New arrivals 13.

Here are a few "new" test equipment just arrived to my lab. I can tell that I almost have everything I dreamed about. Actually I have to go back to my electronics journey (There other things I'd like to achieve until I get there, but looks like, back on track)

From up to down:

HP 53132A Universal Counter

I already have an Agilent 53131A. I not really need this higher precision one, but as I had the opportunity to upgrade for not too much money. The 53131A has the HS oven. It will move to this one.

YEW (Yokogawa) 2533 Power Meter

I wanted to have a power meter for a while, but the cost of those was not acceptable for a home lab. I got this one for a reasonable price. Also, this is a 3 phase unit, what is a plus.

This is capable to work up to 600V but the power supply is 115V unit, so not compatible with the 230V mains here. Fortunately a few years ago, by mistake I built an external 115V AC supply (nothing fancy just a small transformer in an appropriate box, with the required connectors and mains switch), what come handy now.

HP 4284A Precision LCR meter

This is an awesome piece of kit. I wanted to have a continuous tuning high frequency LCR meter for a while. This is capable to work until 1MHz what is much better than my current HP U1733C.

Reorganizing lab 7.

I reached a milestone in my lab. I can state now that the project I started regarding my tables are finished. Added a shelf, lighting zillions of power distributors, reinforced the tables with additional cross bars at the back, and many more.

From now on, other projects are coming. Still not electronics. Now I'll focus on the IT infrastructure and on the top of it regaining the 3D printing capability. Additional posts on the way.

Now, here are few pictures about the result.

Project - Network

The second stage of rebuilding my lab is to have a solid Ethernet and Wi-Fi network.

On this road I bought a few network devices: used HP 2530 series PoE switches.

Built a setup with VLANs separating the home, the planed home automation, guest, etc. networks.

Had some fight with my Mikrotik router to properly support VLANs (still just barely understand its approach of VLAN settings).

I also had Wi-Fi routers, access points (TP-Link and Ubiquiti) laying around. All of them finally converted to OpenWRT.

And the biggest relive that my long hated HP 1920-24G switch also turned to an OpenWRT device (I guess this is a leftover from the 3Com acquisition by HP and the interface is far from the familiar convenient HP UIs):

This correcting my mistake of buying it.

So, most of the logical network setup of my flat and lab is done, just the Multi-SSID Wi-Fi setup and the client device reorganization is left.

 

Reorganizing lab 6.

The project of rebuilding my tables are finished.

I still try to figure out what goes where but it is not as messy it was a few days ago.

I think it is time for picking a new project while still moving my stuff.

Reorganizing lab 5.

 The good:

How it looks like Today. Three out of four tables complete. Even my lab computer is its final location. Currently I'm writing this on that computer.

The bad: No more time to work on it in the next week or bit more.

And the ugly:

This is the leftover. I need to handle this. I just hope that after reorganization this will disappear.

Reorganizing lab 4.

This can be called as a milestone for my lab bench project. My corner table, with additional top shelf and integrated lighting is ready.

One done, additional three to go. But as I already finished many part of the other tables/shelves, it will not take too much more time to finish.

Reorganizing lab 3.

Continued to work on the shelf in the lab.

All of the shelfs are sanded most of it finished (3 out of 4)

This week will be off from my lab, I have other, mainly office work related tasks. Hopefully next week I can finish this with the final assembly - but most of the cases, this is too optimistic statement. 😂

Reorganizing lab 2.

After having hard time to remove the rust and the graphite covering from the iron parts during the week, Today finally I was able to put back the rust. 🤣

 

Just joking. I found redish brown base coating. 😉

I'm planing the black cover paint for tomorrow.

Reorganizing the lab 1.

Most of this years spare time activities went with other tings than electronics, 3D printing and my lab itself.

The result is an extreme chaos down here. A few weeks ago I decided to start to work on this.

The first was to dig out myself from the things around here. The second I decided to build the shelves on the top of my desks to generate some free spaces.

Bought everything needed. Wood panels, table legs (this will support the shelves), some iron profiles to reinforce the front of the shelves as I'm not willing to put support on the center front. Also want to reinforce the table legs as those has extreme wobbling.

The work begun. Cleaned two of my four desks.

The iron profiles are cut and drilled.

Next is sanding, painting those.

Building my rack(s)

In my previous lab, I had a small (27U) rolling rack at the side of my desk. When it finally got its shape, I started to move to my new lab. The equipment removed the rack disassembled.

I was a bit depressed on this as I had the feeling I'll never be able to put this together once again.

As I was reading things on the Facebook, I seen a guy trying to sell a whole bunch of outdated Cisco networking equipment. Nobody was interested, there came ugly comments on it, to throw the whole thing to the trash.

I seen a potential on something. Those Cisco units were installed into rack. So I wrote to him, if the rack containing the switches are on sale.

So I've two Rittal 42U height 600x800 racks for $100 each. I had some cleaning, metal work and paint repair with it (full repaint wasn't required, it has almost no rust just some dirt). One set of the vertical rails are not compatible, one rail mount was missing. Also I wanted open frame rack, so removed all of the doors, side panels, back panels.

Also I wanted to be able to move it on some rollers, but not every direction, just strictly need to pull out from the wall to be able to access the back. So I made legs with bearings as rollers.

In the last week finally put back most of the equipment to it (some not fit, it will be go into the other rack when I'll able to find time to rebuild the back vertical rails.

One of my problems with the rack, how to access the equipment connectors on the back, from the front of the rack. I wanted something modular to be able to put various type of connectors to it.

Built a 1,5U unit onto the top of the previous rack from aluminum extrusion a 3D print. It failed. Wasn't precise enough, won't fit things I wanted to put in.
I was thinking about some Panduit modular patch panels, but never bought it. So just left it.

I put this thing to a side for years.

When I started to build my new rack a few month ago, I just seen something interesting on the net. Asked the owner, what he was using. It turned out, It is a Middle Atlantic Products UCP series modular kit: https://www.legrandav.com/products/accessories/connector_panels/ucp_hinged_frame_kit/ucp-sf

It has two issues for me: It is not on sale in Europe, it uses imperial screws what isn't easy to source here.

I designed and built a 3D printed 3U height modular front panel. It can accommodate 16 modules. It is great, I put it into the rack already, with the breakouts of the four channel HP 6627A power supply.

This could be the final solution, but...

...when it was already built just realized, there exists something called Eurorack Modular Synths. It perfectly match with my ideas. I bought two set of rails.

The 19" rack mount was not included, but by surprise, the original endpieces are already 3D printed

The plan is to design a new endpiece with rack ears.

In the first rack, I'll keep my original design, but in the further rack or racks I'll switch to EuroRack.

In the last few years I was mainly working with Kubernetes. For this I previously built a K3S cluster from 5 Pine A64 SBCs. It broke down (dead SD cards), but I intend to rebuild it.

I thought, it would be a great idea to put these units into the modular front panel. Designed a holder for it.

Didn't print it when the design was ready as my printer had issues, later I didn't find time for it.

To be honest, I done not too much in my electronics project during the summer. The PCBWay asked, if I have problems - absolutely not - and suggested why I don't try out their 3D printing and CNC machining capability.

I was thinking this is a perfect opportunity for this. Made a quotation to this in PETG and some small part in resin. I can tell you, I was shocked. Mainly in the resin prices.

If the things I'm trying to print with a resin printer coming on these prices, absolutely nothing justify keeping my resin printer in the future.

Now the quotation is on. I'll write about the experience and my further way in 3D printing when the printed parts arrive into my hands for inspection.