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Since I do a lot of stuff on B-size vellum, the antique drafting table is appropriate.
The print is Botticelli's Madonna del Libro.
A clean office is a sign of an empty mind. Since this picture was taken, I've acquired a second computer for this room:
a SuperMicro server with dual 8-core, 64-bit Opterons, a hardware RAID 5 array, and 32 GB of ECC DDR3 1333 memory, mostly to run POEMS simulations for customers. It runs CentOS 6.0 Linux, with KVM/QEMU virtual machines for Windows 7 and Windows XP.
I keep old databooks, because they have a lot of curves and tables that aren't in the more recent datasheets. I also like old technical books a lot—the ones written by the guy who came up with the concept are usually the clearest and most compelling.
At left, looking from the reception/whiteboard area into the lab.
Above, the optical breadboard, which has been cleared off because I'm about to build something else on it, showing the Burleigh Wavemeter and Electrophysics 7290 Pb-salt vidicon camera for 1.55 um IR, mounted on the indispensable Manfrotto Magic Arm.
original Mantis microscope,
Tek 475A scope,
classic Universal AVOMeter Model 8 Mk IV,
prototyping supplies, and a
postage-stamp workbench.
(It's since been supplemented with a much larger stainless steel/butcher block table from IKEA.)
For anyone interested, here's a Partial Lab Equipment List
From top:
HP 3325A synthesizer,
HP 5372A Frequency and Time Interval Analyzer,
HP 35665A Dynamic Signal Analyzer,
Tektronix TDS744A 500 MHz 2 Gs/s Scope,
Tektronix 11802 20 GHz sampling scope with many plugins,
HP 8568B 1.5 GHz spectrum analyzer,
Various amplifiers,
HP 339A Distortion Meter,
Krohn-Hite 202R Dual Filter 20Hz-2MHz,
EG&G PAR 5208 2-channel lock-in amplifier.
Also visible are a Tektronix 2467 microchannel-plate-CRT scope, which has the highest writing speed of any portable scope ever, and a 15-drawer Vidmar cabinet full of optical and electronics parts.
The sampling scope and a few of the smaller instruments came from a JDA partner, but otherwise all of this stuff was purchased on eBay in the last couple of years, for a few cents on the dollar.
This is an amazingly good time to be setting up a lab, if you know what to look for.
Storage room containing shelves full of
gnarly prototypes, as well as
a lot of optical and micropositioning stuff
HP 8620C microwave sweeper
Keithley 410 micro-microammeter (picoammeter)
Burleigh RC-110 Fabry-Perot interferometer
Burleigh RC-43 Ramp Generator for the above.
pretty bare except for a writing desk, a chair, and a 'fridge. It now has two vitally important items: an espresso machine and a couch for writing firmware in, but still needs some artwork.
Of course there are lots of things it needs yet...
a microwave
a bunch more lasers of all kinds, especially quiet Nd:YAGs in various wavelengths
another equipment rack,
a file cabinet,
some light metal-working capability, and so on.
I'll also eventually need a decent optical table,
but since I'm doing a lot of miniature stuff these days, 3x4 feet is good enough.
Other folks have suggested a pizza oven, but that's not allowed under my lease!