gEDA-user: Questions on Prototyping with SMT Components

[David Carr]

Mark,

I think you'll find that you'll be able to do just fine with a few tools 
that you mostly already have.
I routinely solder 0.5mm pitch TSSOPs and 0603 packages with just a 
temperature controlled soldering
iron, some decent tweezers, solder wick and a syringe of paste flux.  In 
fact I use a medium soldering iron
tip because I like it better than my ultra-fine ones.

The real challenge of SMT components is not psyching yourself out before 
you get started.  The techniques
 are a little different that those involved in TH soldering but the 
process itself isn't any more difficult.

Click on the assembly manual link on this website for a section on 
soldering SMT components:
http://oscar.dcarr.org/ssrp/hardware/LTC1746/LTC1746.php

Darrell Harmon also has some good info on this subject:
http://dlharmon.com/solder/smd.html

Good luck (but I suspect you won't need too much)...
-DC

Mark Allyn wrote:
> Hello:
>
> I have made a design which I will need to prototype and test.
>
> The issue that I face is that almost all of the components are
> SMT type components, including a Xilinx FPGA and CPLD. I have
> never had to deal with smt type components before; they obviously
> wont fit into my trusty solderless breadboard that I have.
>
> I have done some research and found that there are SMT to
> DIP adapters (where you take a 40 pin SMT chip like a CPLD
> and solder it onto a small PC board that has 40 pins that
> will plug into a solderless breadboard.
>
> I have never done SMT type soldering. I have done some
> research on line and found a wide variety (and wide variety
> of prices) for these 'hot air gun' type soldering tools
> used for SMT work. I see them range from about $150 all the
> way up to $1,500 or more.
>
> I plan to have my boards contract fabricated and assembled,
> but I need to do the prototyping as well as the assembly
> of my first boards for testing.
>
> Have any of you had experience with working with SMT's including
> 40 to 100 pin chips with very closely spaced pins? Do any of
> you have recommendations for appropriate soldering equipment?
> Do I have to spend the $1,200 plus or can I get away with something
> in the $400 to $500 area?
>
> I would greatly appreciate any help; if this is not the correct
> forum for this type of question, perhaps can someone please
> refer me to a more appropriate place?
>
> Thank you
>
> Truly yours,
>
> Mark Allyn
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