A lot of people do not prefer to use SMD because its hard to solder and difficult to produce the PCB (Printed Circuit Board). But sometimes we don't have option because manufactures do not produced it in DIP packages(example DSPIC 33, FPGA,Atmel.) But if you know the tricks, it really easy to do it. For the PCB part, if you don't have the facilities you can get it from supplier (type "SMD adapter"). Or if you want to learn design the PCB and fabricate it, you can contact me. But it only possible for single side board since the through hole plating process is very costly.
The Best Soldering Tip for Soldering SMD with hole at the center of the tip.
How to solder the surface mount chip on PCB- Prepare all the components -including soldering, lead wire (or lead free) and flux.
- Clean the PCB surface.
- Put flux or solder paste at the area for solder (PCB and components lead) to help soldering process.
- Make sure set the soldering temperature at the best range -normal lead (Tin/alloy) +/-200 Celsius and lead free +/- 240 Celsius. Or you can test the soldering tip to melt the wire.
- Use the advise tip (pic above) because it can keep a small amount of solder without put the wire when we do the soldering process. Its really important because of SMD size are not allowed you to touch the tip and wire at same time at the junction (soldering area).
- Touch the hot soldering iron with the solder wire and make sure it keep small amount of solder at the tip hole.
- Align the chip on the PCB and solder the first pin and the last pin to firm the position.
- After everything look fine continue to solder the rest of pins.
- If bridging happen, don't scare just add flux on that area and wipe your solder iron tip and make sure at the tip hole contains no more solder because we want the excessive solder at bridging area transfer to the tip hole.
- You may need to practice it to make a prefect soldering.
- Another tips don't scare to set the temperature above the solder wire melting point because it will help to melt the solder wire faster and make the contact time less (time to touch the hot iron to the components pin and PCB). If temperature to low then it will create a problem because solder won't stick to the PCB and components pin as the both surface must have certain level temperature before solder will stick into it.
Thanks for read it.
