nanogui: SetTop box Development [sorta an advert]
Subject:
RE: [nanogui] SetTop box Development [sorta an advert]
From:
Simon Wood ####@####.####
Date:
29 Jan 2002 13:54:24 -0000
Message-Id: <44632C76B97BD211AF6B00805FADCAB208790A63@exchange.saltaire.pace.co.uk>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Darran D. Rimron-Molloy ####@####.####
> Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 1:33 PM
> To: Alan Cox
> Cc: nano X
> Subject: RE: [nanogui] SetTop box Development [sorta an advert]
>
>
> > The box I took apart you would need to be very very good at
> > soldering to fit those connectors.
>
> Standard surface mount chips. All very unpleasent. Running solder down
> bent paperclips is my prefered method of mangling the board - although,
> upon investigation with a mag.glass and half an ounce of clue, there
> does seem to be jump-pads for a double-decker PS2 socket. - labeled
> SK1 - although mine were under a little round yellow sticker :)
>
[Simon Wood]
The real trick with surface mount is to let the solder do the work. You don't need a small iron, I use on with a 4mm wide tip.
For chip caps/resistor put a small blob on one end and then hold the chip with a pair of tweezers lightly touch the solder blob with the iron and the solder will pull the chip into place. Then solder the other end.
For bigger components (i.e. chips) tack them in place at the corners, then use lots (!!) of liquid flux and create a ball of solder between the pins and the iron. You can drag the ball of solder along the pins without the iron touching them. Remove excess solder by cleaning you iron and then dragging it down the length of a pin, this removes a little solder each time.
It does take a little practice at getting the right amount of solder (so you don't have to remove too much), but it really isn't that hard.
That said I am still in awe of a technician who put a 208 pin BGA down with a hot air gun!!!
Simon.
