What a dumb design. Simplest method I can think of is to solder right angle pins to the top or bottom pads and be very careful when inserting or removing the module from the prototyping board.
Looking at the picture of the module this morning I'm thinking I may have to eat the words I posted last night. Looks like the solder pad spacing is 0.1 inch and the two rows of pads are 0.6 inches apart. All it needs are pins soldered on to plug it into a protoboard same as any dip package.
@Coder96, can you post a part number or link to the supplier of those modules?
If the solder pads are present in both sides of the boards, you can even forget the drill bits and use the cutting discs, to make U shaped cuts, then slide in and solder the terminals, inside them.
Please, consider cuting each side per turn, pressing the disc against the metal pad, using only a slight compression force to shear thru the metal, then the substrate (FR4??), but without progressing to the other side, pausing the cutting action, as soon as you hit, approximately, the substrate centerline.
This will help in preserving the metal pads, against delamination.
P.S. Be sure to check disc rotation, CW or CCW, and selecting the cutting direction to ensure that you are compressing the solder pads against the substrate, while cutting.
Hard to tell from the pictures but two of the four choices look like they might have 4 holes on each edge of the board with the rx/tx holes filled with solder. Might be worth using a solder sucker and iron to check that out. If it turns out there are holes there you can get smaller diameter pins or drill them out to fit the regular square pins. Make sure you solder both the top and bottom pads to the pins to avoid any stress on the pads.
Coder96
Posts: 42
Comments
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/maxim-integrated/MAX3232CPE/MAX3232CPE-ND/1513011
I wouldn't try wrestling that thing you have into submission. It's not worth the frustration.
-Phil
@Coder96, can you post a part number or link to the supplier of those modules?
The holes you see in the pads are tiny. And only on the power pads. I thought about drilling them out for pins. I don't think they would survive.
Picked them out of ebay.
You can try gently carving the holes, perhaps with a Dremel or any other small hand-held rotary tool.
Since it has been made to survive a hot soldering iron tip, then almost certainly it will survive to some carefull hands, working on it.
If the solder pads are present in both sides of the boards, you can even forget the drill bits and use the cutting discs, to make U shaped cuts, then slide in and solder the terminals, inside them.
Please, consider cuting each side per turn, pressing the disc against the metal pad, using only a slight compression force to shear thru the metal, then the substrate (FR4??), but without progressing to the other side, pausing the cutting action, as soon as you hit, approximately, the substrate centerline.
This will help in preserving the metal pads, against delamination.
P.S. Be sure to check disc rotation, CW or CCW, and selecting the cutting direction to ensure that you are compressing the solder pads against the substrate, while cutting.