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Thread

Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-27 by Richard Cooke

Hi Folks,

Up until today, I've been fairly successful in soldering SMD parts for
my prototypes but it looks like I've got a short in one of the QFN32
parts.  How do you place them?  I guess my hand shook a bit when I was
placing the thing and now one of the Vcc pads are shorted to a GND pin.

I've managed to get the 0603 parts down without much problem but this
QFN32 part is tough.  I've placed the ATMEGA48 (TQFP package) and it
soldered fine.

I'm looking for some suggestions/words of wisdom on what other folks
do for their prototypes.

Thanks,

Richard Cooke

Re: Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-27 by Don Kinzer

--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Cooke" <rcooke@...> wrote:
>I've been fairly successful in soldering SMD
>parts for my prototypes but [...]

I can hand solder but I much prefer to manually place the parts and 
then put the boards in a reflow oven.  If you have the inclination, 
you might consider building a small reflow oven using a toaster oven.  
You can find information on building a reflow toaster oven in several 
places on the Internet including:
http://www.zbasic.net/forum/about368.html

Don Kinzer
ZBasic Microcontrollers
http://www.zbasic.net

Re: Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-27 by Eric Engler

--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Cooke" <rcooke@...> wrote:

> I'm looking for some suggestions/words of wisdom on what other folks
> do for their prototypes.

Check these out:

http://www.schmartboard.com/

Eric

Re: [AVR-Chat] Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-27 by Tim Gilbert

Richard,
Most of the time, liberal use of flux and some solder braid will clean up most problems.

Tim Gilbert
JEM Innovation Inc.
303-926-9053 (office)
303-437-4342 (cell)
720-890-8582 (fax)
www.jeminnovation.com
www.pdksolutions.com

Show quoted textHide quoted text

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Richard Cooke 
  To: AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 8:00 PM
  Subject: [AVR-Chat] Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

  Hi Folks,

  Up until today, I've been fairly successful in soldering SMD parts for
  my prototypes but it looks like I've got a short in one of the QFN32
  parts. How do you place them? I guess my hand shook a bit when I was
  placing the thing and now one of the Vcc pads are shorted to a GND pin.

  I've managed to get the 0603 parts down without much problem but this
  QFN32 part is tough. I've placed the ATMEGA48 (TQFP package) and it
  soldered fine.

  I'm looking for some suggestions/words of wisdom on what other folks
  do for their prototypes.

  Thanks,

  Richard Cooke

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [AVR-Chat] Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-27 by Alexandre Guimarães

Hi, Richard

    I have been using some QFN packages and sometimes I get shorts also... 
My solution is to use a weller Pyropen butane iron with a tip that makes it 
put just hot air out and a little SMD rework flux. I put the flux on all the 
sides of the chip and reflow it with the solderig iron... A hot air 
soldering station would probably work even better but the pyropen works 
quite well for me and is much cheaper...

best regards,
Alexandre Guimaraes

----- Original Message -----

Show quoted textHide quoted text

From: "Richard Cooke" <rcooke@digitalwavelength.com>
To: <AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:00 PM
Subject: [AVR-Chat] Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?


> Hi Folks,
>
> Up until today, I've been fairly successful in soldering SMD parts for
> my prototypes but it looks like I've got a short in one of the QFN32
> parts.  How do you place them?  I guess my hand shook a bit when I was
> placing the thing and now one of the Vcc pads are shorted to a GND pin.
>
> I've managed to get the 0603 parts down without much problem but this
> QFN32 part is tough.  I've placed the ATMEGA48 (TQFP package) and it
> soldered fine.
>
> I'm looking for some suggestions/words of wisdom on what other folks
> do for their prototypes.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Richard Cooke
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Re: [AVR-Chat] Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-27 by John Samperi

At 12:00 PM 27/06/2007, you wrote:
>I'm looking for some suggestions/words of wisdom on what other folks
>do for their prototypes.

Let someone ELSE do it??? It works for me :-)


Regards

John Samperi

********************************************************
Ampertronics Pty. Ltd.
11 Brokenwood Place Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153 AUSTRALIA
Tel. (02) 9674-6495       Fax (02) 9674-8745
Email: john@ampertronics.com.au
Website  http://www.ampertronics.com.au
*Electronic Design * Custom Products * Contract Assembly
********************************************************


-- 
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Re: Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-27 by Brian

I do this stuff everyday at work. It even works on QFP100 and bigger 
with 10mil pitch. Place your part on the board, hold the center down 
with your finger. Place flux at four spots, one on each side and 
touch with a clean iron to tack and hold it there. next, flux all for 
sides with liquid (water soluble flux), place a small amount of 
solder on the tip of your iron and using the weight of your iron ONLY 
(do not put any extra pressure or you will bend pins) and drag from 
one side to the other. if done right you can, or I can, solder the 
whole thing in 15 seconds.

--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Cooke" <rcooke@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Folks,
> 
> Up until today, I've been fairly successful in soldering SMD parts 
for
> my prototypes but it looks like I've got a short in one of the QFN32
> parts.  How do you place them?  I guess my hand shook a bit when I 
was
> placing the thing and now one of the Vcc pads are shorted to a GND 
pin.
> 
> I've managed to get the 0603 parts down without much problem but 
this

Show quoted textHide quoted text

> QFN32 part is tough.  I've placed the ATMEGA48 (TQFP package) and it
> soldered fine.
> 
> I'm looking for some suggestions/words of wisdom on what other folks
> do for their prototypes.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Richard Cooke
>

Re: Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-28 by kernels_nz

I use the same process with no-clean liquid flux, works very well.
Solder paste + toaster oven also works amazingly well if your doing
many SMD components.

The method described has also worked well for me on 5mm*5mm QFN
package chips without any problems.

Knowing the process is good, but nothing beats practice !!!!

Cheers
Hein B
Auckland, New Zealand.


--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Tim Gilbert" <tim@...> wrote:
>
> We often use a similar technique but we've found that you often
don't need the extra solder. There's usually enough on the board
plating to complete the connection (unless you're doing gold boards).
 Use lots of flux.
> 
> We've also found that water soluble flux works the best, just be
certain to clean it all off!!  Really weird things happen if you
don't; also many water soluble fluxes contain acid.  We'll often clean
with just a bit of Simple Green to neutralize the acid and get the
boards really clean.
> 
> 
> Tim Gilbert
> JEM Innovation Inc.
> 303-926-9053 (office)
> 303-437-4342 (cell)
> 720-890-8582 (fax)
> www.jeminnovation.com
> www.pdksolutions.com
> 
> 
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Brian 
>   To: AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4:54 PM
>   Subject: [AVR-Chat] Re: Placing and soldering SMD parts for
prototypes - OT?

Show quoted textHide quoted text

> 
> 
>   I do this stuff everyday at work. It even works on QFP100 and bigger 
>   with 10mil pitch. Place your part on the board, hold the center down 
>   with your finger. Place flux at four spots, one on each side and 
>   touch with a clean iron to tack and hold it there. next, flux all for 
>   sides with liquid (water soluble flux), place a small amount of 
>   solder on the tip of your iron and using the weight of your iron ONLY 
>   (do not put any extra pressure or you will bend pins) and drag from 
>   one side to the other. if done right you can, or I can, solder the 
>   whole thing in 15 seconds.
> 
>   --- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Cooke" <rcooke@> wrote:
>   >
>   > Hi Folks,
>   > 
>   > Up until today, I've been fairly successful in soldering SMD parts 
>   for
>   > my prototypes but it looks like I've got a short in one of the QFN32
>   > parts. How do you place them? I guess my hand shook a bit when I 
>   was
>   > placing the thing and now one of the Vcc pads are shorted to a GND 
>   pin.
>   > 
>   > I've managed to get the 0603 parts down without much problem but 
>   this
>   > QFN32 part is tough. I've placed the ATMEGA48 (TQFP package) and it
>   > soldered fine.
>   > 
>   > I'm looking for some suggestions/words of wisdom on what other folks
>   > do for their prototypes.
>   > 
>   > Thanks,
>   > 
>   > Richard Cooke
>   >
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Re: [AVR-Chat] Re: Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-28 by Tim Gilbert

We often use a similar technique but we've found that you often don't need the extra solder. There's usually enough on the board plating to complete the connection (unless you're doing gold boards).  Use lots of flux.

We've also found that water soluble flux works the best, just be certain to clean it all off!!  Really weird things happen if you don't; also many water soluble fluxes contain acid.  We'll often clean with just a bit of Simple Green to neutralize the acid and get the boards really clean.


Tim Gilbert
JEM Innovation Inc.
303-926-9053 (office)
303-437-4342 (cell)
720-890-8582 (fax)
www.jeminnovation.com
www.pdksolutions.com

Show quoted textHide quoted text

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Brian 
  To: AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4:54 PM
  Subject: [AVR-Chat] Re: Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

  I do this stuff everyday at work. It even works on QFP100 and bigger 
  with 10mil pitch. Place your part on the board, hold the center down 
  with your finger. Place flux at four spots, one on each side and 
  touch with a clean iron to tack and hold it there. next, flux all for 
  sides with liquid (water soluble flux), place a small amount of 
  solder on the tip of your iron and using the weight of your iron ONLY 
  (do not put any extra pressure or you will bend pins) and drag from 
  one side to the other. if done right you can, or I can, solder the 
  whole thing in 15 seconds.

  --- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Cooke" <rcooke@...> wrote:
  >
  > Hi Folks,
  > 
  > Up until today, I've been fairly successful in soldering SMD parts 
  for
  > my prototypes but it looks like I've got a short in one of the QFN32
  > parts. How do you place them? I guess my hand shook a bit when I 
  was
  > placing the thing and now one of the Vcc pads are shorted to a GND 
  pin.
  > 
  > I've managed to get the 0603 parts down without much problem but 
  this
  > QFN32 part is tough. I've placed the ATMEGA48 (TQFP package) and it
  > soldered fine.
  > 
  > I'm looking for some suggestions/words of wisdom on what other folks
  > do for their prototypes.
  > 
  > Thanks,
  > 
  > Richard Cooke
  >

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [AVR-Chat] Re: Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?

2007-06-28 by Leon

----- Original Message -----

Show quoted textHide quoted text

From: "Brian" <blue_eagle74@yahoo.com>
To: <AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 11:54 PM
Subject: [AVR-Chat] Re: Placing and soldering SMD parts for prototypes - OT?


>I do this stuff everyday at work. It even works on QFP100 and bigger
> with 10mil pitch. Place your part on the board, hold the center down
> with your finger. Place flux at four spots, one on each side and
> touch with a clean iron to tack and hold it there. next, flux all for
> sides with liquid (water soluble flux), place a small amount of
> solder on the tip of your iron and using the weight of your iron ONLY
> (do not put any extra pressure or you will bend pins) and drag from
> one side to the other. if done right you can, or I can, solder the
> whole thing in 15 seconds.

The technique is called drag-soldering. I use a special mini-hoof cartridge 
(it holds a small amount of solder) for it with my Metcal system.

Leon
--
Leon Heller
Amateur radio call-sign G1HSM
Yaesu FT-817ND and FT-857D transceivers
Suzuki SV1000S motorcycle
leon355@btinternet.com
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller