Finally, help identifying IC's. USB Microscope 1

[OperaHouse]

Every year parts get smaller and my eyes get worse. Black etched on black is hard to read. It took a LED flashlight at an angle, a magnifying glass and some luck to identify chips. A friend bought a USB microscope for looking at parts for his race car and paid $300. Looked like a solution so I bought this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321640906258?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

for $16 US shipment, just a week later it is $20. Not the best quality mechanically but it does the job. This is a picture of a .16 inch chip in the first minutes of use with no practice and no photoshop.

 

[VEBill]

Nice.

Gotta love eBay.

 

[IRstuff]

Other seller at $!5:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-US...852?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item234945a30c

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

 

[Sparweb]

I find a geologist's loupe is handy for the squinty print.
Yes I spelled "loupe" correctly.

STF

 

[itsmoked]

First thing I always grab:

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[IRstuff]

Microscope eyepieces tend to be 20x as well, so I've got one of those.

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

 

[MacGyverS2000]

I guess I'm a bit more advanced (and stationary) than others here... when a colleague left our company, I swiped his stereo microscope. No more issues reading chip tops.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[berkshire]

Operahouse,
I just bought one $22.16 with the shipping from Hong Cong , This will solve a lot of problems with my arm not being long enough anymore.
I gave you a star.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[OperaHouse]

An amazing device when you consider the ability to document with a photograph a bad solder connection or brush wear in a poorly lighted location with something that will fit in your pocket. The stand is too lightweight, optional stands are available. I removed the rubber bottom pad and glued in a couple large washers.

 

[analogkid2digitalman]

I came across these (a different manufacturer) a few years ago. We now have several dozen in use around the plant for real time observation, inspection, and measurement.
There are also units that pop into a microscope eyepiece and once calibrated thay are fairly darn accurate (no auto edge detection but rather manual placement of feature points).

-AK2DM

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"It's the questions that drive us"
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[roydm]

That's brilliant, I've spent many hours squinting thru several layers of magnifying lens.