Regardless of your level of experience, there are certain tools that all electronics hobbyists and makers will find are “go-to” tools.
Test equipment and tools are probably the most important investment a hobbyist can make.
These tools can tell you how something works (or doesn’t). They let you explore the inner workings of a circuit or gadget. They enable you to take something apart and put it back together (in the case of tools such as screw drivers etc.). Test equipment and tools help you create. Testing also collects data.
This post goes over 7 of the most important and common tools you’ll want to have at your workbench. Some you may use more than others, but if you’re serious about electronics you’ll want all of them at your disposal.
If you’ve been dabbling in electronics for a while, you may have most (or all) of the tools. If you’re new you may only have a few (or none).
Either way, I implore you read the whole post. It’s a quick, easy read.
When possible, I’ll give recommendations on what brand or model to buy for those who do not already own a particular tool.
Also, I didn’t list the tools and test equipment in any order of importance because they’re all important.
Let’s dive on in and look at the 7 tools electronics hobbyists and makers must have on their bench.
7 Tools All Electronics Hobbyists & Makers Need
The Digital Multimeter or DMM
OK, so when I said they weren’t listed in order of importance maybe I bent the truth a bit. This one is first on our list and is probably the most important one of all.
Many of you already own at least one meter. If you’re really new to electronics you may not own any.
There are many times an issue relates to something simple like low voltage, an open resistor, trace, or wire; or something else that’s easy to find with a multimeter.
Fluke makes good multimeters, but they can be pricey.
For those who are more budget conscience, I suggest the Elenco M-1700 DMM as it is more affordable. Mine has been in service since 2000, so they’re decent quality. This meter not only does basic resistance and AC/DC measurements, it can measure frequency, capacitance, and transistor beta.
Whatever digital multimeter you pick, make sure it has high DC input resistance, at least 10 MΩ. The more the merrier.
Figure 1: the Elenco M-1700.
The Oscilloscope
When your digital multimeter isn’t enough, you’ll need to break out the oscilloscope.
You can use an oscilloscope to quickly check a waveform, measure it, and find elusive problems that would be difficult or impossible to do with a DMM alone.
Also, DMMs are often to slow to show rapid changes in voltages and currents and therefore cannot see noise and transients like dips and spikes. An oscilloscope can see a signal in real time, unlike a DMM.
I won’t go into a ton of detail on choosing one here because my post How to Pick the Best Oscilloscope (for you) covers important oscilloscope specs and how to choose one.
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I will hit a few important points and make some recommendations for those who want a new scope but are on a tight budget.
The bandwidth of an oscilloscope is its main feature and tells you how high a frequency the scope can measure. The caveat is that this spec gives the frequency at the 3dB point, which drops the voltage level about 30%.
In other words, if I have a scope with 100 MHz bandwidth and I measure a 1 V 100 MHz signal, that signal will register as 0.7 V on the scope, giving me an inaccurate reading. Of course, this may not matter if I know for sure the level is 1 V or I’m not measuring voltage.
You would also run into trouble measuring digital signals that approach the bandwidth limit of a scope. Because high frequency harmonics are present in square waves, they would appear to be more like sine waves.
As a general rule of thumb, pick an oscilloscope with a bandwidth of five times the highest frequency digital signal you’ll be measuring.
Below are some scopes I recommend. They’re budget friendly and somewhat feature-rich.
The Rigol DS1054Z is a top selling scope on Amazon, and for a good reason. The price is right, and the features are decent. The Rigol DS1104Z-S Digital Oscilloscope is more expensive but boasts twice the bandwidth, among other things.
If you’re looking for a PC based oscilloscope, check out the Pico 3203D. It’s still affordable for many but packed with features. If the price of the 3203D is too high, the Pico 2205A can be had for about $225. However, it has less bandwidth than the 3203D.
If you signed up for one of my free gifts, you should eventually receive an email that goes into more detail on the specs of these scopes and others. I believe it’s the 8th email in the series.
And don’t forget, the quality and bandwidth of your probes matter!
Power Supply
This is one of the first devices you’ll need next to your multimeter.
A good power supply is more important than most people realize. Poor regulation leads to noise and other strange problems. A high quality, current limited adjustable linear supply is a good choice.
Try to avoid switch mode supplies except for the highest power ratings.
Some may be asking why not just use batteries?
As long as they’re fresh that’s fine. As batteries drain, their voltage falls. Weak batteries can cause strange problems. Finally, using batteries as your power supply is more expensive in the long run, wasteful, and environmentally unfriendly.
You can get a bench top power supply for under $100 like the HY3005D or similar. The power supply I use has more outputs but it’s more expensive. You can check that one out here.
A while back I made a video (with a transcription) discussing how to get started in electronics and what you’ll need. In it, I talk about the power supply, DMM and more.
Soldering Iron
Before earning my electrical engineering degree, I went to a tech school to earn a diploma in electronics, computers, and robotics.
On day one, we were issued a tool kit which included a soldering iron. We used the iron to assemble the simple power supply and function generator that came with the kit. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a high-quality iron. There was no way to control the temperature and aside from a holder it came with 1 tip and no accessories.
Fast forward to today — that iron is a spare.
When I started my computer repair business I realized that unsoldering laptop power jacks with the old iron was very difficult. I quickly upgraded to a better soldering iron.
That iron was the Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station, which I still use today. If I could go back in time, I’d but the digital version of that iron.
The WES51 irons allow precise temperature control from 350⁰ F to 850⁰ F and they boast other useful features like tip temperature offset capability. And, they’re designed for continuous production soldering, so you know they’re good quality.
Figure 2: Weller WESD51 (the D is for digital) soldering station.
A Desktop or Laptop PC
Your new iPhone may be cool, trendy, and chock full of neat technology but you’re probably not going to want to write a hundred lines of code on it. Nor are you going to want to run complex circuit simulations or do PCB layout drawings on it.
Traditional laptop and desktop PCs are way more powerful and easier to use with their keyboards and mice than any phone and most tablets.
And, as a bonus, you probably already have one lying around!
Question: what do you get when you combine a tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard?
Answer: a laptop that you can’t upgrade.
The fact is laptops and (especially) desktop computers are still the most powerful and upgradable machines. Just try adding more RAM or better graphics to your phone or tablet and you’ll see what I mean.
If you’re using a PC based oscilloscope, using a desktop or laptop PC isn’t an option, it’s necessary.
If you’re not you’ll still need the PC for things like simulations, writing code, programming microcontrollers, researching on the Internet and more.
Dust off your old PC, boot it up, and give it a whirl.
Power tip: when upgrading an older PC, max out the RAM and use a solid state hard drive for lightning fast performance.
Function Generator
Some oscilloscopes have these built in, but if you’re using a budget priced scope it may not be sufficient or have one at all.
Also commonly referred to as a signal generator, you’ll use this to apply various stimuli to your circuits.
The function/signal generator I received when I started school can generate sine waves, sawtooth waves, and square waves. For many of us, this will be sufficient.
To generate more complex waveforms, you’ll need an arbitrary waveform generator. These are more expensive, but if your budget allows and you need it go for it. Perhaps buying a used unit can save you some dough.
If you need only tens of kilohertz of bandwidth, you may be able to “make waves” with your PC sound card and some software like Excel or Scilab. The desktop PC is back to haunt us again!
Figure 3: a function or signal generator. This unit is less than $300.
A Variety of Hand and Bench Tools
Last but not least, you’ll need basic tools.
At a minimum you should have a Phillips and a slot head screw driver, jeweler’s screw drivers, needle nose pliers, wire strippers, wire cutters, a solder sucker and solder braid for desoldering, a driver with interchangeable bits like torx, hex etc., a magnifying glass, safety glasses, and an antistatic wrist strap.
Some of this stuff you likely already have even if you’re just getting started.
A small bench vice like the PanaVise can be indispensable for soldering and other tasks.
Other tools that may come in handy are digital calipers, an antistatic mat for the workbench, a heat gun for heat shrink tubing, a glue gun (great for temporarily holding things in place), a rotary tool like a Dremel tool, and different types of tweezers.
Don’t worry about buying all these at once, just start with the basics. Kits that contain many of the tools you’ll commonly use are available for purchase if you want to go that route.
Figure 4: the PanaVise comes in various incarnations with different mounting options.
Figure 5: an antistatic wrist strap is a much have for handling static sensitive circuits and components.
Exotic Tools & Test Equipment
Some of you may have noticed I didn’t mention things like surface mount rework stations, frequency counters, spectrum analyzers and logic analyzers.
While affordable surface mount soldering stations are available, the other more exotic tools can be quite expensive.
If you’re an engineer or very experienced hobbyist/maker with a big budget, some of this equipment can come in handy.
Most hobbyists and makers will never need such tools, and if you do there may be a makerspace in your area that has them available. If you work in the electronics field as an engineer or technician your employer may be willing to give you access to this type of equipment.
Ditto for things like 3D printers, CNC machines and laser cutters.
Even though the price of 3D printers has dropped considerably in the past decade, I still do not own one as of this writing. If you often find yourself making custom parts or enclosures, a 3D printer may be something to consider. Building your own could be a fun learning experience.
I hope you’ve stuck with me through the whole post, even if you already own most of these tools.
Until next time, comment and tell us what the next tool or gadget you can’t wait to get your hands on is and why you wish you had it.
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MakerMan says
That’s a solid workbench. These day I’d say that an SMD rework station is almost a must-have, given the way everything seems to be going surface mount.
Brian says
Totally true! In fact, an SMD rework station is next on my list of gadgets to buy.
Hung Hoang says
I totally agree with this blog. If you are or you want to be an electronics hobbyist. Then these following things are must have at your workbench.