Hi Chris, In addition to the Analog Discovery 2, you may want to look at ADI’s ADALM2000 that is just coming out.
After acquiring a low cost thermal imager that I have found to be priceless in locating pre-smoke failures.
Something else that is probably a given; a 5% resistor kit for breadboarding. I find 1/2 watt resistors to be far easier to insert than 1/4W.
and using the plastic molded jumpers for breadboarding instead of the traditional 22AWG solid wire, has been surprisingly easier. i.e. http://r.ebay.com/km3CU8
Something else I learned the hard way is who valuable paying a bit more for silicone rubber for the jacket (Insulation) on 'gator jumpers, instead of the cheaper PVC jacketed versions… far more flexible and will not fight you like rigid PVC will.
Have a large range of sizes on hand for gripping from tiny wire leads to large bolts/terminals etc.
Another goodie, was taking the time to make some fixed current sources with LM317s. I used a red 'gator clip for the positive end (to the ‘input’ lead of the LM317) and black for the output, and cover it with heat-shrink with the set current marked on it. (simple math to figure out which resistor to use to set the current is on most LM317 datasheets)
Love to hear other helpful tips people have found. (if only Bob Pease were still here)
(moved to new topic to preserve the poll-like nature of the last post)
Great suggestion! I also noted that the ADALM2000 uses the same connector as the AD2, though obviously it has different uses. It seems to be like a sourcemeter, which I have on my bench as a Keithley 2400. How do you like the software interface for it?
I’ve had one on order since June 26th and every day I check in and the estimated delivery date has been pushed a day, I’m getting really frustrated with AD, I’ve asked for more info and haven’t received a response in over a week.
Looks like they have some somewhere Hopefully yours is on a truck moving towards you. ADI buying Linear Tech might be adding to their stack-overflow. I hope they remember that there is nothing quite as valuable as good customer service.
Can you explain more what you mean by this? I don’t understand the difference, if I look at the feature list side by side they are almost identical as far as I can tell but I don’t know enough to know what I don’t know.
The ADALM2000’s “Sourcemeter-like” behavior means if you set a current and then the meter will do what’s necessary to get that current. If that means the voltage output needs to be 1V to get that current, fine. 5V? Fine. But now the tricky part, as that sounds like it’s just a current source. Sometimes that also means it’s a negative voltage. True “4 quadrant” sourcemeters can do this.
For more information (and quite a bit of it), check out Shahriar’s review of a Keithley 2450, I thought that was a great indicator of what is possible with one of these devices: