Adjustment tools and trimmers
Bernstein tools
Bernstein adjustment tools and trimmers are designed for tool-based setting of potentiometers, trimmer capacitors and other adjustable components on PCBs. The range includes adjustment screwdrivers in plastic (blade widths 2-4 mm, lengths up to 160 mm), bronze (blade widths 1.4-2.5 mm, lengths 80-155 mm) and ceramic (blade widths 0.9-3 mm as bits, 32 mm). Interchangeable-bit handles in plastic (1-725, single-ended) and dual-ended (1-735) accept the change bits.
The 13-piece ceramic adjustment screwdriver set (1-750) contains blades from 0.9x0.3x32 mm to 3x0.3x32 mm. Bronze versions are made from a non-magnetic copper-tin alloy that does not influence the RF circuit during trimming.
| Material | Property | Suited for |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | Electrically insulating, lightweight | AF circuits, DC adjustment, general potentiometers |
| Bronze (Cu/Sn) | Non-magnetic, conductive | RF circuits up to UHF, coil trimming, trimmer capacitors |
| Ceramic | Electrically + magnetically neutral, brittle | High-frequency precision trimming, microwave circuits |
For most AF and DC applications, plastic is sufficient. Bronze is the choice for RF circuits where the Faraday influence of a conductive steel tool would distort the reading. Ceramic provides maximum electrical and magnetic neutrality for RF up into the GHz range.
Typical applications: RF trimming in receiver, transmitter and filter circuits (bronze/ceramic blades), potentiometer adjustment in measurement and control systems (plastic), trimmer capacitor alignment in crystal oscillators and PLL circuits, calibration of laboratory instruments, and development and production of RF assemblies in communications and radar technology.
