Quick Tip: Tracing PCB Tracks with an Aluminum Finger

Technology
Quick Tip: Tracing PCB Tracks with an Aluminum Finger

PCB

What a great idea! I just discovered this very clever way of of tracing connections on a printed circuit board on Instructables, from 2012. Rather than having to probe every single solder/contact point on a board, Instructable user “hertzgamma” starts out with a special fingertip testing probe, made out of a wire attached to a clip on one end and some aluminum foil on the other (wrapped around his fingertip).

YouTube player
YouTube player

Clipping this makeshift tester to a multimeter probe needle, he then places one probe on a contact point of the PCB and then tests areas of the board with his finger probe until he gets a signal. When he does, he simply switches to the normal needle probe and begins testing the contacts in that area until he finds the correct trace. Voilà. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy and why didn’t I think of that?

The above videos and description tell you pretty much all you need to know, but there is an Instructable that goes into a bit more detail. Also, see the comments on the Instructable post for cautions about capacitors, shorting and shock risk, and some additional tweaks to the design which could be useful.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

View more articles by Gareth Branwyn

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK