I can't avoid it anymore! I have an IC in SSOP package that I want to use.
Does anyone have tips on how to do it or maybe this is on a FAQ someplace.

thanks, Tom

Behold, Tom Kreyche signalled from keyed 4-1000A filament:

I can't avoid it anymore! I have an IC in SSOP package that I want to
use. Does anyone have tips on how to do it or maybe this is on a FAQ
someplace.

thanks, Tom

Solder paste, a heat gun and a quick hand ;-)

--
Gregg
*It's probably useful, even if it can't be SPICE'd*
http://geek.scorpiorising.ca

Behold, Tom Kreyche signalled from keyed 4-1000A filament:

I can't avoid it anymore! I have an IC in SSOP package that I want to
use. Does anyone have tips on how to do it or maybe this is on a FAQ
someplace.

thanks, Tom

Solder paste, a heat gun and a quick hand ;-)

--
Gregg
*It's probably useful, even if it can't be SPICE'd*
http://geek.scorpiorising.ca

Pretty simple if the board you are putting it on is well solder masked.

Run down to Staples and get a package of Tac 'n Stik. Pity, that package is
2 oz and you'll need about a milligram. The two buck package will last you
about ten lifetimes.

OK, now take a really tiny little ball of the stuff - less than a millimeter
in diameter - and stick it on the circuit board right where the part goes.
Squish the part down onto the blue stuff. The blue stuff won't hold it all
that well, so you need to be a little careful, but you do gotta squish it
good.

With your magnifier and an x-acto knife or dentist's pick, gently nudge the
part around until all the pins are lined up on their pads. This is the
hardest part -- be patient.

Timidly solder one corner pin. Take your magnifying glass and recheck all
the pins. Move the part back so it's lined up again.

Solder the opposite corner - this is the moment of truth. Take your
magnifier, and again check all the pins. Check them very carefully now,
there is no turning back.

Take your soldering iron and run a big blob of solder across each row of
pins. Be sure to give plenty of time for the first row to cool before you
do the second. If you have a part with a bazillion pins, you may want to do
a section at a time to avoid overheating the part. For something like an
AD9850 with only a couple dozen pins, this isn't necessary.

Now take your solder wick and suck all the solder out. You need good quality
solder wick for this operation. The cheap stuff seems to need a ton of
heat. Take your magnifier yet again and carefully inspect each pin. (Needs
to be a GOOD magnifier). You should have no little hairs of solder between
the pins, and a thin film of solder under each pin.

Solder paste is probably better, but it's breathtakingly expensive and has a
very short shelf life. Plus, you gotta use a heat gun which will heat a
large section of the board, potentially removing other stuff you already
mounted.

This takes a lot longer to describe than to actually do.

...


"Tom Kreyche" wrote in message
news:zpgqb.86794$9E1.437033@attbi_s52...
I can't avoid it anymore! I have an IC in SSOP package that I want to use.
Does anyone have tips on how to do it or maybe this is on a FAQ someplace.

thanks, Tom

Pretty simple if the board you are putting it on is well solder masked.

Run down to Staples and get a package of Tac 'n Stik. Pity, that package is
2 oz and you'll need about a milligram. The two buck package will last you
about ten lifetimes.

OK, now take a really tiny little ball of the stuff - less than a millimeter
in diameter - and stick it on the circuit board right where the part goes.
Squish the part down onto the blue stuff. The blue stuff won't hold it all
that well, so you need to be a little careful, but you do gotta squish it
good.

With your magnifier and an x-acto knife or dentist's pick, gently nudge the
part around until all the pins are lined up on their pads. This is the
hardest part -- be patient.

Timidly solder one corner pin. Take your magnifying glass and recheck all
the pins. Move the part back so it's lined up again.

Solder the opposite corner - this is the moment of truth. Take your
magnifier, and again check all the pins. Check them very carefully now,
there is no turning back.

Take your soldering iron and run a big blob of solder across each row of
pins. Be sure to give plenty of time for the first row to cool before you
do the second. If you have a part with a bazillion pins, you may want to do
a section at a time to avoid overheating the part. For something like an
AD9850 with only a couple dozen pins, this isn't necessary.

Now take your solder wick and suck all the solder out. You need good quality
solder wick for this operation. The cheap stuff seems to need a ton of
heat. Take your magnifier yet again and carefully inspect each pin. (Needs
to be a GOOD magnifier). You should have no little hairs of solder between
the pins, and a thin film of solder under each pin.

Solder paste is probably better, but it's breathtakingly expensive and has a
very short shelf life. Plus, you gotta use a heat gun which will heat a
large section of the board, potentially removing other stuff you already
mounted.

This takes a lot longer to describe than to actually do.

...


"Tom Kreyche" wrote in message
news:zpgqb.86794$9E1.437033@attbi_s52...
I can't avoid it anymore! I have an IC in SSOP package that I want to use.
Does anyone have tips on how to do it or maybe this is on a FAQ someplace.

thanks, Tom

Great, thanks for the advice...I will have no fear and not drink coffee for
two day...Tom

"xpyttl" wrote in message
...
Pretty simple if the board you are putting it on is well solder masked.

Run down to Staples and get a package of Tac 'n Stik. Pity, that package
is
2 oz and you'll need about a milligram. The two buck package will last
you
about ten lifetimes.

Great, thanks for the advice...I will have no fear and not drink coffee for
two day...Tom

"xpyttl" wrote in message
...
Pretty simple if the board you are putting it on is well solder masked.

Run down to Staples and get a package of Tac 'n Stik. Pity, that package
is
2 oz and you'll need about a milligram. The two buck package will last
you
about ten lifetimes.

One other thing worth mentioning -- well, two.

If you have some silver solder, this is the place to use it. Silver solder
flows better than regular tin/lead, so it works nicer with surface mount
stuff. It's virtually impossible to get out of plated thru holes, tho, so
it's not so nice for leaded parts, unless you never make mistakes. The
difference is not so great that it's a must have. It's a LITTLE better on
SM stuff. It's a lot shinier, though, so it looks good, but I wouldn't go
out buying some for mounting one part.

In spite of the little bitty parts, you want to be sure you have enough
temperature on your iron. For soldering the corners, you can often heat a
trace a few mm from the pin and touch the solder to the trace. If all is
hot enough, it will nicely flow under the pin. If you have a steadier hand
than I, and a microscopic tip on your iron, you can heat the pin directly,
but I have neither luxury so I gotta get by. I get a little lighter on the
temp for the big blobs on the side, as I am always afraid of toasting the
part. However, they always amaze me with their tolerance for heat. Still,
I give the part time to cool between operations - maybe just paranoia.
Obviously, the quality of the board comes into play here - you don't want to
lift the traces with the heat. It does seem like both the boards and the
parts are more tolerant of a short time with a lot of heat than a longer
time with less heat.

Oh yes, if you discover you need to remove a part, the heat gun is the only
way to do that, short of buying some super expensive desoldering station.

...

"Tom Kreyche" wrote in message
news:h5lqb.88642$9E1.450556@attbi_s52...
Great, thanks for the advice...I will have no fear and not drink coffee
for
two day...Tom

"xpyttl" wrote in message
...
Pretty simple if the board you are putting it on is well solder masked.

Run down to Staples and get a package of Tac 'n Stik. Pity, that
package
is
2 oz and you'll need about a milligram. The two buck package will last
you
about ten lifetimes.

One other thing worth mentioning -- well, two.

If you have some silver solder, this is the place to use it. Silver solder
flows better than regular tin/lead, so it works nicer with surface mount
stuff. It's virtually impossible to get out of plated thru holes, tho, so
it's not so nice for leaded parts, unless you never make mistakes. The
difference is not so great that it's a must have. It's a LITTLE better on
SM stuff. It's a lot shinier, though, so it looks good, but I wouldn't go
out buying some for mounting one part.

In spite of the little bitty parts, you want to be sure you have enough
temperature on your iron. For soldering the corners, you can often heat a
trace a few mm from the pin and touch the solder to the trace. If all is
hot enough, it will nicely flow under the pin. If you have a steadier hand
than I, and a microscopic tip on your iron, you can heat the pin directly,
but I have neither luxury so I gotta get by. I get a little lighter on the
temp for the big blobs on the side, as I am always afraid of toasting the
part. However, they always amaze me with their tolerance for heat. Still,
I give the part time to cool between operations - maybe just paranoia.
Obviously, the quality of the board comes into play here - you don't want to
lift the traces with the heat. It does seem like both the boards and the
parts are more tolerant of a short time with a lot of heat than a longer
time with less heat.

Oh yes, if you discover you need to remove a part, the heat gun is the only
way to do that, short of buying some super expensive desoldering station.

...

"Tom Kreyche" wrote in message
news:h5lqb.88642$9E1.450556@attbi_s52...
Great, thanks for the advice...I will have no fear and not drink coffee
for
two day...Tom

"xpyttl" wrote in message
...
Pretty simple if the board you are putting it on is well solder masked.

Run down to Staples and get a package of Tac 'n Stik. Pity, that
package
is
2 oz and you'll need about a milligram. The two buck package will last
you
about ten lifetimes.

xpyttl wrote:

[deleted]


Oh yes, if you discover you need to remove a part, the heat gun is the only
way to do that, short of buying some super expensive desoldering station.

I've just tried some sample ChipQuik alloy made for removing SM parts.
It's a low MP alloy (based on Wood's metal) that you melt and blob over
the leads with a soldering iron. It works quite well, so I've bought one
of the kits - about 15 GBP.