New Jarduino build gets started

daplatapus · #1 01-09-2013, 05:28 AM

LOL, I'm not sure I do either, haha, but I'm figuring it out

And you're right, with a good soldering iron, it is very easy to solder these boards up. This is how the Real Time Clock and ITDB02 MEGA shield comes comes:

and this is what it looks like after about 3 hours of soldering:

Actually it wouldn't have taken 3 hours except, see that tiny little chip to the left of the teeny little silver cylinder? I soldered it on backwards and had to unsolder it (much more difficult than it sounds) clean up all the solder pads and re-do it. I actually don't know if there is a right way or wrong way to put it on, but there is a teeny weeny little dimple on one corner and one of the photo's I found on the net of another guy who built the same thing had the dimple in the opposite corner that I did. Logically I just assumed I was the one between us that got it wrong

And the back:

ScubaSteve · #2 01-09-2013, 05:34 AM

Looks pretty pro, Dom! How much fun did you have bending all those resistors

And yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to solder on that chip. It's lessons like these that teach you how valuable braided copper solder wick is. It's like an eraser for soldering

daplatapus · #3 01-09-2013, 05:54 AM

Hmmm, braided copper solder wick, good to know. I had a devil of a time trying to get that sucker off there. I kept trying to tell myself, "well at least you know your soldering is good!"

Do you just use any stranded copper wire (I'm assuming prepped with flux) or is there a specific product you get? I do have a desoldering pump, but go figure, I only remembered it after I'd finished.

ScubaSteve · #4 01-09-2013, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daplatapus

Hmmm, braided copper solder wick, good to know. I had a devil of a time trying to get that sucker off there. I kept trying to tell myself, "well at least you know your soldering is good!"

Do you just use any stranded copper wire (I'm assuming prepped with flux) or is there a specific product you get? I do have a desoldering pump, but go figure, I only remembered it after I'd finished.

Looks like this:

It's also called desoldering braid. Desoldering pumps work kinda "meh". The braid works like a sponge and sucks it up real quick. It's way less cumbersome and fussy than than the pumps. The day I discovered this stuff I tossed my desoldering pump in the bin (actually it was first disassembled for useful parts, then binned

).

gregzz4 · #5 01-09-2013, 06:07 AM

The solder wick comes on a roll
It looks similar to braided ground straps on older cars
Very handy to have on hand, but I've always got by with a solder pump

Nice work so far

Edit: I'm too slow

daplatapus · #6 01-09-2013, 06:16 AM

Sweet thanks guys. I'll see if Lordco or The source has some kicking around here for next time, because I'm sure there will be a next time.

gregzz4 · #7 01-09-2013, 06:28 AM

The Source Pacific Rim Center shows 2 in stock

daplatapus · #8 01-12-2013, 04:36 AM

Hey, thanks Greg! I haven't been up there yet, but now I definitely have more motivation

I got some more goodies in the mail today. A ribbon cable for the LCD screen. I want to mount it in the hood so I don't have to open the cabinet door to see the screen.

And the 4 driver LDD mounting boards:

And thanks to Chatouille, I now realize I ordered the wrong PCB board terminals for the boards and I'll have to buy 3.5mm pitch blocks rather than the 2.45mm I have coming. Du'oh!
Good thing I only paid $1.5 for ten and free shipping.