Anyone got it right with BGA's yet?

John Hope · 24th September 2006, 08:12 AM

Has anyone got it right yet to solder BGA devices at home, and would share this information with us?

daatkins · 24th September 2006, 10:08 AM

I’ve successfully used a Lattice CPLD in a home project. I only needed to connect 20 or so signals so gluing the chip upside down and soldering link wires from the balls to the PCB worked a treat. That device had 1mm ball pitch; I also tried a 0.7mm pitch device but gave up.

Unfortunately, your chances of mounting a BGA the correct way are very slim. We have a manual BGA pick and place machine at work with an optical alignment system (a video camera mounted on a microscope) and that gives a pretty poor success rate.

Good luck!
David.

John Hope · 24th September 2006, 06:47 PM

Thanks, but no thanks. The device in question would be either 256FBGA or a QFN108 and it would have to go on a pcb.

I guess my best bet would be to either 'stay away from BGA' (hey that has a nice ring to it!) or cultivate a contact at some place like MTech or Walters with the necessary facilities.

Stinking IC manufacturers: 1
Determined hobbyists:0

Can we allow this to continue?

Cheers

John Hope

BlackCatSound · 24th September 2006, 07:01 PM

Its not the IC manufacturers to blame, its the customers. With my work hat on I want the smallest device package I can get and BGAs fill that need. So I buy BGA package devices over leaded ones.

But BGAs are not the only non-DIY friendly package. Chipscale packages, 0.5 or smaller pitch leaded packages etc.. are all beyond 99.9% of DIYers. Even with a nice metcal and a mantis they are a nightmare to solder.

If you really have to use a BGA I'd start getting friendly with a PCB assembler.

Dave · 24th September 2006, 07:30 PM

Here http://dlharmon.com/solder/smd.html

is one soldered using the toaster oven technique.

John Hope · 25th September 2006, 06:38 AM

Thanks Dave. Very useful info. I knew somebody must have done it.

One of the articles mentions a couple of 'opens and bridges' on fine pitch devices that had to be cleared manually. I guess with BGA FPGA's s there is no recourse to fixups, and it would be a good idea to have as much 'redundant I/O breakouts' as possible so that opens could be fixed by using another pin on the FPGA.
With shorts, I guess one can similarly reroute the I/O and tristate the shorted pins. Assuming the short is not between power rails, or JTAG pins or anywhere else really tragic.

This all sounds like a good challenge!

Cheers

John

CJ900RR · 25th September 2006, 10:11 AM

Im making my living by placing BGA's, and other components, so it's a simple thing to do for me

rfbrw · 25th September 2006, 11:48 AM

Perhaps when faced with a mid life crisis instead of a sports car with a six figure price tag, one could buy an Ersa instead. It's a lot cheaper.

John Hope · 25th September 2006, 03:54 PM

rfbrw: Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I don't see the connection between sports cars, midlife crisis and diy'ers figuring how to get BGA devices soldered. Perhaps you have the wrong thread?

CJ900RR: Do you offer a service to guys wanting one or two BGA's soldered? Tell us more.

Cheers

John

poobah · 25th September 2006, 04:05 PM

I have learned to solder the small pitch stuff... against my wishes. And yes, Metcal is your friend.

I don't wish to discourage anyone... but BGAs?

24th September 2006, 08:12 AM	#1
John Hope diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: nr Oxford UK	Anyone got it right with BGA's yet? Has anyone got it right yet to solder BGA devices at home, and would share this information with us? __________________ At Spes Infracta __________________

24th September 2006, 06:47 PM	#3
John Hope diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: nr Oxford UK	Thanks, but no thanks. The device in question would be either 256FBGA or a QFN108 and it would have to go on a pcb. I guess my best bet would be to either 'stay away from BGA' (hey that has a nice ring to it!) or cultivate a contact at some place like MTech or Walters with the necessary facilities. Stinking IC manufacturers: 1 Determined hobbyists:0 Can we allow this to continue? Cheers John Hope __________________ At Spes Infracta __________________

25th September 2006, 06:38 AM	#6
John Hope diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: nr Oxford UK	Thanks Dave. Very useful info. I knew somebody must have done it. One of the articles mentions a couple of 'opens and bridges' on fine pitch devices that had to be cleared manually. I guess with BGA FPGA's s there is no recourse to fixups, and it would be a good idea to have as much 'redundant I/O breakouts' as possible so that opens could be fixed by using another pin on the FPGA. With shorts, I guess one can similarly reroute the I/O and tristate the shorted pins. Assuming the short is not between power rails, or JTAG pins or anywhere else really tragic. This all sounds like a good challenge! Cheers John __________________ At Spes Infracta __________________

25th September 2006, 03:54 PM	#9
John Hope diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: nr Oxford UK	rfbrw: Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I don't see the connection between sports cars, midlife crisis and diy'ers figuring how to get BGA devices soldered. Perhaps you have the wrong thread? CJ900RR: Do you offer a service to guys wanting one or two BGA's soldered? Tell us more. Cheers John __________________ At Spes Infracta __________________

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24th September 2006, 07:01 PM	#4
BlackCatSound diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2004	Its not the IC manufacturers to blame, its the customers. With my work hat on I want the smallest device package I can get and BGAs fill that need. So I buy BGA package devices over leaded ones. But BGAs are not the only non-DIY friendly package. Chipscale packages, 0.5 or smaller pitch leaded packages etc.. are all beyond 99.9% of DIYers. Even with a nice metcal and a mantis they are a nightmare to solder. If you really have to use a BGA I'd start getting friendly with a PCB assembler.

24th September 2006, 07:30 PM	#5
Dave diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: New Zealand	Here http://dlharmon.com/solder/smd.html is one soldered using the toaster oven technique.

25th September 2006, 10:11 AM	#7
CJ900RR diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2006	Im making my living by placing BGA's, and other components, so it's a simple thing to do for me

25th September 2006, 11:48 AM	#8
rfbrw diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: .	Perhaps when faced with a mid life crisis instead of a sports car with a six figure price tag, one could buy an Ersa instead. It's a lot cheaper.

25th September 2006, 04:05 PM	#10
poobah diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005	I have learned to solder the small pitch stuff... against my wishes. And yes, Metcal is your friend. I don't wish to discourage anyone... but BGAs?

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