This is my desktop

oops! My digital cam is down, can't join you guys sharing desktop pics. But I kinda like meriad's desk, a little tight tho. I've just ordered 200 small boxes for SMD components. And shortly after I'm settled in another city, I'm ganna order a stack of those bigger drawers for larger packages. Currently I have most of the commonly used tools, including SMD rework and inductor/capacitor meter. But I really really need a scope. Maybe a logic analyzer later.

Sceadwian, have you been into ARM controllers? Or do you just stick to AVR? I love AVRs, most of the time I build all kinds of stuff with mega8L and 16L, kinda fun!

No, no ARM's, haven't needed the processing power really. Just into AVRs for fun and learning, not really a lot of projects going right now, I'm still hording basic equipment and parts, though I just found the place where electronics hobbyists go after they die when they've been good. A surplus place not far from my work here in Rochester, NY called Glenwood sales which has dozens of isles of shelves stacked from floor to ceiling with surplus parts of every kind, including some obscure stuff. Just ordered a controlled soldering station, BIG solderless breadboard some protoboard so I have some place to wire up larger projects and I'm going to place an order through Digikey sometime this week for some tiny85's and various useful IC's (I like the smaller AVR's). I have a cheap 500khz scope which I've spent hours makeing lisajouse figures with and use as a high speed meter. Wanna hook up the DAC's I have to that next and see if I can implement a simple display with it just for giggles. Found a link on the net someone did as their college project that used an O-scope in X/Y mode and a couple DAC's to play pong =) I tend to be satisifed with very simple results to show that what little theory I've picked up is actually real =) Nothing's blown up yet so I guess it's going well. If I ever really outgrow AVR's I'll probably graduated directly to FPGA's as I've found some really nice modules and Xilinix's programming tools are free.

Just came back from the market. Bought two 1400mAh Li-poly cells, SMD IC's and connectors etc. It's 5 PM now and I haven't slept since yesterday afternoon. I was completely taken in by this stuff I'm trying to build. Don't worry, I don't usually stay up like this. The local market for electronics is a tall building, whose entire east sector of the 3rd floor. There're over a hundred stores inside. Some are organized pretty much the same way as Glenwood sales, and others come in all different appearances. Down south in Shenzhen, China, there's the largest electronic market in China. Situated around **broken link removed**, about a dozen buildings stand there each with thousands of stores inside. I've been there twice, and I wish I could bring the whole district back here with me.

I've never played with ARM either, though I am in need of better processing power. The O-scope project sounds familiar to me. It's an interesting and creative idea and is worth a try. I realized another interesting idea in my thesis design, kind of same thoughts like you - turnning simple theories into reality. I'll attach a picture of the design below. There was a thread with a video of it that I had uploaded a long time ago, unfortunately the video is a dead link now.

I bought an Altera CPLD quite a long time ago, but since I never had time building a downloader, it's been put aside forever. I may start playing that stuff when I'm really in the mood of building a download cable. And I'd also like to try Xilinix FPGA's coz it might be the best choice for a multi-channel PWM generator.

This is my workbench area

In my basement, i have a bunch of stuff that i solder with. The fan is for ventilaton, note that it is turned around so it sucks out the flux. The blue box in the corner is my voltage supply for experiments. rofl, note the butter bean can, for my desolder solder. I have (I think) 14 gauge and 28 gauge solder. A de-soldering iron is the red bulb thing in the left hand corner, its super handy and I reccomend you get one!

Well, heres my simple setup... Most of the tools and components are in the drawers, although I don't have any expensive (or even near-expensive) equiptment.

mike11298 said:

Well, heres my simple setup... Most of the tools and components are in the drawers, although I don't have any expensive (or even near-expensive) equiptment.

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I have one of those all in one plier things on my bench too! lol its so un-useful that it never gets moved from my electronics bench for other projects

It is a called a Multitool. Oh, and i hope that was sarcasm, Andy... they are VERY usefull.

If you are stuck on an island they are. One with flint and a knife blade.

I get them as gifts and give them to the kids and never see them again.

Geez, I use mine constantly - I rekon its the best... is there something wrong??

I dunno, I don't really care for them I guess. The handle design on mine dosn't give any leverage any digs into your hand if you really try to squeeze somthing. The other tools are ever more useless, a cheap knife blade, 2 bottle openers (no idea why there are two) a very blunt saw thing that would't cut cardboard and 2 cheesy screw drivers that are only good for wrecking the head on your screw. The only thing I can say it is good for is pinching your fingers when you unfold it

Mine is really cheap though, don't even know where I got it. Mabey the quality ones are better?

I think they probably are Mines a Leatherman -http://www.leatherman.com.au/ https://www.leatherman.com.au/
I like mine, anyway

The two most common tools I use are a pair of small needle nose pliers and a pair of regular cheap old scissors. Once you get used to them scissors make nice wire strippers.

My camera phone really struggled with the low light, I took several from each angle, and chose the best, sorry about the quality

Edit, I added my car

Andy said:

I dunno, I don't really care for them I guess. The handle design on mine dosn't give any leverage any digs into your hand if you really try to squeeze somthing. The other tools are ever more useless, a cheap knife blade, 2 bottle openers (no idea why there are two) a very blunt saw thing that would't cut cardboard and 2 cheesy screw drivers that are only good for wrecking the head on your screw. The only thing I can say it is good for is pinching your fingers when you unfold it

Mine is really cheap though, don't even know where I got it. Mabey the quality ones are better?

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Yes, the quality ones are better. You are right, they don't offer a lot of leverage, but that is why i cairry a pliers with me

gramo said:

My camera phone really struggled with the low light, I took several from each angle, and chose the best, sorry about the quality

Edit, I added my car

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Wow! I love your setup! Mine is too cramped and unorganized. I like the idea of two separate computers (i use a KVM switch, which sucks)

Sceadwain said:

The two most common tools I use are a pair of small needle nose pliers and a pair of regular cheap old scissors. Once you get used to them scissors make nice wire strippers.

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I like to use fingernail clippers. They work great. On larger wire, i use just about anything that is sharp.

Glenwood Sales is still open? I used to shop there in the late 60's, I think I could still find it (providing they haven't moved). I think the boss was named Sam. Incredible deals, always bought something, although often it wasn't what I came for.

Yep still open, and the place doesn't look like it's moved ever. I'd shudder to think how you would go about moving that much stuff so densley packed =) Don't know the owners name I was only in their briefly though. Will have to spend some more time in there though.

here's my little piece of the house

Gaston! That is such a geeky sanctuary!!!!!!!!!!!! The skeleton is a bit odd... but, otherwise it looks great!

Gaston said:

here's my little piece of the houseView attachment 12616

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The skellies have a freaky factor of around 8.6

8.6? Jeez, you guys don't get out much =) I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason.