board, but shipping is $20. One person got 30 boards for $35, with 4 week turn around.

• OSH Park does 2 week turn around. $30 for three boards. Can pay to get them faster.

• Well written review of several PCB vendors in the US and abroad with comparison of the end product.

Wish List

Have some ideas of bench equipment that might be good to have? Hand tools that need refreshing? Big, small, cheap, expensive, what do we need? Join the conversation: MN Electronics Wish List

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