Electronics Workbench

The Lab has six fully equipped electronics workbenches, plus a dedicated SMD microscope station. This guide covers the test equipment available and how to use it.

What's on each bench

• Soldering iron — Hakko FX-888D (see Soldering Guide)
• Multimeter — Fluke 115 or equivalent
• Bench power supply — Korad KA3005P, 0–30V / 0–5A
• Component bins — common resistors (E24 series), ceramic caps, LEDs, pin headers

Shared equipment (check out from the cabinet)

Equipment	Quantity	Notes
Oscilloscope (Rigol DS1054Z)	2	4-channel, 50 MHz. Can be unlocked to 100 MHz via code (ask)
Function generator	1	Rigol DG1022Z, 25 MHz
LCR meter	1	For measuring inductors and capacitors precisely
Logic analyser	2	Saleae Logic 8, works with Logic 2 software
Lab power supply (extra)	2	Rigol DP832, triple output

Sign out shared equipment on the clipboard on the cabinet door. Return it to the cabinet when done.

Using the bench power supply

The Korad KA3005P is straightforward:

1. Set voltage with the left knob before connecting your circuit.
2. Set current limit with the right knob. Start low (e.g. 100 mA) for an unknown circuit, then increase if needed.
3. Connect your circuit, then press Output to enable.
4. If the display shows CV, you're in constant voltage mode (normal). CC means your circuit is drawing the current limit — investigate.

Never exceed 30V. The output is fully floating — you can use either terminal as ground.

Using the oscilloscope (Rigol DS1054Z)

Basic setup for probing a signal:

1. Connect the probe to CH1, ground clip to circuit ground.
2. Press Auto to get a quick view of the signal.
3. Adjust the voltage scale (V/div) and time base (s/div) for a clean display.
4. Press Measure to add automatic measurements (frequency, amplitude, RMS, etc.).

The trigger system is powerful but counterintuitive at first — use Edge trigger on CH1, rising edge, with the level set near the midpoint of your signal. Ask a member if you're stuck.

The component wall

The component bins on the wall are free for project use. They contain:

• Resistors: 10Ω to 1MΩ, E24 series, 1/4W through-hole
• Capacitors: Ceramic 10pF – 100nF, electrolytic 1µF – 1000µF
• Semiconductors: Common BJTs (2N2222, 2N3906), MOSFETs (2N7000), diodes (1N4148, 1N4007)
• ICs: 555 timer, LM358 op-amp, ATtiny85, various 74xx logic
• Connectors: Pin headers, Dupont connectors, JST, barrel jacks

If a bin is running low, add it to the restock list on the whiteboard. Don't take large quantities of components home — these are for in-space use.

Useful software

Available on the shared workbench laptop (ToekomstTech-Lab network):

• KiCad 8 — schematic and PCB design
• Arduino IDE and PlatformIO
• Saleae Logic 2 — for the logic analysers
• Sigrok/PulseView — alternative logic analyser software
• LTspice — circuit simulation