With the increasing necessity for using surface mount components I was wondering if you could share some practical ways of handling them and soldering them? Also I'm not able to print PCBs so it's all perf-board or pad-board for me.
I did build myself a little alignment jig for transistors, but it's still like playing pick-up sticks with my butt cheeks:
To test them I use a cheapo multimeter that has an inline hFE socket and some bent lead wires wrapped around the transistor:
How do you even keep track of them? I have nightmares about losing my precious Toshiba BJTs.
This thread was a good start but didn't actually include much technique.
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/3240-smt-practical-diy.html
Thanks
I did build myself a little alignment jig for transistors, but it's still like playing pick-up sticks with my butt cheeks:
To test them I use a cheapo multimeter that has an inline hFE socket and some bent lead wires wrapped around the transistor:
How do you even keep track of them? I have nightmares about losing my precious Toshiba BJTs.
This thread was a good start but didn't actually include much technique.
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/3240-smt-practical-diy.html
Thanks
SMT adapter boards are useful, and there are many kinds.
SMT / SMD Products Category on Adafruit Industries
In general, tin the pads before soldering, use lots of flux, but just a little solder, of a small gauge.
SMT / SMD Products Category on Adafruit Industries
In general, tin the pads before soldering, use lots of flux, but just a little solder, of a small gauge.
I do have pretty good eyesight but nevertheless when I first had to solder SMD parts (down to 0201 & 01005), the eye opener (no pun intended) for me was that I could do it easily with the help of a good microscope.
Your experience may vary but in order to keep hands steady a magnified view helps tremendously and can´t be understated.
You can get yourself magnifying glasses like I did.
Not the most comfortable to wear because you have to get near to your object and will most probably not sit straight when using the highest magnification. But it´s OK for a couple of hours with breaks.
Of course that still won´t be comparable to a microscope.
I´d dare say that everybody can do SMT down to 0603 at least with magnified vision and a proper soldering tip (it also helps if if the soldering tip is not too far away from where you grip the soldering iron with your thumb; so similar to holding a pen). And I mean also on perfboard and making connections with insulated copper wire.
Oh, you´ll need proper tweezers too!
Your experience may vary but in order to keep hands steady a magnified view helps tremendously and can´t be understated.
You can get yourself magnifying glasses like I did.
Not the most comfortable to wear because you have to get near to your object and will most probably not sit straight when using the highest magnification. But it´s OK for a couple of hours with breaks.
Of course that still won´t be comparable to a microscope.
I´d dare say that everybody can do SMT down to 0603 at least with magnified vision and a proper soldering tip (it also helps if if the soldering tip is not too far away from where you grip the soldering iron with your thumb; so similar to holding a pen). And I mean also on perfboard and making connections with insulated copper wire.
Oh, you´ll need proper tweezers too!
I´d do the same. As big as you can, higher max.power dissipation and the savings in space and parasitics are plenty already with 1206.
What necessities do you mean?
I mean some parts are only (easily) available in SMD, like substitutes of the beloved LSK170 FETS or so but other than that I don´t see a necessitiy to go to SMD in audio power amplifiers.
If you want 6 or more really complex boards pre-assembled it might be the better/cheaper option.
If you don´t mind designing them, getting them produced is cheap enough these days, right?
"If you don´t mind designing them, getting them produced is cheap enough these days, right?"
Osh Park charges $5.00 per sq in for three copies, with free shipping. High quality boards.
Osh Park charges $5.00 per sq in for three copies, with free shipping. High quality boards.
The only low-noise BJTs I have left by Toshiba are SMD (1163/2713). The equivalent through-hole transistors are all unobtainium
I basically have abandoned through hole parts where possible even in my tube designs.. LOL I would say other than tube sockets, pots, connectors, electrolytics, film caps, big power resistors and power mosfets/transistors that need to be heat sinked I use SMD and that would account for 80% - 95% of the components in my designs.
I am reasonably good at designing PCBs and enjoy the process. PCB are cheap now so where before I would have used through hole parts and breadboard to build projects, now I design PCB and get them made. The amazing thing is they generally work well even if I made a minor mistake and a little rework is required.
I use 4 layer boards in a lot of designs and not too long ago made a minor but fatal error because the mistake was on an internal layer. I scrapped those PCB and almost all of the parts on them and made new PCB.
A lot of parts are no longer available in the U.S. at least as through hole. I actually like SMD parts better in most instances.
I use SOT-323, 223, 23 transistors, SOD123, SMA, SMB diodes, SOIC and VSSOP IC packages, and caps/resistors down to 0603. I used to favor 1206 size resistors and caps, but my latest designs are all 0805 because they allowed me to shrink stuff.
For PCB fab I use JLCPCB and Oshpark. My EDA tool is KiCad.
I am reasonably good at designing PCBs and enjoy the process. PCB are cheap now so where before I would have used through hole parts and breadboard to build projects, now I design PCB and get them made. The amazing thing is they generally work well even if I made a minor mistake and a little rework is required.
I use 4 layer boards in a lot of designs and not too long ago made a minor but fatal error because the mistake was on an internal layer. I scrapped those PCB and almost all of the parts on them and made new PCB.
A lot of parts are no longer available in the U.S. at least as through hole. I actually like SMD parts better in most instances.
I use SOT-323, 223, 23 transistors, SOD123, SMA, SMB diodes, SOIC and VSSOP IC packages, and caps/resistors down to 0603. I used to favor 1206 size resistors and caps, but my latest designs are all 0805 because they allowed me to shrink stuff.
For PCB fab I use JLCPCB and Oshpark. My EDA tool is KiCad.
Thanks to all who are providing good advice. The writing us on the wall as far as through-hole goes. I might be a budding middle-aged hobbyist but I also recognize what is needed to inspire a new generation of hobbyists... and they're all going to need tweezers and microscopes.
+1, that's how I feel about it.. I'm in my mid 60s and made the switch to SMD about 5 years ago for hobby related stuff.
I used to have a guy who did PCB design for me, but I got tired of paying even the reasonable sums involved, and where humans are involved mistakes happen. I decided it was time to do it myself. The initial climb to competence was steep, but my earliest designs actually were mistake free, as I became more confident that's when I actually starting goofing up.. LOL I found I actually like designing PCB, it's both challenging and relaxing at the same time.
KiCad is free open source EDA software, and it's quite good. I have some familiarity with Altium (way too expensive for hobby use IMO) and OrCad - I have a license for OrCad but much prefer KiCad...
I used to have a guy who did PCB design for me, but I got tired of paying even the reasonable sums involved, and where humans are involved mistakes happen. I decided it was time to do it myself. The initial climb to competence was steep, but my earliest designs actually were mistake free, as I became more confident that's when I actually starting goofing up.. LOL I found I actually like designing PCB, it's both challenging and relaxing at the same time.
KiCad is free open source EDA software, and it's quite good. I have some familiarity with Altium (way too expensive for hobby use IMO) and OrCad - I have a license for OrCad but much prefer KiCad...
I love SMD's ! Been soldering them since late 80's .
Just recently I started with tssop's and sc-070 , these are with "feet" 0,65 mm apart, 603's and similar sizes for diodes/caps and 805 LED's. Still doable wearing 2 sets of glasses at once so you don't loose 3D depth of view. I don't have access to factory made PCB's , I mill epoxy boards myself , even for TSSOP's . SOIC's are easy . So try that instead of the pad-board you show , kwadrofonik.
Like the others said : tweezers . A woorden toothpick to hold them down and a selfmade thingy to hold down SMD's bigger than 805's. Of course a very fine soldering iron.
I use through the hole ones as SMD's by cutting some or all of their legs.
Just recently I started with tssop's and sc-070 , these are with "feet" 0,65 mm apart, 603's and similar sizes for diodes/caps and 805 LED's. Still doable wearing 2 sets of glasses at once so you don't loose 3D depth of view. I don't have access to factory made PCB's , I mill epoxy boards myself , even for TSSOP's . SOIC's are easy . So try that instead of the pad-board you show , kwadrofonik.
Like the others said : tweezers . A woorden toothpick to hold them down and a selfmade thingy to hold down SMD's bigger than 805's. Of course a very fine soldering iron.
I use through the hole ones as SMD's by cutting some or all of their legs.
You don't want a tweezer, you want a clamp. That's a tweezer that works in reverse.
Squeeze it to release the item. Otherwise the clamp holds on to it.
4.75 inch Clamp Tweezer Medium Tip
Squeeze it to release the item. Otherwise the clamp holds on to it.
4.75 inch Clamp Tweezer Medium Tip
With a little bit of training, the right set of tweezers allows you for a much more precise handling of SMDs. Clamps otoh will often not provide the correct clamp force and parts will not hold well.
I have found that MELF 0207 resistors are doable even for inexperienced folks, and this allows an uninterrupted ground plane on two layer designs.