Soldering Stamp onto Carrier Board
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I have a really simple, stupid question. Please don't laugh.
This summer I created a rather elaborate project (a kinetic sculpture) using
a BASIC Stamp Super Carrier board from Parallax. I soldered everything onto
the prototype area (I'm using all the I/O pins, for sensors, stepper
drivers, LEDs, etc.). I mounted the board neatly into a custom enclosure
with all my other electronics. Everything works wonderfully, life is good...
except...
You barely need to look at the BSII and one of the pins loses contact (a
different pin each time). The problem is easy to fix -- I just need to press
the Stamp into its socket -- but it means the piece needs constant
babysitting, which is unacceptable, especially since I'll soon be shipping
the sculpture off to a distant location.
I realize that I should have made my own board for the project instead of
using the Carrier board, though the Carrier board was very, very convenient.
Anyway, the damage is done. My question is: is there any way to solder the
Stamp into the socket, or otherwise get a reliable connection, without
having to take the entire thing apart and start over?
Many thanks,
David
This summer I created a rather elaborate project (a kinetic sculpture) using
a BASIC Stamp Super Carrier board from Parallax. I soldered everything onto
the prototype area (I'm using all the I/O pins, for sensors, stepper
drivers, LEDs, etc.). I mounted the board neatly into a custom enclosure
with all my other electronics. Everything works wonderfully, life is good...
except...
You barely need to look at the BSII and one of the pins loses contact (a
different pin each time). The problem is easy to fix -- I just need to press
the Stamp into its socket -- but it means the piece needs constant
babysitting, which is unacceptable, especially since I'll soon be shipping
the sculpture off to a distant location.
I realize that I should have made my own board for the project instead of
using the Carrier board, though the Carrier board was very, very convenient.
Anyway, the damage is done. My question is: is there any way to solder the
Stamp into the socket, or otherwise get a reliable connection, without
having to take the entire thing apart and start over?
Many thanks,
David
Comments
> different pin each time). The problem is easy to fix -- I just need to
> press the Stamp into its socket -- but it means the piece needs constant
> babysitting, which is unacceptable, especially since I'll soon be shipping
> the sculpture off to a distant location.
Sounds like the socket has become worn.
> I realize that I should have made my own board for the project instead of
> using the Carrier board, though the Carrier board was very, very
> convenient. Anyway, the damage is done. My question is: is there any way
> to solder the Stamp into the socket, or otherwise get a reliable
> connection, without having to take the entire thing apart and start over?
The socket is there as a convenient way to mount (and remove)
Stamps from the board. If you don't need to remove the Stamp
anymore, then your best bet is to remove the socket and solder the
Stamp directly to the carrier board.
That sucker won't cause you any more contact problems after that
;-)
Mark Hillier, VE6HVW
President, HVW Technologies Inc.
Canadian Distributors of Parallax Products and other Neat Stuff
Tel: +403-730-8603 Fax: +403-730-8903
NEWLY RENOVATED web site: http://www.hvwtech.com
chip into the socket.try to heat the socket and pin at the SAME time
(why you need a very pointed pencil). Use as little solder as
possible, and don't heat too long! Chip should stay. . .
Doug
> To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
> From: "David Z. Saltz" <saltz@a...>
> Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2000 23:19:16 -0500
> Reply-to: basicstamps@egroups.com
> Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Soldering Stamp onto Carrier Board
> I have a really simple, stupid question. Please don't laugh.
>
> This summer I created a rather elaborate project (a kinetic sculpture) using
> a BASIC Stamp Super Carrier board from Parallax. I soldered everything onto
> the prototype area (I'm using all the I/O pins, for sensors, stepper
> drivers, LEDs, etc.). I mounted the board neatly into a custom enclosure
> with all my other electronics. Everything works wonderfully, life is good...
> except...
>
> You barely need to look at the BSII and one of the pins loses contact (a
> different pin each time). The problem is easy to fix -- I just need to press
> the Stamp into its socket -- but it means the piece needs constant
> babysitting, which is unacceptable, especially since I'll soon be shipping
> the sculpture off to a distant location.
>
> I realize that I should have made my own board for the project instead of
> using the Carrier board, though the Carrier board was very, very convenient.
> Anyway, the damage is done. My question is: is there any way to solder the
> Stamp into the socket, or otherwise get a reliable connection, without
> having to take the entire thing apart and start over?
>
> Many thanks,
>
> David
>
>
>
>
>
may or may not help..
First off, Is the socket in question here a cheapy type? I would guess that
it is due to the intermittant contacts.
Soldering a 24 pin, $50 chip to a circuit board would be a scarry business
for me
I would suggest removing the socket in question, I generally do this by
carefully cutting up the socket into pieces, then un-soldering each pin
individually.
Once I had the socket removed, I would re-solder a good quality replacement
socket in it's place. Something like a gold-plated machined socket, ~ $2.00
fwiw