Here's a simple tip for avoiding costly mistakes when measuring values on a powered-on board: cover up your meter probes!
Meter probes are oh so shiny and conductive but they also like to slip as well as touch other parts you don't want touched. This sort of unwanted touching often leads to nasty sparks and subsequent release of the "magic smoke" form your components.
It may seem "duh" but wait until it happens to you! Things like vintage power output transistors and old chips are expensive to replace. Shorting an output transistor induces big current flows through other parts resulting in collateral damage. One slip can result in multiple burnt parts.
Meter probes are oh so shiny and conductive but they also like to slip as well as touch other parts you don't want touched. This sort of unwanted touching often leads to nasty sparks and subsequent release of the "magic smoke" form your components.
It may seem "duh" but wait until it happens to you! Things like vintage power output transistors and old chips are expensive to replace. Shorting an output transistor induces big current flows through other parts resulting in collateral damage. One slip can result in multiple burnt parts.
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Signing UpStep 1: Horror! Short circuit about to happen!
Here we are trying to get to a pin nearest the voltage regulator heatsink. We're dangerously close to shorting the pin to the heatsink.
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Thanks.
Great idea.
Sometimes I am too analytical to remember KISS but definetely doing this when I get home.