Customer Reviews

Build Your Own Test Equipment

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I originally bought this book about 5 years ago and subsequently lost it. I recently found a discounted copy, and snatched it up right quick. This book is probably one of the most helpful pieces of text for the electronics hobbyist ever written. It will lower your lead time on almost any project, and will save your multimeter from too much adapter abuse. The projects are diverse, and each one has a multitude of uses. I bought this book primarily for the "Frequency Counter" project. And here's where this book gets four stars instead of five: Mr. Bergquist must have been sponsored by Harris/Intersil when he wrote this book, as you'll see by the unnaturally high percentage of their chips/semi's in every single project. In particular, the aforementioned Frequency Counter utilized a ICM7216DIPI, which is no longer made by Harris/Intersil or anyone else for that matter. The same problem was encountered with other specific H/I chips throughout the book. (The ICM7217IJI in particular)

If it wasn't for the relative scarcity of the project IC's, this would be a hands down "everyone buy this" type of electronics book. Perhaps it could be rewritten with modern chips or some NTE replacement part number lists?

UPDATE (9/2008): I have found an inexpensive (and no minimum order) source for both the ICL7106 and the ICL7107!!! Contact me if you are interested.

This is a truly informative book that helped me not only build several interesting , and useful pieces of test equipement, but also helped me understand the entire field of electronics better. I also like the author's style of writing.

This book proposes a series of modest projects to populate your home electronics workshop with home-brew test equipment.

The projects in the book are:

o Prototype Lab (solderless breadboard with integrated power supply, meters, pots, switches, etc.).
o Multi-Output Power Supply
o Signal Generator and Tracer
o Tri-State Logic Probe
o Bipolar Transistor Tester
o General Purpose (IC) Tester
o Capacitance Meter
o Four-Digit Counter
o Multimeter
o Function Generator
o Frequency Counter
o LED Scope

On the positive side:

o Each project has complete schematics, PCB wiring foil, PCB parts layout and numerous photos.

o The physical design of each project far exceeds the typical home-brew standards--the author is a wizard with paint, epoxy and dry transfer lettering.

o The construction notes are very helpful.

o If the author didn't get a check from Intersil for writing the book -- he should have. All of the significant MSI and VLSI devices spec'ed in the book are from Intersil.

o Some operational theory is offered--but it is pretty minimal. On the one hand you won't learn electronics from this book--but on the other hand--you won't get stalled trying to get past the theory.

o I loved the prototype lab--but it could use a little modernization (LCD instead of LED display, digital pots, Xtal oscillator, flash programmer and perhaps a USB jack). But in all fairness, the author does encourage experimentation and customization.

Some caveats:

o The book was published in 1998--and is getting stale. Expect to be searching for substitutions for the more exotic parts.

o The author's favorite DVM chip (the ICL7107) is still available--but the companion LED display (MAN6740) is quite hard to find. Today you can get a DVM module with integrated LCD display for a few dollars more than what you would pay for the ICL7107 alone.

o The function generator specifies the ICL8083 which is obsolete. A possible substitution is the EXAR XR2206--still available from Jameco. It isn't pin compatible--but has similar functionality and is programmed by external passive components while more modern devices rely on serial interfaces--which would be a major deviation from the author's design.

o The capacitor meter is just a repackaging of a kit from Rainbow Kits--which, oddly enough, is still available as of 2011.

o The ICM7216 8-digit counter used in the frequency counter is obsolete--but you can cascade two ICM7217 4-digit counters.

o The author employs a variety of approaches to power. Some projects have their own A/C supplies, others rely on external DC supplies and others use batteries. For the A/C supplies--they author is a bit sloppy. Some schematics include fuses and others omit same. All use two-wire (ungrounded) power cables. I always prefer three-wire plugs and grounded metal chassis for anything using line power.

o The PCB foil diagrams were hand-drawn. You may prefer to regenerate with one of the 'free' CAD tools with beefed up traces.

o This is not a beginner's book. You won't see Ohm's law, circuit theory, component descriptions, soldering instructions or notes on PCB manufacture. There are some suggestions on procurement--but you need to be prepared to fill in the blanks on your own.

o There is a lot of redundancy in the book. No sooner have you finished your first project, the Prototype Lab with integrated power supply then you get to replicate much of the circuitry in the bench supply. I would have omitted the power supply from the prototype lab in lieu of a set of banana jacks to connect the bench supply. This has the added advantage of avoiding worry about those huge heat sinks on the linear regulators just inches away from the plastic picture box that serves as the chassis for the prototype system. The signal generator and tracer also have similar (if not identical) hardware in the prototype lab. The 4-digit counter shares DNA with the frequency counter, etc. To conserve time, money and bench-top real-estate you might want to re-think the project mix and combine features where possible.

o The penultimate project is the LED scope--but it is also the most obsolete. For all of the time and money you will sink into an array of LEDs to create a two-dimensional display of incredibly low resolution--you could procure an LCD graphic display. Or better yet, route the signal to your laptop and use software to create a truly useful lab instrument.

o The most glaring omission from the book is the lack of a micro-controller in any of the projects. For a couple of bucks you can integrate a uC in a project with integrated non-volatile memory, free development tools, etc. Many of the projects could be updated to something more 'this millenium' with a uC.

o The author's style is VERY informal with lots of abuse of the exclamation point (oh my!). But it is highly readable and infinitely accessible.

I purchased a used copy of this book for about $16. I enjoyed reading the book, seeing how the author approached circuit design and made use of (once) available VLSI devices. I do applaud his mechanical skills. He builds very nice looking projects.

Some of the components that are required for the projects are not easy to find. Also, the book is not very well organized. Im sorry I purchased this book.

I purchased this book with expectations of seeing some worthwhile equipment to build, perhaps a spectrum analyzer, but found only very simplistic designs that cost as much to make as buying a new piece of commercial equipment. I would direct potential purchasers to The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs instead. There are likely other books also that will fill the void left by this book.

finding the ic chips is easy compared to finding the 3 secondary transformer used in the lab and the power supply. Iv taken apart 2 vcr's and a radio with no luck and no hope in sight

This book is grate in showing someone the basics when it comes to test equipment and how they work. Some of the projects in this book like the o-scope have a lot to be desired. An o-scope w/ a LED display is not my cup of tea, now a LCD display would be cool. This book is grate for building knowledge, but the quality of some test equipment makes it not worth building.