Use the
tools you
already have
on hand
Surface mount
soldering
BY ROBERT L. DOERR
Some people tend to shy away from using surface
mount components in their projects. It seems to
be too difficult or needs an array of specialized
equipment. In the past, I found myself in this same
mindset — wary of using these types of parts. That all
changed when I got involved with an open source motor
controller project (OSMC). It used a mix of surface mount
and through-hole components. I took the plunge and
built up a pair of OSMC H-bridge boards and the MOB
(Modular OSMC Brain) controller board which I used in
the Battlebot Crash Test Junior. At the time, there was little
information available on how to mount these parts using
an ordinary soldering station and tools that most hobbyists
would have on hand. Not wanting to invest in a whole
new set of tools (hot air stations, etc.), I experimented a
bit and used common sense techniques to get the job
done. A point I'd like to stress is the myth about requiring
anything exotic to work with most surface -mount parts. I
don't own or use any special soldering equipment for this.
All of the soldering that I've done on surface mount
boards is built with an old Weller WTCPT station and
TC201 soldering iron. It has the fine tip that came
standard on it. If you happen to have access to specialized
tools, go ahead and use them
■ Surface mount resistors
between pads on a
but you still may find these
protoboard.
■ Adding extra capacitors between pins.
tips helpful. It has been my experience that depending
upon your techniques, you can get by just fine in most
instances without specialized tools. The techniques and
methodology you use when initially assembling a project
using surface mount parts can make all the difference! It
takes a little getting used to but quickly becomes second
nature. It does require good eyesight (or a big magnifying
glass) and a steady hand though. Now, if you start talking
about parts that use a ball grid array (BGA) connection or
others like that then you would need special tools. Careful
selection of parts to avoid difficult package styles can
make using tools most
people already have on
their bench a viable option.
Figuring Out How To
Use Existing Tools
Surface mount parts
can be soldered with
■ A USB interface for
my HERO 1 robot
(surface mount and
through-hole parts).
60
January 2009