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Hints, Tips and Solutions (Do NOT post requests for help here) If you have any useful general hints and tips for vintage technology repair and restoration, please share them here. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE! |
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31st Aug 2010, 7:50 pm | #1 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada
Posts: 368
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Aid to trouble shooting PCBs
When repairing PC boards, I find that with my eyes zipping backwards and forwards between the schematic and the board, I frequently lose track of the IC pin of interest. Now I mark that pin with a dab from a red Sharpie pen and then I can bring my scope or DVM probe to the correct place every time. Other pins - other colours.
John. |
1st Sep 2010, 5:33 pm | #2 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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Re: Aid to trouble shooting PCBs
Neat, simple, I like it.
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1st Sep 2010, 10:00 pm | #3 |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 1,522
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Re: Aid to trouble shooting PCBs
Use different colours to mark grounds and power supply rails. Tesco do a pack of 4 dvd permanent markers with nice fine tips.
Rob.
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We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing. |
1st Sep 2010, 11:44 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 3,310
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Re: Aid to trouble shooting PCBs
Too simple for me to think of!
Nice tip.
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"Nothing is as dangerous as being too modern;one is apt to grow old fashioned quite suddenly." |
2nd Sep 2010, 12:15 pm | #5 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 1,880
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Re: Aid to trouble shooting PCBs
That was a tip given to me during my training by Philips when I worked at CES. I often used to find coloured dots applied by other Philips trained service engineers when I was working on equipment in for another visit, gave me a hint what they had been up to !
Another tip, I often find that I need to attach a probe to a component so that I can have my hands free to use test gear or whatever and there is no space on the lead out, or access is limited etc. So, get a short piece of resistor lead out or similar and solder it to the required pad on the PCB and instant test point to clip a prod to ! |
2nd Sep 2010, 6:02 pm | #6 |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Hampton Vale, Peterborough, UK.
Posts: 1,698
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Re: Aid to trouble shooting PCBs
This is a sensible idea that I could have done with today, tracing a fault on a board I'd just assembled. Turned out to be a track wrongly connected in one channel of a stereo device. Took some finding, naturally!
-Tony |