From HackerSpace SD

Contents 1 List of equipment we might want to get 1.1 Furniture 1.2 Computer infrastructure 1.3 Electronics lab 1.4 Mechanical tools

List of equipment we might want to get

Work in Progress

Furniture

Workbenches

We should have lots of tabletop work area that we can use for both computer and hardware hacking. Ideally he workbench surfaces should be able to withstand handling with sharp tools and spills (e.g., of a solder bath or some chemistry experiment). It's also a plus if the workbenches can be moved around easily.

Chairs

We probably want a lot of foldable chairs to provide seating for folks attending a presentation, but we also need chairs that are comfortable enough for someone to work at a lab bench for a night or three.

Shelf space

for books, to build a library, and to store materials & equipment

Lockers

for valuable personal materials & equipment

Sofa, comfy chairs

for hanging out to read stuff or to chat

Whiteboard space

to scribble on and to project presentations

Projector

for presentations, lectures, and videos

Digital camera

to stream presentations online and/or to take pictures of sketches made on whiteboards

Conference Table

For meetings and other collaborative efforts, since this is truly at the core of the HS philosophy

Computer infrastructure

Main server

for web presence, wiki, announcements, presentation notes

Playground server

with virtual machines to try out software / web projects without compromising our main web presence.

Internet connection

reasonably separate from business internet that must not be disrupted. We should provide wireless and wired access to support a class of 25 who bring their laptops. As we gain visibility, we will get hacked, so we need some sort of access policy / firewall.

RFID readers

One of the biggest issues I have heard about with these types of spaces is people never being able to find what they need to get the job done. If we use something like a barcode scanner or RFID reader to check out equipment then at least you will know who the last person was to use the resource. This can also help down the road if we get in some heavier machinery (mills, lathes, welding equipment) where for insurance reasons we would need to ensure that the user was trained and qualified to operate the tool. This method of "checking out" tools could be easily used to authenticate a member and check their certs before allowing them to even turn it on.

Electronics lab

Soldering stations

equipped for surface mount devices (SMD) soldering (i.e., with fine tips and magnifying glasses), as well as for scavenging old stuff (desoldering wick, desoldering pump, and a powerful soldering iron with a big hunkin' tip), tools for reflow soldering would also be good to get eventually

Multimeters

It would be nice to have not only handheld multimeters, but also some instruments that can be controlled and read by a computer, through some sort of interface. It would also be nice to be able to measure capacitance and inductance.

Oscilloscope

Things to look for in an oscilloscope:

• good probes (active, differential?)
• 4 channels are better than 2
• Some sort of interface to control the oscilloscope from a computer and to download the data for postprocessing
• Mixed signal scopes (MSO) are really handy for debugging embedded projects

Power supplies

Most important: Adjustable laboratory power supply. A bunch of PC power supplies up for grabs would be helpful, too.

Digital signal analyzer

If a logic analyzer is too expensive, some solution with lots of digital inputs into a PC might be a feasible solution

Arbitrary function generator

This is a basic need for a lot of projects, but also for keeping equipment calibrated and working properly.

Dedicated hardware hacking computer

This could be a computer that doesn't have a lot of CPU power, but a lot of interfaces, including the older kinds of interfaces (parallel Centronics, RS-232 serial, JTAG, GPIB?) that are obsolete these days, but are easier to use for hardware hacking. A lot of memory, to aquire large amounts of measurement data.

tweezers

flat pliers

wire cutter

wire stripper

crimping tools

wire & cable storage

Lab cables

BNC, banana jack, probe leads, micrograbbers and associated adapters etc. This is a must have if anyone will be working with power supplies, oscilloscopes and the like.

Parts bins

Somewhere that members can donate spare parts etc. If there is enough interest perhaps there could be an electronics tier in the membership where a little extra fee is applied to restock basic parts, resistors, capacitors, wire, and basic stuff like you never think about.

Mechanical tools

Handheld drill

Wrenches

Dremmel tools