All Questions
13
questions
17
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Can extra long pads cause problems?
I am a hobbyist and I find it very difficult to solder and work with SMD components which have very small underneath pads. I can't see when the solder flows, I can't touch the pads with the multimeter,...
- 299
0
votes
1
answer
167
views
How close the soldering joint for pcb?
I am soldering a 5-12V 5-8amp max electronic to a pcb board, without a schematics. I just want to ask how far should each joint in PCB board? what I mean is for example a cathode and anode when ...
1
vote
1
answer
325
views
Via on pad for bga decoupling. Is this ok when hand soldering?
I have understood that via on pad is bad for automatic assembly processes, but can be fine for hand soldering, since it is easy to compensate for the solder that wicks into the via.
I am doing a small ...
- 13
6
votes
8
answers
3k
views
How can I add "standoffs" to elevate a SMD component above the PCB?
I made a mistake when creating a symbol/footprint for a small (2.0 x 1.6 mm) SMD crystal and didn't notice until the prototypes didn't work. Unfortunately, the boards are tiny and expensive (0.4 mm ...
- 17k
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How is this kind of soldering done?
The solder fillets around the base of the header pins are almost flat - very different from the kind of fillets you'd expect to around a 0.1" header. These kind of fillets are very common on ST's ...
- 949
20
votes
3
answers
2k
views
When and why use triangle solder joints
I found these triangular solder joints in a 24v power supply. Why are they made as triangles? This is the first time I have seen it and I was unable to google anything about it.
- 473
5
votes
7
answers
5k
views
Why are there no easy-to-solder SMD diodes in 0603 packages?
What seem to be the most popular SMD diodes currently come in SC-79 packages, but they super tiny and really hard to hand solder...
...and they also can be a hassle even for reflow.
So I thought I'...
- 10.2k
1
vote
1
answer
295
views
Best way to prototype a TDFN package chip (MAX9814 and MAX9820)?
For my engineering project, we wanted to use the gain control and amplifier available on these two chips, but are finding difficulty with prototyping them as they are so tiny. One of the chips is a 14 ...
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
Is there a problem to solder only one side of a dual PCB?
If I do a double layer PCB (with the toner method) is there a problem if a solder the bottom side only? there are parts that are so hard to solder from the top layer, do I have to solder everything in ...
- 499
16
votes
6
answers
19k
views
Any tricks to attaching a wire or pin to a testpoint?
More and more often, I find myself needing to tear apart a device to seek out and connect to serial pads. These pads typically give me access to the underlying operating system for research or ...
- 263
0
votes
1
answer
3k
views
How to hand solder pads underneath an IC? [duplicate]
I have to design a board with a package case called MSOP-16
It has a large ground pad underneath the IC. What are good methods for soldering this pad by hand with a soldering iron?
Since it is a ...
- 834
7
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Eagle configure autorouter to solder components (except vias) only on bottom layer of double sided PCB
In double sided PCBs it is difficult to solder through hole components like IC bases, headers, etc. in the top layer. Normally the Eagle autorouter places the solder pads on both sides. That is, in a ...
- 171
12
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Soldering heatsink pad on bottom of IC
I am attempting to make a board for the tlc5951 24-channel led driver to drive an 8x8 rgb led array. I have made what I think is a good eagle library for the sop-38 package, but I am not sure what to ...
- 2,054