"xpyttl" wrote in message
...
"Carl R. Stevenson" wrote in message
...

The packaging is not "impossible" - it just takes some different
techniques
to do the
soldering - read the QEX article on a DDS/PLL synthesiser in the latest
issue of QEX

I'm pretty comfortable with SOP's and can get along with a TSSOP's,
although
I can't say I like it. In that article, he used TQFP's which, although I
haven't yet had the need, I suspect I can deal with. I use the same
technique for TSSOP's that he describes in the article.

But when I tried to order samples of 9854's the other day, the only choice
was BGA's. I have no clue how to deal with them. Yeah, solder paste and
an
oven MAYBE, but without machine placement seems like a crap shoot.

With BGAs you HAVE to reflow solder ... however if the prep is right, they
should
"self-center" (as do most SMDs) on the pads if you're close enough - it's
interesting to
watch manually placed SMD resistors, caps, etc. actually move an center
themselves
up on the pads due to surface tension effects when the solder reflows ... IF
the pads
are well-designed and balanced.

73,
Carl - wk3c