USB complexity got you down? Need a hand with enumeration? Reverse engineering a USB device? You will fall in love with the Beagle 12 USB Analyzer. This hardware analyzer is completely non-intrusive, and is much better than flaky software analyzers. Perfect for when a problem is bad enough it crashes the USB host, or for real time data capture analysis. We used the big-sister version (the Beagle 480) for our famous Open Kinect reverse-engineering bounty! It worked so well we decided to carry these in the shop.
This particular model is good for Low-Speed & Full-Speed USB debugging. If you’re debugging something that runs at High Speed (such as video or other high speed data transport devices), check out the Beagle 480.
Using electrolysis on this leatherman skeletool brought it back from the dead. The tool was lost two years ago while wendy was planting trees. It slipped out of her overalls and we were unable to locate it. While planting trees this week the tool was found in unusable condition. I put it into a bath with a chunk of metal and connected it to a irobot roomba 22V battery charger. Within two days the tool was working again.
Dave got fed up not knowing if his Hakko FX-888 iron was left on or not. So hacked the LED to toggle RED/GREEN, so it’s always on.
Genuine Hakko FX-888 (936 upgrade) [FX-888]! Known by engineers for making excellent quality tools & soldering irons! This is a genuine Hakko FX-888. We worked hard to get the best and a great price, these are not knock-offs. This iron is an upgrade to the venerable Hakko 936 – smaller footprint but more powerful for a faster heat up time.
The Hakkos have quality construction, this iron is the last one you’ll need for decades. Heats up in 30 seconds, with a calibrated temperature control knob gives precision heat to minimize cold solder joints. Once you know you’re on the path of electronics, this is the iron you’ll want beside you on your desk.
We got the medium tip on this iron, the most popular size, great for through-hole and some SMT. You can purchase replacement Hakko tips anywhere (we’ll carry some soon)
65 Watts
200-480 degrees C (392°F – 896°F) with +-1 degree C stability
Simply connect the red wire to a positive power supply from 4.5 to 28VDC, and brown to the common ground to power the display. Finally, connect the orange wire to whatever you want to measure the voltage of. The display has a microcontroller that will read the voltage, compare it to a stable reference and display the voltage with 0.1V precision on a 3-digit 7-segment display. it can read from 0V to 99.9VDC so it will be good for any electronic project! The meter draws 3-4mA to power the microcontroller and display. This particular LED display is a nice vivid green, which we found very readable. Mounting tabs make this module easy to attach to any box or plate.
NEW PRODUCT – USB Microscope – 2.0 Megapixel / 200x magnification / 8 LEDs. As electronics get smaller and smaller, you’ll need a hand examining PCBs and this little USB microscope is the perfect tool. Its smaller and lighter than a large optical microscope but packs quite a bit of power in its little body. There’s a 2.0 megapixel sensor inside and an optical magnifier that can adjust from 20x (for basic PCB inspection) to 200x (for detailed inspection). Eight white LEDs are angled right onto whatever you’re examining so you get enough lighting to see, and are smoothly adjustable via a dial on the side.
If you plug this into any computer, it just shows up as a standard USB camera (we used this for our weekly Ask an Engineer show) and the Windows/Mac software lets you take snapshots using the button on the side of the microscope or direct from the software (so you don’t move the camera).
We tried a bunch of different USB microscopes and found this one to be the best combination of optical clarity, usability, and price. It’s perfect for electronics hacking, rework, SMT (de)soldering, inspection, and soon you’ll find yourself pulling it out to look and photograph all sort of cool small stuff around your lab and home.
A big part my New Year’s Resolution to improve my overall design process was better testing. Better testing is an important part of better and more intentional design, but it means having tools that you can trust and that can consistently give you the results you need.
While I’ve built up a decent little collection of toys over the years, I spent quite a bit of time late 2011 figuring out what I wanted to add or replace on my workbench in 2012 to be able to improve projects I’m working on. At the top of the list was a faster mixed-signal oscilloscope, followed by a more reliable bench-top multi-meter, and a decent function generator rounding the big ticket items out.
After spending quite a bit of time selecting a scope that matched my budget and requirements, and looking (importantly!) at the ecosystem around that scope, I settled on Agilent’s new MSOX2000/3000 series — specifically, the Adafruit Christmas Elves picked out an MSOX2024a (the screenshot above was taken on this scope). These scopes (in my opinion) are an excellent value for a mid-range scope, and really raise the bar for the competition in the $2-5K range. I’d like to write a few blog posts on the reason behind that choice and the thinking behind the whole list of items above, but as a first foray into that I thought I’d try to explain some of the details you should keep in mind if you’re thinking about a scope yourself (probably the most useful tool on any EEs workbench after a multimeter).
The most obvious factor when choosing an oscilliscope is bandwidth. 50MHz is better than 20MHz, and 100MHz is definitely better than 50MHz, etc., but what does that number really mean, and how fast is fast enough for your needs? There are already some good resources out there that go into exhaustive details on this … but for the executive summary read on. (more…)
1 Giga-sample per second Analog/Digital Converter – 1000 MSa/s real-time sample rate for one channel or 500 MS/s for two channels gives you the most detail even at high frequency signals
50 MHz software bandwidth (you can view up to 50 MHz digital/analog signals clearly)
5.7″ Full color LCD display
Digital storage with 16 Kpoints memory depth, 1Mpoints for long memory
Trigger via Edge, Pulse Width, Video, Slope, Alternate, Pattern and Duration
20 types of wave parameter measurements built in: Vmax, Vmin, Vpp, Vtop, Vbase, Vamplitude, Vaverage, Vrms, Overshoot, Preshoot, Period, Freq, Rise time, Fall time, + Width, – Width, + Duty, – Duty, Delay falling, Delay Rising, Phase falling, Phase Rising
Auto trigger/display is great for beginners
Math and FFT functions
Comes with two 100MHz probes with color tabs and adjustment tool
Plug in a USB key and save waveforms as a CSV or bitmap. Also lets you save your setup in case you have a testing jig you want to recreate
Isolated Pass/Fail output BNC
External trigger in
RS-232 and USB B connector for remote control via a computer using NI VISA, LabVIEW, Visual Basic or Visual C (examples included on CD)
Ultrascope software for PC control
Powers via a standard computer power cable, 100-240VAC
Lightweight, 2.5 kg makes it easy to carry around wherever you need it!
Comes with the latest hardware revision HW58 and firmware v2.06
Comes with:
2 x 100MHz 10x/1x probes
USB Cable
CD-ROM with datasheets, manuals and software
Bonus! Oscilloscope sew on patch and vinyl sticker
I bought the @adafruit USB Digital microscope http://www.adafruit.com/products/636 for $80. After some initial fumbling (ignore the enclosed CD and download the drivers/software from Adafruit…oh, and RTFM), it works great…especially for the price.
The Windows software has all the advanced features, but the Mac program works fine if you just need to get a quick shot or video. Bio geeks will want the Windows version to do time-lapse recording, etc.
NEW PRODUCT – USB Microscope – 2.0 Megapixel / 200x magnification / 8 LEDs. As electronics get smaller and smaller, you’ll need a hand examining PCBs and this little USB microscope is the perfect tool. Its smaller and lighter than a large optical microscope but packs quite a bit of power in its little body. There’s a 2.0 megapixel sensor inside and an optical magnifier that can adjust from 20x (for basic PCB inspection) to 200x (for detailed inspection). Eight white LEDs are angled right onto whatever you’re examining so you get enough lighting to see, and are smoothly adjustable via a dial on the side.
If you plug this into any computer, it just shows up as a standard USB camera (we used this for our weekly Ask an Engineer show) and the Windows/Mac software lets you take snapshots using the button on the side of the microscope or direct from the software (so you don’t move the camera).
We tried a bunch of different USB microscopes and found this one to be the best combination of optical clarity, usability, and price. It’s perfect for electronics hacking, rework, SMT (de)soldering, inspection, and soon you’ll find yourself pulling it out to look and photograph all sort of cool small stuff around your lab and home.
NEW PRODUCT – USB Microscope – 2.0 Megapixel / 200x magnification / 8 LEDs. As electronics get smaller and smaller, you’ll need a hand examining PCBs and this little USB microscope is the perfect tool. Its smaller and lighter than a large optical microscope but packs quite a bit of power in its little body. There’s a 2.0 megapixel sensor inside and an optical magnifier that can adjust from 20x (for basic PCB inspection) to 200x (for detailed inspection). Eight white LEDs are angled right onto whatever you’re examining so you get enough lighting to see, and are smoothly adjustable via a dial on the side.
If you plug this into any computer, it just shows up as a standard USB camera (we used this for our weekly Ask an Engineer show) and the Windows/Mac software lets you take snapshots using the button on the side of the microscope or direct from the software (so you don’t move the camera).
We tried a bunch of different USB microscopes and found this one to be the best combination of optical clarity, usability, and price. It’s perfect for electronics hacking, rework, SMT (de)soldering, inspection, and soon you’ll find yourself pulling it out to look and photograph all sort of cool small stuff around your lab and home.
“We also tried a lot of logic analyzers and decided to carry the Saleae!”
We did our own testing too and we carry the Saleae.
Saleae Logic – 8-Channel USB Logic Analyzer. A logic analyzer is a device that lets you watch digital signals in your electronics project. You can watch them real-time or log the data for later perusal. Unlike an oscilloscope, its not good for measuring analog signals – but also unlike an oscilloscope, you can track 8 signals at time! So its a good complementary tool. This logic analyzer plugs into a computer and has easy to use, cross-platform software. This makes it small, portable and inexpensive.
If you ever have to to debug SPI, i2c, serial, CAN, 1-wire, Manchester, biphase or other digital protocols, this tool is essential!
Speedy 24MHz
Logic samples each channel at up to 24M times per second. A large fraction of practical, real world applications run at less than 10MHz, and Logic is ideal for these.
8 Channels
Logic has 8 inputs — it can monitor 8 different digital signals at once. For many modern microcontroller-based designs, this is plenty.
10 billion samples
Logic can save as many as 10B samples, letting you capture even the most elusive events. No more dealing with frustratingly small sample buffers.
Comes complete
Start debugging within 5 minutes of opening your new Logic; everything is included: An ultra-flexible 22AWG 64/40 wire harness, 9 high-quality micro-hook probes, a USB cable (2 meter mini-B to A), and a nice carrying case. Download the software from our site (see software)
Enclosure
We love well made tools. That’s why we make Logic’s case out of custom CNC machined aluminum and make sure its anodized surface is finished to perfection.
Protection
Logic’s inputs are protected against overvoltage conditions via current-limiting resistors and ultra-low-capacitance diode clamps. A resettable fuse protects the USB ground return line to augment the USB host’s existing protection.
NEW PRODUCT – Adafruit Perma-Proto Super Pack! Pick up a super pack of our Perma-Proto PCBs, perfect for professional prototyping projects! This super pack contains 3 each of our 3 sizes – 9 PCBs total. You’ll always have the right size for whatever you’re working on.
NEW PRODUCT – Adafruit Perma-Proto Full-sized Breadboard PCB – 3 Pack! Customers have asked us to carry basic perf-board, but we never liked the look of most basic perf: its always crummy quality, with pads that flake off and no labeling. Then we thought about how people actually prototype – usually starting with a solderless breadboard and then transferring the parts to a more permanent PCB. That’s when we realized what people would really like is a proto board that makes it easy!
This proto-board is the PCB you always wish you had, but never realized it! We took the basic layout of a full-sized breadboard and turned that into a beautiful PCB. The top side has a while silkscreen, and the same markings you’re familiar with, to make transferring components easy. The bottom has the 5-hole pad design that matches a classic breadboard, with 4 power bus lines on the sides, and no mask so you can easily cut traces when necessary. We used 1.2mm diameter drill holes so even parts with big leads will fit. All holes are thru-plated for strength – these wont peel off with rework. The finish is a gold plate – you won’t get oxidation like with bare copper perf! There are also three mounting holes so you can attach the PCB to your project box.
These are so handy, we decided to put them in a pack of 3. Once you use a Perma-Proto board, you’ll never go back!
NEW PRODUCT – Adafruit Perma-Proto Quarter-sized Breadboard PCB – 3 Pack! Customers have asked us to carry basic perf-board, but we never liked the look of most basic perf: its always crummy quality, with pads that flake off and no labeling. Then we thought about how people actually prototype – usually starting with a solderless breadboard and then transferring the parts to a more permanent PCB. That’s when we realized what people would really like is a proto board that makes it easy!
This proto-board is the PCB you always wish you had, but never realized it! We took the basic layout of a quarter-sized breadboard (basically, a ‘tiny’ breadboard plus power rails) and turned that into a beautiful PCB. The top side has a while silkscreen, and the same markings you’re familiar with, to make transferring components easy. The bottom has the 5-hole pad design that matches a classic breadboard, with 4 power bus lines on the sides, and no mask so you can easily cut traces when necessary. We used 1.2mm diameter drill holes so even parts with big leads will fit. All holes are thru-plated for strength – these wont peel off with rework. The finish is a gold plate – you won’t get oxidation like with bare copper perf! There are also two mounting holes so you can attach the PCB to your project box.
These are so handy, we decided to put them in a pack of 3. Once you use a Perma-Proto board, you’ll never go back!
BACK IN STOCK! Adafruit Perma-Proto Half-sized Breadboard PCB – 3 Pack! Customers have asked us to carry basic perf-board, but we never liked the look of most basic perf: its always crummy quality, with pads that flake off and no labeling. Then we thought about how people actually prototype – usually starting with a solderless breadboard and then transferring the parts to a more permanent PCB. That’s when we realized what people would really like is a proto board that makes it easy!
This proto-board is the PCB you always wish you had, but never realized it! We took the basic layout of a half-sized breadboard and turned that into a beautiful PCB. The top side has a while silkscreen, and the same markings you’re familiar with, to make transferring components easy. The bottom has the 5-hole pad design that matches a classic breadboard, with 4 power bus lines on the sides, and no mask so you can easily cut traces when necessary. All holes are thru-plated for strength – these wont peel off with rework. The finish is a gold plate so it wont oxidize like bare copper! There are also two mounting holes so you can attach the PCB to your project box
These are so handy, we decided to put them in a pack of 3. Once you use a Perma-Proto board, you’ll never go back!
Printable catalog (PDF)
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