I thought those cheap USB microscopes were a total gimmick

Got one for like $35 off Amazon last month just to see. Used it on a phone board with a suspected BGA crack. The thing actually showed me a hairline fracture I couldn't see with my loupe. It's not lab grade, but for quick visual checks on SMD components, it's way more useful than I expected. The software is clunky, but the image is clear enough. Has anyone else found a decent use for these budget scopes, or did I just get lucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

faithg2610h ago

The BGA crack you saw is a great find, but calling it a hairline fracture might be a bit off. At that magnification level on a cheap scope, you're usually seeing a solder joint crack or a separation in the ball grid array itself. A true hairline fracture in the silicon die would be way harder to spot without better optics. The value is definitely there for solder inspection, just the naming can get mixed up. It's cool that it showed you something your loupe missed.

the_jana10h ago

Good point on the naming, but spotting that joint crack still saved the board.