Solutions for holding oscilloscope probes (and freeing up hands)

Question

I have a problem, I only have two hands and the newer oscilloscopes come with four probes. This leaves me with zero hands to press the trigger button (even if I hold three probes with one hand I still can't use four). I usually have to ask a colleague to press the trigger button, in a cubicle this can get awkward.

What is a specific way I can hold the probes and press the trigger button, Without biological modification?

By "newer" you mean higher priced ones made as much as 50 years ago? — The Photon, Dec 19 '16 at 23:23
FWIW, if you like spending lots of money, Keysight scopes have a voice command option. — The Photon, Dec 19 '16 at 23:25
@ThePhoton I didn't know that! But that actually sounds like it opens a market for a lot of command&control add-on software that'd work with all the scopes/SA/siggens that nowadays have remote control interfaces :) — Marcus Müller, Dec 19 '16 at 23:26
Bob Pease (EDN) used a few turns of stiff buss wire to make a probe tip jack, soldered directly to each test point. So the probes were mechanically stable, leaving hands free to work the scope and write journal notes. — MarkU, Dec 19 '16 at 23:58
It's possible to hold two probes with one hand like chopsticks, if the test points are near each-other. Holding a probe with one's teeth is not unheard of. — Nick Alexeev, Dec 20 '16 at 03:09
@NickAlexeev I can hold three in one hand and hit the button, sometimes I need four. Plus sometimes I want to get a drink and then I have to position them again. — Voltage Spike, Dec 20 '16 at 04:48
@IgnacioVazquez-Abrams I've seen the gator clip "third hands" but the multi stand ones look awesome! — Voltage Spike, Dec 20 '16 at 04:50
@RoyC That's the telltale sign of a real engieer right there! +1. — winny, Dec 20 '16 at 11:12
@laptop2d, as long as your drink is whiskey to help keep your hands steady. — The Photon, Dec 20 '16 at 16:30
@VladimirCravero I do, but I only do this for the most interesting signals. Sometimes I end up wanting to probe other ports on a micro or FPGA. I can blue wire, but sometimes I get lazy and just want to stick the probes right on the chip. — Voltage Spike, Dec 20 '16 at 17:39
@ThePhoton that is a great link for the tek voice control software. — Voltage Spike, Dec 20 '16 at 17:44
What is the brand or part number of this holder? https://electronics.stackexchange.com/a/276017/325335 — savaş karadağ, Nov 03 '22 at 13:58

score 23 · Answer 1 · 2016-12-20T12:43:07.720

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Without biological modification

Haha.

Does your oscilloscope come with probe hooks ?

If so, the next pcb you make, you can create some wire loops on the PCB.

Alternatively, you can build a DIY probe holder such as this (Make it open source so people with 3D printers can replicate your ultra helpful probe holders)

This probe holder is another cool idea for you to try.

edited Dec 20 '16 at 12:43

answered Dec 19 '16 at 23:40

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It would be good to post the images inline. They are integral part of your answer: otherwise "this", "these", "this", "here" isn't too much of a useful answer if the links break for some reason. – Ruslan Dec 20 '16 at 05:18
@Ruslan Fair enough, added the pictures. – Dec 20 '16 at 12:43
@Maximus I have access to a 3d printer and some mechanical engineers, that's a good idea to print some out. – Voltage Spike Dec 20 '16 at 18:10
@laptop2d Well that's great. Many people (including myself) face similar issues. Maybe 3D printing option will work for us all. – Dec 20 '16 at 18:50
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A smarter engineer would just buy some god damn clothes pins. Are you kidding me, 3d print them? – Passerby Dec 20 '16 at 23:00
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Please note that none of the pictures show ground connection. No wonder I've seen many interns who have no clue what to do with ground lead dangling from scope's probe. Results were not surprising. – Ale..chenski Dec 21 '16 at 18:59
If you use thru-hole test points, you don't even need the clop. Just put the probe tip in the hole and it'll hold itself. Also, people make free-hand probe holders like the 3d-printed one you showed. Best buy off-the-shelf when you can. – Dave Jan 19 '17 at 20:31
You don't need loops. Just make sure your most important signals get to some through-hole debug header. – Ronan Paixão Jan 20 '17 at 02:19

score 16 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 19 '16 at 23:43

16

In modern electronics and multi-point probing you do not hold probes. There are three options:

(1) If the signal is low-bandwidth (<100MHz), you solder a piece of flexible (multi-stranded) wire to points of interest, 0.5 - 1" long, and then connect (passive) probes that usually have hooks/clips.

(2) If signals are high bandwidth (500MHz - 8 whatever -12 GHz), you use attachments like this ZIF tip, and solder tiny (AWG 38-40) wires to test points;

(3) Alternatively you can use probe holders/positioners, with probe tips of pogo-pin style. But they are really not cheap.

answered Dec 19 '16 at 23:43

Ale..chenski

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All my signals are low bandwidth – Voltage Spike Dec 20 '16 at 04:45
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@laptop2d: For low bandwidth I usually glue/solder a 2xN 0.1" "debug" header to one of board edges, one row as ground, all other pins blue-wired (using magnet wire AWG34) to necessary points to monitor/follow. The low-bandwidth Tek (active) probes have a supplementary two-wire extenders, which make reliable connection to the header. The hooked cheap passive probes are quite useless these days. – Ale..chenski Dec 20 '16 at 05:55
I usually take the hooks off an hold them right on the pin of interest, either that or blue wire. I'm getting tired of both. On some boards I have used test points similar to these – Voltage Spike Dec 20 '16 at 18:07
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I seem to remember from AoE that soldering a resistor-terminated chunk of coax to the test points is a nice, moderately-high-bandwidth option. – FlashCactus Dec 20 '16 at 21:17
@FlashCactus, yes, if you have a low-impedance source on the design, you can use a chip resistor (950 Ohms, or 1200 Ohms) in series with 50-Ohm coax cable. When it is terminated at 50-Ohms scope input, you have an extremely wide bandwidth probe, 18 or even 26GHz with proper cables. The 950R will give you a 1:20 attenuator, and 1200R gives 1:25 attenuation. Bad things are that with typical input levels of high-speed signals (200-400mV), the resulting attenuation produces very reduced signal with too much noise on scopes. https://www.amazon.com/High-Speed-Digital-Design-Handbook/dp/0133957241 – Ale..chenski Dec 20 '16 at 21:26
Real engineers balance three probes with one hand while typing one handed with the other >:) – jalalipop Sep 15 '22 at 15:21

score 8 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 21 '16 at 02:38

8

After seeing comment from @Passerby about using clothepins, I thought I'd give it a try using common wooden laundry line clothepins. One isn't enough, but two seem to give a stable configuration:

answered Dec 21 '16 at 02:38

MarkU

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Work in a dark room, check. Poor man's accessories, check. Real engineer right here – Christianidis Vasilis Jan 10 '24 at 15:31
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@ChristianidisVasilis Just replaced a CPU under my large desk with no light other than my phone's flashlight and lots of swearing – tobalt Jan 10 '24 at 18:18

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 10 '24 at 15:29

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Amateurs. I present you THE holder

answered Jan 10 '24 at 15:29

Christianidis Vasilis

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score 3 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 20 '16 at 01:51

There are common several methods of getting scope probes to stay in place.

These include:

Use the probe grabber clip that comes with the probe.

Use bare bus wire wrapped around both the ground sleeve (for ground) an the tip (for the signal).

Solder they bus wire to the appropriate places. The probes will stay nicely in place.

score 3 · Answer 6 · answered Dec 20 '16 at 15:55

Other people have suggested various mechanical solutions, which are always a good thing. But if it is too late for you to implement them, I'd like to propose a different method.

Most oscilloscopes can be configured to trigger once on a certain level on a specific channel. If you know your signal is 3V sin wave, for example, you can set the trigger level at 2V. You then change your trigger to the one off mode (it is called manual on my scope).

You then place all your probes except the trigger channel. When you place the trigger channel probe the scope should display the waveforms. It triggers only once, and you will need to reset it to trigger again.

Good idea, but I'm looking for more of a mech solution – Voltage Spike Dec 20 '16 at 17:46 — Voltage Spike, Dec 20 '16 at 17:46

score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Dec 20 '16 at 16:23

If you've got a spare (or trigger) channel you can connect it to a footswitch (ebay link for picture). This could be connected to the square-wave calibration output, but I'd sling an AA holder (probably with 10K in series just in case) inside the footswitch and set the trigger voltage to about 1V. Just chop off the 1/4" mono jack plug these swicthes generally come with and replace with a BNC.

score 3 · Answer 8 · answered Nov 25 '18 at 12:29

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Maybe a little bit late but for the record:

We use the following tool from probeHolder.com in our lab and we are very satisfied with it. It works well with oscilloscope probes but also with multi-meter probes.

answered Nov 25 '18 at 12:29

ALoeb

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I am amazed: very nice answer. Did you made the probe holders by yourself or have you used tools originally made to fulfill other, different scopes? – Daniele Tampieri Nov 25 '18 at 12:40
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We bought the holders (see link) - but it would also be possible to made them yourself by using 3d printing. The clamp is made to be compatible with a wide range of probes. – ALoeb Nov 25 '18 at 14:22

score 2 · Answer 9 · answered Jun 09 '18 at 01:13

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It depends on if this is for personal or professional use. If its professional use, this is what we use.

https://www.tek.com/datasheet/ppm203b-ppm100-articulated-arm-datasheet

The PPM203B works really well even in very tiny components. And I mean tiny. Not just tiny like a 2000+ pin BGA package, but tiny like the DIE removed from the carrier of thatoff that 2000+ pin BGA package

answered Jun 09 '18 at 01:13

mallen

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Ok answer, if a bit late. – Jun 09 '18 at 02:02

goe1zorbey · Answer 10 · 2024-01-14T11:06:26.553

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I recently used a probe holder and felt sorry for the efforts to solder to pins (No affiliation)

Edit 2024-01-14

Suppliers:

please google "probe holder" for more up-to-date sources.

Spider board looks promising for smaller PCBs. google "spider board".

https://blog.acelab.eu.com/pc-3000-flash-spider-board-adapter-how-to-use-it.html

No affiliation still holds true.

edited Jan 14 '24 at 11:06

answered Dec 20 '16 at 13:21

goe1zorbey

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@ChristianidisVasilis please the edit above. – goe1zorbey Jan 14 '24 at 11:07

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 10 '24 at 17:05

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Actually, over the years, this is the best one I've found:

https://buildkotto.com/collections/soldering-tools/products/kotto-helping-hands-soldering-tool-third-hand-soldering-pcb-holder-tool-four-arms-helping-hands

answered Jan 10 '24 at 17:05

Voltage Spike

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Solutions for holding oscilloscope probes (and freeing up hands)

11 Answers11

Edit 2024-01-14