Real World Instrumentation with Python

Chapter 6. Hardware: Tools and Supplies

Byrne’s Law: In any electrical circuit, appliances and wiring will burn out to protect fuses.

—Robert Byrne

Although it may be possible that one could implement a complex instrumentation system and never touch a tool more complicated than a screwdriver, there is a high probability that a soldering iron, wire cutters, and a digital multimeter (DMM) will come in handy at some point—particularly if things don’t work quite right from the outset, or if there’s a reason to be concerned should something accidentally be damaged.

In this chapter, we’ll look at what might go into a basic toolkit for doing instrumentation work. It isn’t much and could all easily fit in a small box on a shelf somewhere. Additionally, as there may very well come a time when you really need to see what’s going on in your system, I’ve included a short discussion of the two pieces of test equipment that can help eliminate the guesswork and get to the root of an interface or control problem: the oscilloscope and the logic analyzer.

The Essentials

First and foremost, one needs some decent hand tools. These can be had à la carte from the local hardware store, or in a kit form in a nice zippered carrying case. Having even a modest set of hand tools available can make the difference between getting the job done quickly and efficiently, or having to trudge down the hall, or across town, to try and find the right tool. Even if they are only used once for one project, the expense is minimal, ...