Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

Just wanted to show that soldering is a PITA. The components (first picture) is a 0201 size capacitor (metric size is 0603). Third picture shows a 0603 (metric size is 1520) size SMT white LED, a transistor and, a 0402 (metric size is 1005) size schottky diode. For comparing size, thats a transistor on George's shoulder. All components fit perfectly within a 13mm circle, leaving a 14mm space on the outer edge for a step when put into a module to hold the converter. Yes, those are again the expensive Kemet made 1210 (metric size 3225) size capacitors at $6.25 each.


















ARC mania

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

Super impressive job :goodjob:
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Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

nanotech17 said:

Super impressive job :goodjob:
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Click to expand...

:thumbsup: I second that notion! Wish I had the skills...

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

Back when I was in the Navy, I was a "C" level, 2M soldering tech (not that anyone here actually knows what that is). We actually soldered components under a microscope. Believe me, I know what you are going through to solder things that small. Nice job!!!:thumbsup:

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

Cool! I soldered a new 0603 on my McGizmo S27-PD and it was pretty hard getting the little bugger to stay put while applying the iron.

Is this for the new light :naughty:

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

Nice work and good pictures. I wish I had hands that neat and steady.

I don't use much below 1206 size, apart from the odd 0805 or SOT-23 package.

I did once make a late-night brain-addled order of some capacitors to add gate capacitance to a MOSFET but missed double-checking the size. I'm not sure what size they were, but they fitted *between* the legs of an E-line transistor, and I only ended up using a handful before giving up and getting some decent-sized ones.
That was a definite education. It's one thing when a sneeze moves components off the bench, but with those I could barely breathe heavily.

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

The worst I've done is flexPCB connectors with pins on 0.5mm centers (0.25mm pin, 0.25mm space, repeat). Makes me really wish we had a hot air setup... Other than those, I haven't used anything smaller than 0402 because I don't think I could hold them steady enough with my dissecting tweezers. A pointy tip on your iron sure is handy. ;-)

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

That's an awesome job! I would love to get involved in learning more about what you're doing. What's doing what and why...Since I don't know much I'd like to point out that the transistor is on Tom's shoulder rather than George's. What does a transistor do anyways?

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

I had the fun of soldering 0403s at Ericsson in the mid 1990s with a 30x scope and a special iron that had a micro-tip and could heat up in about 2 seconds (i guess so the tip wouldn't burn away from staying hot for hours).

Then I worked at a smaller company and soldered 1mm pitch chips and 0603s with a big chisel-tip iron (4mm?). The secret was lots of aqueous flux. Rosin would work, but the residue got in the way. You can really lay on the aqueous stuff and it doesn't get sticky. Unlike rosin, though, you _must_ wash it off the board when you are done. It's somewhat conductive and, over weeks or months, corrosive.

With the flux, the solder just won't bridge (well, unless you use way too much, and even then, you can pick up bits with the iron, wipe off, repeat).

And, of course, you need a tweezer. Place, solder one end. Hold down, get other end. The darn things are so small the first side will liquify while you're soldering the 2nd sometimes.

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

Thomas Jefferson's shoulder...

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

Man! Don't you dare sneeze while soldering.

Re: Soldering components as small as 0201 size.

For holding down small objects while soldering, I use static safe, thermally non-conductive, lead free, RoHS compliant, environmentally friendly, biodegradable small object manipulators.

Walmart will sell you hundreds of them in a convenient dispenser pack for a dollar or two.