Measurement & inspection

Measurement and optical inspection start where the eye gives up: a USB digital microscope with a 1080p sensor and eight LEDs, a 5x LED magnifying lamp with three light tones, a helping hand with a built-in magnifier. These tools are there to go back over a solder joint, spot a cut trace or check the orientation of an SMD component before heating.

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Choosing between a magnifying lamp and a digital microscope for soldering

The useful magnification depends on the working distance

A 5x bench magnifying lamp leaves about ten centimetres between the lens and the board: enough to slide in an iron and a pair of tweezers, which makes it the tool for the work itself. The USB digital microscope, with its 1080p sensor and its 8 LEDs, goes much higher in magnification but means working with your eyes on a screen. The lamp's 3 light tones also change how a green solder mask reads: cool white brings out the traces, warm white the flux residue.

A digital microscope is not a stereo microscope

The image returned by a single sensor is flat. No relief, and so no fine perception of the height of a solder ball or of a lifted leg. The offset between hand and image also calls for a few sessions to get used to. For quick desoldering, the magnifier is often the more direct choice; the microscope takes the lead on checking afterwards.

What it doesn't do

  • No electrical measuring instrument: no multimeter, no bench power supply, no oscilloscope.
  • The 1080p sensor shows an image, it measures neither a dimension nor a temperature.
  • The selection is short and purely optical: this is an inspection station, not a test bench.

Workstation · Soldering and desoldering · Workshop tools · Antistatic and ESD · Repair and restoration · Workshop and modding

Questions fréquentes

Do you need a microscope to fit an IPS screen?
In the vast majority of cases, no. An IPS screen kit advertised as solder-free goes in with the naked eye, a magnifying lamp being enough to check that the ribbon is locked. The microscope becomes genuinely useful when you work on 0402-type SMD or repair a torn trace on the board.
What does 5x mean on a workshop magnifying lamp?
It is the magnification of the lens: the object appears about five times larger than to the naked eye. The higher the magnification, the smaller the visible area and the working distance. At 5x there is still room to manoeuvre a soldering iron, which makes it a good compromise for console repair.
Does the USB digital microscope work without a computer?
This type of microscope plugs in over USB and sends its image to a computer: you therefore need to allow for a screen beside the bench. Check the cable length against where your bench actually stands, and keep some room in front of you, since your gaze leaves the board for the screen.