4 ms·
Why are people doing all of this SMD stuff for hobby projects? Cool project, but that looks like a maddening build. Would be a fun afternoon if it was THT.
by Mizza 4y ago
Why are people doing all of this SMD stuff for hobby projects? Cool project, but that looks like a maddening build. Would be a fun afternoon if it was THT.
- lightedman 4y agoBecause it's actually easy and fast, and through hole rework is a pain. I say this from the point of view of an electronics manufacturing tech, so YMMV.
- naoru 4y agoThere's nothing maddening in soldering 0804/0603 SMD if you have the right tools. With a good flux you can even do it with your eyes closed. Smaller sizes require at least a magnifying glass and a steady hand though.
- myself248 4y agoBecause the only reason you think through-hole is easier is that you're accustomed to it. Starting from scratch, a syringe of paste and some tweezers is not only easier, it's faster and smaller. Young eyes might not even need a magnifying glass. There's no pile of sharp little trimmed leads everywhere afterward, even! I teach newbies SMT all the time at my local makerspace. It's insanely easy.
- tverbeure 4y agoHere's at least one very good reason: the 74LVC161284 buffer is only available as SMD. 0603 resistors and caps are pretty easy to solder by hand and you can buy convenient component boxes with a hundred different values that take up the space of a book. Soldering the whole thing together took less than an hour. Having a microscope definitely helped.