On 11/2/2019 12:12 PM, Harvey White wrote:

Some groups are immediate, it seems, some may not be.

Yesterday and one other time recently they seemed broke and too k many hours to get my messages. Maybe Cox or someone else had a hand in it but when I called them they said they were having no problems. But we know how that goes...

?Well I got the boom and the ring light, and the Metcal. And the Panavise. That Metcal heats up fast! And I figured you would be busy with your pc boards and your drilling rig. How did that turnout?

The automatic positioner is still sitting there, mostly put together, most of the software is written.? I did get diverted onto another project, and just added a plugin card that simulates a Chinese made 320 x 240 TFT display, but drives an 8 inch TFT VGA display.

So right now, I'm adding color themes to the display.? I'll be duplicating (to an extent) the ST TNG LCARS display format. Ought to be fun.? Got a bunch of boards to put together for now.

Harvey

Too many projects, so little time. I know the feeling. Is the "ST TNG LCARS" something to do with Star Trek?


Dave

The default for groups.io is that users are moderated until they have made
one post. This can result in a delay on first post.


Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: homebrewpcbs@groups.io <homebrewpcbs@groups.io> On Behalf Of
Harvey White
Sent: 02 November 2019 17:13
To: homebrewpcbs@groups.io
Subject: Re: [homebrewpcbs] Microscopes for SMD soldering etc


On 11/2/2019 11:56 AM, Dave wrote:

Harvey,

? I may have already answered this post but after all the delays in
the posts actually showing up at my home pc... There was a delay of
over 6 hours from group post to forwarded posts yesterday.

Some groups are immediate, it seems, some may not be.

-----Original Message-----
From: homebrewpcbs@groups.io <homebrewpcbs@groups.io> On Behalf Of
Harvey White
Sent: 02 November 2019 17:13
To: homebrewpcbs@groups.io
Subject: Re: [homebrewpcbs] Microscopes for SMD soldering etc


On 11/2/2019 11:56 AM, Dave wrote:

Harvey,

? I may have already answered this post but after all the delays in
the posts actually showing up at my home pc... There was a delay of
over 6 hours from group post to forwarded posts yesterday.

Some groups are immediate, it seems, some may not be.

?Well I got the boom and the ring light, and the Metcal. And the
Panavise. That Metcal heats up fast! And I figured you would be busy
with your pc boards and your drilling rig. How did that turnout?

The automatic positioner is still sitting there, mostly put together, most

software is written.? I did get diverted onto another project, and just

plugin card that simulates a Chinese made 320 x 240 TFT display, but

8 inch TFT VGA display.

So right now, I'm adding color themes to the display.? I'll be duplicating

extent) the ST TNG LCARS display format.? Ought to be fun.? Got a bunch of
boards to put together for now.

Harvey

Dave

On 11/1/2019 10:07 AM, Harvey White wrote:

I've got several scenarios that I use. One is that I need to have a
field of view big enough to handle a 20x20 144 pin TQFP. That's
needed to center and sit on pins.

Secondly, I need as much of a closeup as possible needed for each
individual (or group of 5) pins.? Intermediate settings do individual
parts.

You do want the closeup if at all possible to look for shorts (don't
ask).

Ring lights are very very good, and I'd recommend them.? Mine's fiber
optics and I use an auxiliary side light.? I'll have to get an LED
replacement when the bulb goes or find another bulb (may be easy).
Using it on the lowest setting gives me the proverbial immortal light
bulb (a good thing).

Mine are american optical made, quite used.? A boom stand is an
excellent idea if you can find one.

That, and the metcal tips (oddly enough, the finest tip is not all
that useful), do well.

I'm busy putting together PC boards and writing (rewriting) low level
graphics drivers at the moment.

Harvey


On 11/1/2019 9:17 AM, Dave wrote:

Hi Harvey, how's it going? I have done a crash course yesterday and
learned from my early findings that I need distance to work with
plenty of access. And that a 0.5 objective lens for a wider view is
a good thing to have. I will be searching for a while but not too
long. I don't want to have to buy this thing twice after making the
wrong decision first.

Thanks,

Dave

On 10/31/2019 8:28 PM, Harvey White wrote:

I do.? An old american optical, 5 different powers, boom stand. Old
fashioned fiber optics light (bulb set on low).

Make sure that if you buy one used, that it's not made for chip
examination, and that the working distance between the work and the
lens is fairly large.? Chip microscopes have almost no working
distance.

You'll want a good fan as well.

As for the "hold your head just right, mine doesn't seem to have
that problem.

Harvey

I won't claim to be an expert, but I'll be willing to help.? I do a lot of C and C++ programming.? Scope of a variable is one thing, but this isn't that.? Variables don't have dynamic assignments, they only get assigned one value which sticks.? It's typically the "last" one, but that doesn't mean that the first value is ever there or ever assigned.

You'll get the hang of it.

The easiest way is to use a separate editor (there's a very good tutorial about that).? I use notepad++ with a user defined template option (template was available already filled out).? Make changes and the image is automatically updated.

Start with a cube, then fit another cube inside it and take the difference.? You now have a box, either open top or not depending on the size of the subtracted cube.

Make the sizes relate to each other, and you have the bottom of a box.

You don't want to machine the box if at all reasonable, but you can put holes in the box easily.

Easy way to make enclosures for your board projects.

Harvey

On 11/2/2019 11:51 AM, Dave wrote:

Harvey,

? Well, you know more about it then I do as I never used C. I do remember seeing a video where the guy explains about the scope of the variable like you mention below. I will see if I can hunt that down as he explained it, or a workaround, or maybe just why it doesn't work. But I am familiar with the issue. I kind of wish someone would release a pdf or a print book on OpenSCAD. I know you can print the new manual bit if I print it, it never looks or feels like a real book. :) I just started to learn it and have a bunch of resources to help, but I haven't made anything of my own with it yet. But I see how useful and easy it *can* be.

Thanks,

Dave

On 11/1/2019 7:20 PM, Harvey White wrote:

Style wise, yes, grammar is a lot like C

Procedural?? nope.

Let's assume you have

C = 1;

< do something assuming C = 1>

then you do

C = 2;

< do something assuming C = 2>

This does *not* work.

For a better explanation, you need to look at the fine print in the openSCAD manual.? They finally have a 2019 version after many years.

IIRC: you assign a value, it stays, you can't assign another.? Please check their documentation, it *does* make a difference.

One thing you can very well do is to design a parametric box, set inside width, height, depth and the program does it.

You'll get the idea, but it takes a bit of practice.

Harvey

On 11/1/2019 6:34 PM, Dave wrote:

+1 on the procedural language. Kind of the same as Arduino coding. I watched a lot of OpenSCAD videos. Got them all bookmarked. Very powerful for little coding. I bought a used Panavise from ebay recently and it came with the large pcb board holder. Bought a smaller one from Amazon that is steel/aluminum with plastic jaws.
Dave

_._,_._

---

Harvey,

? Well, you know more about it then I do as I never used C. I do remember seeing a video where the guy explains about the scope of the variable like you mention below. I will see if I can hunt that down as he explained it, or a workaround, or maybe just why it doesn't work. But I am familiar with the issue. I kind of wish someone would release a pdf or a print book on OpenSCAD. I know you can print the new manual bit if I print it, it never looks or feels like a real book. :) I just started to learn it and have a bunch of resources to help, but I haven't made anything of my own with it yet. But I see how useful and easy it *can* be.

Thanks,

Dave

On 11/1/2019 7:20 PM, Harvey White wrote:

Style wise, yes, grammar is a lot like C

Procedural?? nope.

Let's assume you have

C = 1;

< do something assuming C = 1>

then you do

C = 2;

< do something assuming C = 2>

This does *not* work.

For a better explanation, you need to look at the fine print in the openSCAD manual.? They finally have a 2019 version after many years.

IIRC: you assign a value, it stays, you can't assign another.? Please check their documentation, it *does* make a difference.

One thing you can very well do is to design a parametric box, set inside width, height, depth and the program does it.

You'll get the idea, but it takes a bit of practice.

Harvey

On 11/1/2019 6:34 PM, Dave wrote:

+1 on the procedural language. Kind of the same as Arduino coding. I watched a lot of OpenSCAD videos. Got them all bookmarked. Very powerful for little coding. I bought a used Panavise from ebay recently and it came with the large pcb board holder. Bought a smaller one from Amazon that is steel/aluminum with plastic jaws.
Dave

_._,_._

---

I have a very old B&L? 0.7x to 3.0x pod with 15x WF (cat 184) eyepieces used with a 50 LED ring light similar to this 60 LED light on Ebay:

In addition I suggest a couple of things.


1) I use a single B&L 0.5x lens screwed into the bottom of the pod along with a screw in glass cover.? This does two things?
?a) It increases the working distance from 3.5" to 6" from bottom of the lens or pod to the work.? That distance makes a big difference in access with your soldering iron.? The cover glass is to keep rosin fumes from condensing on your good 0.5x lens or if not using it, from rosin fumes condensing on the sensitive innards of the zoom pod. I.e., cheap insurance.
? b) I have astigmatisms in both eyes, so working for long times with a standard microscope creates eyestrain and/or headaches, even when properly focused.? So what I did was take an old pair of single vision eyeglasses and have an eyeglass optician cut the lenses to a pair of 3/4" dia. lenses.? I mounted these in a slip fit PVC that drops smoothly on the eyepieces.? Cut a single notch in the left PVC and a double notch in the right PVC that lets me keep them sorted and to adjust the orientation of the lens to match the required orientation of my astigmatism.?

So with this combination I have a range of magnification from 5.25x to 22.5x.? This has been very satisfactory over the decades.

Couple of additional tips.?
1) I take off the astigmatic lens and then made a slip on PVC that will position a camera about 0.2" (see a bit further for explanation of the exact distance) and centered on the eyepiece to take micro-photographs when needed to document FA work.? The technique is to center your camera over the eyepiece (forming a bright spot in viewer) then move the camera way from the eyepiece until the entire viewing field in the camera is evenly filled with image. This is a fairly exact position hence the use of the PVC to make it easier and very steady.? That is the sweet spot for a camera photo. If the microscope is properly adjusted for your eyes then the focus is basically adjusted to your typical reading distance of perhaps 12 to 18".?? Your camera will be adjusting to that distance, too, when you take the photo -- easily within its auto focusing range.
2) I have to admit in recent years I have also documented with a digital USB camera similar to USB 1000X Digital Microscope 2MP 8 LED:

(ignore the magnifier)? I also have one of the earlier ones that had a different stand (an articulated arm) and was 500x.? Both have worked just fine for me.? You adjust the image size captured by moving the camera away from the item and then manually focusing the camera.?

Regards,
Charles R. Patton

Virus-free.

_._,_._,_

---

I've got several scenarios that I use.? One is that I need to have a field of view big enough to handle a 20x20 144 pin TQFP. That's needed to center and sit on pins.

Secondly, I need as much of a closeup as possible needed for each individual (or group of 5) pins.? Intermediate settings do individual parts.

You do want the closeup if at all possible to look for shorts (don't ask).

Ring lights are very very good, and I'd recommend them.? Mine's fiber optics and I use an auxiliary side light.? I'll have to get an LED replacement when the bulb goes or find another bulb (may be easy).? Using it on the lowest setting gives me the proverbial immortal light bulb (a good thing).

Mine are american optical made, quite used.? A boom stand is an excellent idea if you can find one.

That, and the metcal tips (oddly enough, the finest tip is not all that useful), do well.

I'm busy putting together PC boards and writing (rewriting) low level graphics drivers at the moment.

Harvey


On 11/1/2019 9:17 AM, Dave wrote:

Hi Harvey, how's it going? I have done a crash course yesterday and learned from my early findings that I need distance to work with plenty of access. And that a 0.5 objective lens for a wider view is a good thing to have. I will be searching for a while but not too long. I don't want to have to buy this thing twice after making the wrong decision first.

Thanks,

Dave

On 10/31/2019 8:28 PM, Harvey White wrote:

I do.? An old american optical, 5 different powers, boom stand. Old fashioned fiber optics light (bulb set on low).

Make sure that if you buy one used, that it's not made for chip examination, and that the working distance between the work and the lens is fairly large.? Chip microscopes have almost no working distance.

You'll want a good fan as well.

As for the "hold your head just right, mine doesn't seem to have that problem.

Harvey

Style wise, yes, grammar is a lot like C

Procedural?? nope.

Let's assume you have

C = 1;

< do something assuming C = 1>

then you do

C = 2;

< do something assuming C = 2>

This does *not* work.

For a better explanation, you need to look at the fine print in the openSCAD manual.? They finally have a 2019 version after many years.

IIRC: you assign a value, it stays, you can't assign another.? Please check their documentation, it *does* make a difference.

One thing you can very well do is to design a parametric box, set inside width, height, depth and the program does it.

You'll get the idea, but it takes a bit of practice.

Harvey

On 11/1/2019 6:34 PM, Dave wrote:

+1 on the procedural language. Kind of the same as Arduino coding. I watched a lot of OpenSCAD videos. Got them all bookmarked. Very powerful for little coding. I bought a used Panavise from ebay recently and it came with the large pcb board holder. Bought a smaller one from Amazon that is steel/aluminum with plastic jaws.
Dave

_._,_._

---

Well it doesn't say that you can't ;-)

The rack just seems to have a friction adjustment.

Really bothers me that they would introduce what is a systematic weakness in the Mantis to something that doesn't need to have it.

If you have a flat object it doesn't matter, but there's always?crap sticking out of electronics, like heatsinks and whatnot.

Also you want the ability to tilt your board in all directions so you are looking sideways at solder joints around a QFN and stuff, quite often I can't tell for sure if a joint is good just from a top view alone.

?

I dunno, maybe with 8" WD it's a non-issue.

ST

On Fri, Nov 1, 2019 at 11:54 PM Dave <theschemer@...> wrote:

I don't know about that but you can download the manual pdf from their site.



SM-3_Manual_151001 is the closest I could find to match the one I bought.

_._,_._,_

---

Hi Dave,

? I thought your name was familiar. You are the SheetCam guy. :)

Shh - it's supposed to be a secret ;-)


It's a bit late now but FWIW with the microscope I linked a 100 pin lqfp pretty much fills the field of view with the 10x eyepieces. It makes navigation a bit tricky at times but it is useful when soldering mod wires on such a chip. The one you ordered with zoom should be pretty nice. The stand looks better than mine as well but again you'll probably want to clamp it down. I ended up scrapping the base completely and permanently fixing the upright to the bench. This makes it nice and stable and it pivots out of the way against the wall when not needed. Actually looking more closely at the picture of yours it looks like the flange at the bottom of the upright could be easily removed from the base and screwed directly to a bench.

Les

+1 on the procedural language. Kind of the same as Arduino coding. I watched a lot of OpenSCAD videos. Got them all bookmarked. Very powerful for little coding. I bought a used Panavise from ebay recently and it came with the large pcb board holder. Bought a smaller one from Amazon that is steel/aluminum with plastic jaws.
Dave

I actually have a trial lens?set, so I went and made up some 5 dipoter reading glasses just to see how it would be.

You are right that this could work in a pinch, like pulling out a bee sting or a soldering a quick repair, but I wouldn't want to use them for any length of time.?

It's too bad I don't actually understand optics, but I feel there is a limit as to how well you can do with a single lens.

Also the distance from the eye to the lens is too short in glasses to get really decent magnification.

(Actually I think the magnification effect in glasses might just be an unwanted artefact, because you can't put the lens close enough to the eye, unless you wear contacts.)

Sure it does look bigger, but maybe twice or three times, and my face has to be _right_ up against the object to still see sharp.

By the way for cheap glasses (reading or prescription) I can recommend

It's so great to have dirt cheap (but surprisingly good quality) glasses I can now wear for any work without?fear of damaging them.

You can use this link and get $5 off:

(I will also get $5 off my next purchase), or just search with google, they usually always have some sort of discount code active.

ST

On Fri, Nov 1, 2019 at 4:54 PM Rob via Groups.Io <roomberg=ptd.net@groups.io> wrote:

On this topic of binocular microscopes.......

I learned a wee bit about high power reading glasses.

The ones they sell over the counter have lenses that are defined as 1 or
1.25 or 1.5 or 1.75 or 2 or 2.25 etc all the way up to 3.5 diopters.

So.... I asked

what the heck is a diopter?

and

I found that I could mail order up to 7 diopter full size lens reading
glasses from READERS.com and a dozen other online glasses stores.


SO

next ...learn this:

EACH DIOPTER SIZE will make things look bigger to you

and

EACH DIOPTER SIZE will have a closer focal distance from your eyeballs
to your hand.... think about reading a book...

with 1.5 diopter reading glasses where at arms length the letters on the
page are clear...not blurry... but tiny

and

2.5 diopter glasses makes everything look bigger ...but the focal length
os more like the distance to a computer screen on a desk

and 3.5 would be bigger and clear if you huddled over that computer
screen.... OR A SOLDERING IRON

and then

here is where it gets fun.....??? 4 diopter is closer and so big that
you CAN solder SMD parts

?? and 5 diopter is bigger...but starts pushing the limit of how close
you want to put your eyeballs to a soldering iron flux splatter....

so

I use 5 more for inspection than soldering.

and

I also have 6 and 7 diopter glasses.... which make short work of
removing a bee sting......

and I use all of them for different bench tasks ....much much more than
I use my binocular microsope.


There are

$25?? Headband Magnifier Headset - Magnifying Visor with 4 Real Glass
Optical Lens Plates (1.5X, 2X, 2.5X, 3.5X)

that? are cumbersome and I never liked them


so perhaps some 5 diopter reading glasses will work for you guys.