> **Source:** Core Electronics is an Australian maker-electronics retailer and manufacturer based in Newcastle, NSW, run by a team of makers and educators. We design and manufacture our own product lines (PiicoDev, CE originals) and are official retailers for iconic maker and industrial brands including Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Adafruit, SparkFun and DFRobot. Orders ship Australia-wide from our Newcastle warehouse. Prices are in AUD and include GST. Pricing, stock and dispatch on this page are generated from the store's live catalog. Full machine-readable index: https://core-electronics.com.au/llms.txt # BeanCounter **Type:** Product page · **SKU:** SPX-21738 · **Brand:** [Sparkfun](https://core-electronics.com.au/brands/sparkfun-australia) **Page:** https://core-electronics.com.au/beancounter.html ([markdown](https://core-electronics.com.au/beancounter.html.md)) Surface mount components on 8 mm carrier tape are among the most commonly used in electronics assembly today. Whether you’re a hobbyist, a manufacturer... ## Pricing - **Price:** $184.95 (inc GST) — $168.14 AUD, exc GST - **Quantity discounts:** 5+ $163.09 (exc GST) · 25+ $159.73 (exc GST) · 100+ $153.00 (exc GST) ## Availability & dispatch - Out of stock — the product page offers email notification when it returns. ## Restrictions Restrictions apply to this equipment as it uses button/coin cell batteries: - The equipment is intended to be used in trades, professions or industries - The equipment is not intended for sale to the general public - The equipment is not intended to be used where children are present - You are aware that this equipment may not meet child safety testing requirements as it is not intended to be used by consumers or general public, but rather, is intended to be used in trades, professions or industries in conjunction with the limitations and restrictions listed above - You are aware that these restrictions are due to a change in [A](https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/businesses-on-notice-as-mandatory-button-battery-laws-commence)[ustralian legislation in 2022](https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/businesses-on-notice-as-mandatory-button-battery-laws-commence) for button/coin cell batteries ![Button Battery Warning](https://core-electronics.com.au/attachments/uploads/iec-button-battery.png) A declaration of use will need to be submitted during checkout. ## How to buy - **Build a cart:** compose `https://core-electronics.com.au/cart/link?items=SPX-21738:1` (comma-separated SKU:qty pairs) and share the link. Opening it shows a confirmation page with live pricing and stock before anything is added to the cart. - **Verify the cart first:** fetch `https://core-electronics.com.au/cart/link/SPX-21738:1.md` for live line prices (inc & exc GST, quantity discounts applied), stock and dispatch estimates, and totals. Append `/to/{AU-postcode}` (or `/to/{country-code}:{postcode}`) before `.md` for delivery options and prices to that destination. Unknown, retired, or out-of-stock SKUs are flagged. (Query form `cart/link.md?items=...` also works but some robots parsers refuse query strings here.) - **Checkout** is completed on-site and includes a captcha at the payment step. Share the cart link; checkout takes it from there. - **Search the catalogue:** `https://core-electronics.com.au/search/{query}.md` (URL-encode the query; pages 2-3 at `search/{query}/{page}.md`; `search.md?q=` also works) - **Payment methods, purchase orders, policies and contact details:** https://core-electronics.com.au/llms.txt ## Description Surface mount components on 8 mm carrier tape are among the most commonly used in electronics assembly today. Whether you’re a hobbyist, a manufacturer, or a supplier, you probably handle 8 mm reels and cut tape all the time. As the smallest standard size, 8 mm tape carries tiny, densely packed components that are difficult to count by hand. There are plenty of existing methods for counting parts on tape, from the humble ruler-and-calculator technique to large, expensive, automated reel counters. In need of something both portable and simple to use, Great Big Factory designed BeanCounter. BeanCounter is an SMT parts counter that fits in your pocket. It’s battery powered and uses two IR photointerrupters to count parts about as fast as you can pull them through. It works with any opaque, 8-mm-wide carrier tape with a part height of up to 2 mm for plastic tapes and a total thickness of 1mm for paper tapes. This covers most 0805-or-smaller LEDs and passives, as well as SOT23 transistors. It’s an affordable SMT tape counter without unnecessary bells and whistles. To use BeanCounter, simply turn it on and start pulling tape through. It will immediately begin counting your parts using one of two modes: **Inventory Mode** - Using just one sensor, BeanCounter polls at its fastest rate, allowing you to count long tapes and partial reels very quickly. **Dispense Mode** - With both sensors active, BeanCounter can detect the direction in which you are pulling tape, which allows it to count upward in one direction and downward in the other. This feature is useful in kitting contexts where you may be cutting fixed quantities off the end of a full reel.Part pitch is configurable in either mode, so you can accurately count any part that physically fits through the counter. Digging a little deeper, what BeanCounter actually does is count feed holes and divide by the part pitch. Because it cannot differentiate between parts and empty pockets, you will need to ensure that it begins counting after empty tape has been pulled through and stops counting before it reaches the tail. To help with this, there is a "pause" button that you can use to freeze the count while pulling empty tape. ### Features - Counts any component on optically opaque, 8-mm-wide carrier tape up to 1 mm thick (2 mm component height for plastic tapes) - Adjustable part pitch - Two counting modes: Inventory Mode and Dispense Mode - A "Pause" button for starting or stopping a count mid-tape - No moving parts means less wear and tear over time - Runs on a single CR2032 coin-cell battery (or an external 3V supply) - LED segment display is visible in all lighting conditions - A lanyard hole for attaching to a cable or wrist-strap - Weighs less than 50 grams - Open source design based on the Microchip ATTINY861V-10MU ### Documents - [GitHub repository](https://github.com/NPoole/BeanCounter) - [GitHub wiki manual](https://github.com/NPoole/BeanCounter/wiki/Overview) - [OSHW certification](https://certification.oshwa.org/us002097.html) - [Product Manual](https://core-electronics.com.au/attachments/localcontent/beancounter-manual_163412446d7.pdf) ## Images - [Product image 1](https://core-electronics.com.au/media/catalog/product/S/P/SPX-21738-1.jpg)