Small print

[liaemars]

I'm just assembling a kit to control motor speeds. I had a lot of trouble reading the small printing on some semiconductors and identifying them with the list supplied. I solved it by photographing them with a macro lens on my mobile phone and then had a decent sized picture to work with. Old eyes are a bit of a problem at times!
Thanks

 

[shrtrnd]

Get yourself one of those eye loupes.
I have a 4x magnification for the small print, and use a 10x magnification loupe to actually physically inspect any small parts or solder joints that I suspect are damaged.
With today's circuits, you really need some type of easy magnification.

 

[AnalogKid]

"Reading glasses" come in several strengths, off-the-shelf at drug stores, Walmart, etc. For me, 2.5 or 3.0 diopter is a good compromise between magnification and depth of field. For detailed work, I have a 10x loupe.

ak

 

[kellys_eye]

I use a combination of devices - the good old reading glasses, magnifying lens and, on occasion, a webcam retrofitted with a macro lens.

Some chips also benefit from smearing (using the smallest amount possible) with white thermal paste that 'sticks' to the lasered-on etching identification making it easier to read.

But the biggest bugbear is SMD components, particularly those that don't have any designation at all.....

 

[dave9]

Complain to the manufacturer that the components should be in labeled bags if there are any that can be confused with one another.