4 ms·

SMT Soldering: It's Easier Than You Think (comic) [pdf]

18 points by gnosis 14y ago

gouranga 14y ago
From experience, its definitely not easy (even with a hot air station). Bring back though the hole components - much more hackable.
- theatrus2 14y ago
  Really? I'm much happier placing SMT parts than through hole. Granted BGAs are an issue, but everything else is honestly easier.
  - gouranga 14y ago
    0402s and below kill me. I did a bit of time doing rework in the 90s and controlling solder on such a microscopic scale is an absolute bastard. its ok placing it first time but if you screw up, life is pain. Never tried a BGA and never want to. They're pick'n'place territory if you ask me.
    - HeyLaughingBoy 14y ago
      I have to agree. The day I need to do an 0402 is the day I seriously start looking for a used P&P machine.
    - DanBC 14y ago
      I couldn't imagine doing 0402 by hand. For people who don't know, 0402 is 1.0 mm x 0.5 mm (0.039 in × 0.020 in). Using an oven to solder is nice because it's mostly self-correcting. The melting solder pulls itself to the shape of the pads and also pulls the components into correct placement. (With a bit of luck). Hand soldering SMD components wasn't ever one of my skills. (And my through hole soldering was, if I say so myself, pretty good.)
- gnosis 14y ago
  You may want to try using solder paste and either a hot plate or a toaster oven.
AnthonBerg 14y ago
This video shows how easy it is: http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Soldering/101 http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Solder... Through-hole: Fit part through holes, grab iron, tack solder, put iron back, flip board, grab cutter, cut leads, put cutters back, solder joints, flip board back. SMD: Grab tweezers, pick up part, place, tack solder, adjust fit, solder. Through-hole sucks. SMD is a bitch with the wrong methods and tools, but very pleasant with decent tweezers, liquid flux, good desoldering braid, Chip-Quik super-low-melting-point desoldering solder, and a reasonable tip on the iron. No expensive stuff needed. But the right methods are, which are easily learned. SMD has better electrical properties - less noise pickup and lower inductance, which is necessary for high frequency work. Certain chip packages are tricky to solder in SMD, like BGAs I believe. Possible though. And probably easy with the right tools and technique - capillary action tends to align everything anyway if you can get heat into the solder. Very small SMDis not pleasant ... 0805 is a breeze, 0603 is fine, 0402 can be a bit tense sometimes. Smaller than that is unpleasant ... You can do SMD soldering!
- AnthonBerg 14y ago
  To give some context, All of this stuff is actually easy to build: 41Hz Amp32, energy-efficient 2x25W hifi amp, sounds amazing, 17 grams, fits in a matchbox with room to spare: http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=38 http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=38 41Hz Amp4, similar but higher power and sounds ridicullusly good - looks like a hard SMD build maybe, but absolutely isn't: http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=6 http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=6 41Hz PS4, tiny switching voltage regulator - modern 780x/LM317 replace ent that is 90% power efficient and can handle a ~90V in/out differential: http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=317&catid= http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=317&catid= GrubDAC, pretty small and nice usb powered audio out: http://diyforums.org/GrubDAC/GrubDACoverview.php http://diyforums.org/GrubDAC/GrubDACoverview.php None of them are really feasible through-hole; Similar is possible but noticeably bigger and less performant. (Not affiliated with any vendors listed above, no commercial interest, just like the stuff.)
  - AnthonBerg 14y ago
AnthonBerg 14y ago
In Japan, even run-of-the-mill home-improvement DIY stores have SMD soldering supplies :) Good solder, very nice soldering irons labelled "For SMD Use", even high-quality liquid flux in 50-100ml bottles with a needle tip.

18 points by gnosis 14y ago

From experience, its definitely not easy (even with a hot air station). Bring back though the hole components - much more hackable.

theatrus2 14y ago
Really? I'm much happier placing SMT parts than through hole. Granted BGAs are an issue, but everything else is honestly easier.
- gouranga 14y ago
  0402s and below kill me. I did a bit of time doing rework in the 90s and controlling solder on such a microscopic scale is an absolute bastard. its ok placing it first time but if you screw up, life is pain. Never tried a BGA and never want to. They're pick'n'place territory if you ask me.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 14y ago
    I have to agree. The day I need to do an 0402 is the day I seriously start looking for a used P&P machine.
  - DanBC 14y ago
    I couldn't imagine doing 0402 by hand. For people who don't know, 0402 is 1.0 mm x 0.5 mm (0.039 in × 0.020 in). Using an oven to solder is nice because it's mostly self-correcting. The melting solder pulls itself to the shape of the pads and also pulls the components into correct placement. (With a bit of luck). Hand soldering SMD components wasn't ever one of my skills. (And my through hole soldering was, if I say so myself, pretty good.)
gnosis 14y ago
You may want to try using solder paste and either a hot plate or a toaster oven.

AnthonBerg 14y ago

This video shows how easy it is: http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Soldering/101 http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/Surface_Mount_Solder... Through-hole: Fit part through holes, grab iron, tack solder, put iron back, flip board, grab cutter, cut leads, put cutters back, solder joints, flip board back. SMD: Grab tweezers, pick up part, place, tack solder, adjust fit, solder. Through-hole sucks. SMD is a bitch with the wrong methods and tools, but very pleasant with decent tweezers, liquid flux, good desoldering braid, Chip-Quik super-low-melting-point desoldering solder, and a reasonable tip on the iron. No expensive stuff needed. But the right methods are, which are easily learned. SMD has better electrical properties - less noise pickup and lower inductance, which is necessary for high frequency work. Certain chip packages are tricky to solder in SMD, like BGAs I believe. Possible though. And probably easy with the right tools and technique - capillary action tends to align everything anyway if you can get heat into the solder. Very small SMDis not pleasant ... 0805 is a breeze, 0603 is fine, 0402 can be a bit tense sometimes. Smaller than that is unpleasant ... You can do SMD soldering!

AnthonBerg 14y ago
To give some context, All of this stuff is actually easy to build: 41Hz Amp32, energy-efficient 2x25W hifi amp, sounds amazing, 17 grams, fits in a matchbox with room to spare: http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=38 http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=38 41Hz Amp4, similar but higher power and sounds ridicullusly good - looks like a hard SMD build maybe, but absolutely isn't: http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=6 http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=6 41Hz PS4, tiny switching voltage regulator - modern 780x/LM317 replace ent that is 90% power efficient and can handle a ~90V in/out differential: http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=317&catid= http://shop.41hz.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=317&catid= GrubDAC, pretty small and nice usb powered audio out: http://diyforums.org/GrubDAC/GrubDACoverview.php http://diyforums.org/GrubDAC/GrubDACoverview.php None of them are really feasible through-hole; Similar is possible but noticeably bigger and less performant. (Not affiliated with any vendors listed above, no commercial interest, just like the stuff.)
- AnthonBerg 14y ago

AnthonBerg 14y ago

In Japan, even run-of-the-mill home-improvement DIY stores have SMD soldering supplies :) Good solder, very nice soldering irons labelled "For SMD Use", even high-quality liquid flux in 50-100ml bottles with a needle tip.