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Comment by clktmr | Hacker News Reader

You can start with a breadboard, oscilloscope and a set of standard parts (LEDs, resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes). Combine this with a microcontroller you can flash via USB dongle or an RaspberryPi. Should all fit on a desk.

The lab is really only necessary for soldering and creating custom PCBs.

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Oscilloscope is probably overkill for starting out, better a good multimeter for much cheaper.

Be careful with the microcontrollers; it's easy to fry them when you make mistakes!

You don't even need a lab for this. You can solder fine on a computer desk and create custom PCBs using software, then send it off to a company to etch it for you.

True if you only do DIP, wouldn't recommend it for SMD. Eventually you will need to debug your PCB and solder some fixes, which will be frustrating for SMD parts without the proper equipment.

All you need for simple SMD soldering is a TS100 soldering iron, good solder and good flux. And that's what I would recommend to any beginner, even if they wanted to solder together THT kits.

The only extra tool needed is if you need to replace a chip (or solder some QFNs / BGAs), but the cheapest available hot air station will do just fine.

When I was younger the kitchen table and a piece of cardboard was my soldering station for years. In fact truth be told many times I just bring my equipment out and use it there even now that I have my own place. My workspace is generally crowded where as my table is kept clean.

Very similar to the fact that most people don't have a dedicate place to do a puzzle, a card table or kitchen table will suffice.

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