Reading labels on small ICs

I use a lens salvaged from an old 16mm projector.

Pros: good magnification and excellent optical quality compared to a magnifying glass. Cons: Not hands-free - unless you rig up a holder.

Used microscope from ebay or craigslist, or set your camcorder on macro and use the TV for a monitor. Older or non-functioning (i.e. non-recording) camcorders are dirt cheap. Put it on a stand above your work surface, throw plenty of light on the subject, and you can also do assembly with it.

I bought a couple of used B & L Stereo Zoom microscopes on ebay about two years ago for about 300 each. But be careful if you go that route. One of them was "substantially not as advertised" and I entered into a formal dispute with the seller.

(The Mantis, IME, is useless. It wobbles all over the place when you try to adjust it, making the autofocus do Elvis imitations. At least, the factory demo unit I worked with 20 years ago did. The floating arm mounting system was ill-suited to the magnification power. Perhaps they've improved.)

An inexpensive ~$50 digital microscope like a Carson Z-pix MM-640. Plugs into your USB port, no battery power. Has four bright LEDs. The object must be less than 1" away. The maximum viewing area is at least 1/2".

There are other brands of digital microscopes, but that is what I have. I think it is perfect for what you are talking about (that is mostly what I have used it for). The viewing surface must be flat so that it can get close enough. The object should be clamped/stationary so that you can use your hands to position the microscope and focus it. You can see the image on your computer screen, and you just click the top button to take a picture that is automatically saved.

I have a couple other tools handy:

1. My Canon Powershot A640 digital camera can get ridiculously close to things, like half an inch. The frame can be filled with something half the size of a postage stamp. At 1 inch away, a 2x3 mm object should still show up well.

1. Since I do a fair amount of simple optical work for developing various LED lighting products, I have among things plenty of lenses handy. For example, several convex ones with focal length in the range of 3/4 inch to 1.75 inches as well as longer. I find ones with focal length in the 1-1.5 inch range very convenient for looking at the tinyest things.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

My bottom-of-the-line Nikon cannot do that.

One plus to the dirt cheap USB microscope is that it shows the image on my monitor in real time, a huge and very clear image.

Coincidentally, I just took a snapshot of a powerful Xlamp XR LED with the USB microscope. It is a small file, will post it after this message, FWIW.

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> For example, several convex ones with focal length in the range of 3/4 
> inch to 1.75 inches as well as longer.  I find ones with focal length in 
> the 1-1.5 inch range very convenient for looking at the tinyest things.
> 
>  - Don Klipstein (don@misty.com)
>

USB microscope snapshot of an Xlamp XR LED

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Try the Veho when you get a chance, has a nice object distance so you can get the iron in there without melting stuff:

Nowadays I work with the LEDs off most of the time.

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Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

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