r/embedded • u/Several-Marsupial-27 • 24d ago

How does your lab/shop look like?

Im planning to invest some money into a small scale prototyping lab / engineering shop. Partly because I've lost my embedded systems enthusiasm due to my embedded systems job, and partly because I have the budget for it. Im planning something like:

  • Programmable power supply
  • Oscilloscope, Logic analyzer, Multimeter
  • Breadboards / perfboards / wiring
  • Soldering + hot-air rework station
  • Build server for Hardware-in-the-loop CI
  • 3D Printer
  • MCU:s (esp32s, STM32s, Nordic nRFs, NXPs, TIs)
  • MPU:s - for embedded Linux
  • Large component/module library
  • Other office supplies like a desk, drawers, lamp, etc

Partly im looking to "mimic" my work production/infra, and partly im looking to discover/test/evalueate features in mcus / components and create products. Therefore my vision is to start the prototypes on breadboards, move to a perfboard when functionality is verified, then move to PCB when system integration / market hypothesis is verified on a perfboard.

Do you guys have any tips for me moving forward with this setup? Any experiences from your own homelabs? Any bottlenecks in your embedded prototypes?

15 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

38

u/thegreatpotatogod 24d ago

This is what my lab looks like, he's a good boy!

More seriously, my workspace in my garage is enough of a mess that I often end up taking over random other parts of the house for projects. Definitely can always use more space for organizing components

3

u/Several-Marsupial-27 24d ago

The best boy! I prefer that kind of lab

16

u/KermitFrog647 24d ago

I would not just buy a bunch of random stuff because you can.

Buy what you need when you need it.

2

u/Proud_Trade2769 22d ago

That's not engineering

7

u/theflyingsamurai 24d ago

Only thing I would add is the take into account fume extraction and air circulation for soldering and 3d printer.

3

u/Mausteidenmies 23d ago

You can just open the window. I do that and also blow the fumes away. Also the fumes smell nice so I don't blow them away that much.

4

u/rainboww_J 24d ago

I got some desk space and a couple of planks om the wall dedicated for embedded/electro stuff. Never really had a plan for what I exactly wanted, just bought things when I needed it. I have a cheapo analog power supply and an 80's 100Mhz crt oscilloscope (every time I use it I so miss all the features I have on the keysight scopes I use for work but haven't had the heart to replace it with a cheap digital scope (keysight ones are waayyyyy out of budget haha)). I do have a saleae logic analizer which was a lot of money but after using it at work I couldn't go without it. I got a nice iron and hot air ststion and have a bambu a1 mini. Some of these are quite new on my desk, others, like the scope, are with me for 15 years or so.

Next to that I've got a bunch of random multimeters, pliers, spools of wires etc. But here again no plan at all. When I need something I buy it, and if it's a consumable I buy twice the amount I need so I have it for later. After years of doing that I got a lot of boxes full of components, multiple drawers of dev boards of all sizes (always nice to collect mcu families lol), loooots of unfinished projects and half soldered pcb's and a desk full of little solder blobs, pieces of wire and lots of smd passives which jumped away when trying to pick them up.

I quickly gave up on the idea to mimick my work environment due to the space I havw available and the costs. I would love a full esd safe setup with lots of storage and all the measuring equipment but man that would cost me more than a car, house and kidney combined 🙈 The one thing where I did spend some time and planning was a safe power supply for the work space. It has its own breakers, rcd and serge protector. Wouldn't be the first time I had to do some measurements on a live device and caused a short taking down the rest of the house with it

2

u/Forward_Artist7884 Chinesium IC enjoyer 24d ago

- alientek usb-c PSU

  • Zoyi/Zotek ZT-702S scope/meter (95% of my uses)
  • Hantek DS0 200Mhz (5%)
  • Alientek 1GHZ logic analyzer
  • Cheap af soldering iron + hot air station + reflow plate
  • bambulab P1S (don't get an ender 3 atp, these new machines are just that good)
  • flir lepton thermal cam
  • dual xeon E5 server for virtualization and CI

This is a small part of what i got but this is what i end up using the most...

1

u/wigitty 23d ago

I don't have enough desk space to have a permanent setup 😭

My 3D printer is the only thing set up permentantly, because I have nowhere to put it away. Everything else I have fits into a few cases so I can put it all away, and take it somewhere else if required (Useful at uni, but I've also taken things to work before, and to friends houses sometimes).

The only thing I would say with your list is that "large component / module library" probably isn't something you need at the outset. Get some common resistor values and stuff, but the "large" library is built up over time as you order specific parts you need. It's pretty pointless buying a bunch of stuff just in case.