getting-it-done
Manufacturing
Components
Distribution
Design and Assembly
Breadboard Hints
Breadboarding Tools and Supplies
- Vectorboard
- 169P84WE (unclad)
- 169P84WEC1 (one side copper)
- 169P84WEC2 (two sides copper)
- Vector T42-1 Clips
- Vector K24A Push pins
- Vector P149 insertion tool
All of the Vector parts should be available from
All •
New •
Digi •
Mouse.
As always do not forget your best friend ---
FindChips
- Layout your circuit on graph paper prior to breadboarding.
- Use Vector K24A pins for external wires. Make sure you get the
epoxy-glass Vectorboard (part number 169P84WE) and not the paper
core. The K24A pins press in hard and you could break the paper
core board.
- Use 28AWG buss-wire for the small holes in the T42-1 (aka
flea-clips), 22AWG buss-wire for the large hole and the slot. The
28AWG buss-wire can be cut with an Xacto knife. If you pull your
wires straight you can run perpendicular wires, without
insulation, using the flea-clip slots and large holes.
- Use the P149 tool for inserting the T42-1 clips.
SMD Assembly Hints
SMD components are not difficult to hand solder provided you do not
design with components that are too small or components that have too
fine a pitch. SMD assembly goes fairly quickly. Make sure to use
plenty of flux and clean up fine pitch components with solderwick. If
you are using water-soluble flux you will need to periodically
(usually every hour) clean off the flux.
Pictures of some of the boards that I have done are
here
Another benefit of SMT is the ease of storage. Pictures of my
component storage trays are
here
SMD Soldering Procedure
- flux the PCB pads of a small group of components
- For each component:
- reflow solder onto one corner pad of each component
- while holding the component with tweezers solder the corner component pin
to PCB pad with the reflowed solder on it.
- solder the component pin in the opposite corner
- solder the remainder of the unsoldered component pins
Soldering Stations
| Soldering Station | Metcal SP200-11
|
| Metcal Tips | SSC-754A | 30deg bend, 20mil wide
|
| Vise
|
| Base Mount | Panavise 308
|
| Board Holder | Panavise 315
|
| Low Profile Base | Panavise 305
|
| Magnifier | Luxo 17113 | KRM Series, 22W fluorescent lamp, 3 diopter lense
|
| Wrist Strap | 3M 2214 | One Size, 5ft coiled cord
|
| Anti-static Mat | ACL Staticide 8085BM2460 | 2x5ft elastomer dissipative mat
|
