Solder Mask?
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Posts: 46,084
This is pretty off topic, but the list has been VERY quiet all day, so I'm
going to try to sneak one in here.
A while back I asked for sources for PC Boards, and someone suggested
ExpressPCB.
Their "Standard" and "MiniBoard" pricing does not include silk screening or
solder masks.
What are solder masks? Has anyone used Express PCB, and used the
"Standard" service?
I'm pretty sure I'm going to submit an order to them soon, and want to make
sure I understand
what I am getting before I order it.
Thanks in advance,
John Walton
going to try to sneak one in here.
A while back I asked for sources for PC Boards, and someone suggested
ExpressPCB.
Their "Standard" and "MiniBoard" pricing does not include silk screening or
solder masks.
What are solder masks? Has anyone used Express PCB, and used the
"Standard" service?
I'm pretty sure I'm going to submit an order to them soon, and want to make
sure I understand
what I am getting before I order it.
Thanks in advance,
John Walton
Comments
tight to the board when you solder, it keeps the solder from flowing down
the trace(s) and making shorts and also keeps the traces from tarnishing.
It's most useful when soldering with a wave machine, without the mask,
solder would stick to all the traces and you would have a mess, lots a
shorts.
James R. Parish
J-Tech Internet Services Division
J-Com Enterprises, Inc.
Original Message
From: John Walton [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=m9ozFMPmcTkYo25V83lE80lw6LXWEzZVmDh3euYqQgA-mvcUyDWrfAJi3MshtgHB-cv3vgG2]john@l...[/url
Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2001 10:41 PM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Solder Mask?
This is pretty off topic, but the list has been VERY quiet all day, so I'm
going to try to sneak one in here.
A while back I asked for sources for PC Boards, and someone suggested
ExpressPCB.
Their "Standard" and "MiniBoard" pricing does not include silk screening or
solder masks.
What are solder masks? Has anyone used Express PCB, and used the
"Standard" service?
I'm pretty sure I'm going to submit an order to them soon, and want to make
sure I understand
what I am getting before I order it.
Thanks in advance,
John Walton
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over the traces when I done to protect them?
Thanks,
John
At 11:17 PM 9/29/01 -0400, you wrote:
>SOLDERMASK: That green coating on the circuit board that keeps the traces
>tight to the board when you solder, it keeps the solder from flowing down
>the trace(s) and making shorts and also keeps the traces from tarnishing.
>It's most useful when soldering with a wave machine, without the mask,
>solder would stick to all the traces and you would have a mess, lots a
>shorts.
>
>James R. Parish
>J-Tech Internet Services Division
>J-Com Enterprises, Inc.
>
>
Original Message
>From: John Walton [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=Y4n7ZviM-hXq_VG-qR2ARnK9AhoJOa0c6SROghY08MyCYAqyI-h95SB5cdjooKmVonPjWNO31D0NubE]john@l...[/url
>Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2001 10:41 PM
>To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Solder Mask?
>
>This is pretty off topic, but the list has been VERY quiet all day, so I'm
>going to try to sneak one in here.
>
>
>A while back I asked for sources for PC Boards, and someone suggested
>ExpressPCB.
>
>Their "Standard" and "MiniBoard" pricing does not include silk screening or
>solder masks.
>
>What are solder masks? Has anyone used Express PCB, and used the
>"Standard" service?
>
>I'm pretty sure I'm going to submit an order to them soon, and want to make
>sure I understand
>what I am getting before I order it.
>
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>John Walton
>
>
>To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
>Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
>Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
look like the 'project' boards I buy at Radio Shack correct? I looked
inside an old telephone, and see the green coating you are talking about...
The boards I've been using from RS don't have anything on them but bare
copper. I guess I'm still curious, should I coat the board with anything
when I'm done to protect them? I hadn't given it any thought until now?
Thanks in advance,
John
At 10:20 PM 9/29/01 -0500, you wrote:
>So for manual soldering would it be ok? Is there any coating I should put
>over the traces when I done to protect them?
>
>Thanks,
>
>John
>
>
>At 11:17 PM 9/29/01 -0400, you wrote:
> >SOLDERMASK: That green coating on the circuit board that keeps the traces
> >tight to the board when you solder, it keeps the solder from flowing down
> >the trace(s) and making shorts and also keeps the traces from tarnishing.
> >It's most useful when soldering with a wave machine, without the mask,
> >solder would stick to all the traces and you would have a mess, lots a
> >shorts.
> >
thus you don't really have to worry about tarnishing or really
protecting unless you have a real soldering handicap :-). The only
logical reason that I've heard for masks is what James mentioned in
another message about using heat gun or wave solder machines.
I've places many orders from these guys and here are a couple things
that I've learned:
+ Print out your traces and check them prior to sending them.
+ Print them out again and sleep with them under your pillow and dream
about them.
+ If you have any components that need large size holes, make sure to
measure them and check your hole size. The normal holes sizes are given
prior to plating, thus finished holes are smaller than the measurements.
ExpressPCB software "should" also give you the finished hole size, but
worth it to check.
+ If you can fit everything on their "Miniboard" service, it's worth
trying for. At that rate you can make two Miniboard order for the price
of one standard.
+ Put a version number on the board. If you make a mistake or
enhancement it's real easy to forget what board you're dealing with.
I may just be lazy, but using factory made pcb's has been such a
godsend. I with you the best of luck!
Nathan
Original Message
From: John Walton [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=0J67NXqXeHWZjBgkiAyJS7-MrDrISSCYeEJ2O9HCA_AdzCAe870cCk-g-pvOP255eWPGTBuyYfA]john@l...[/url
Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2001 9:27 PM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Solder Mask?
I think I answered my own question. So the boards without soldermask
would
look like the 'project' boards I buy at Radio Shack correct? I looked
inside an old telephone, and see the green coating you are talking
about...
The boards I've been using from RS don't have anything on them but bare
copper. I guess I'm still curious, should I coat the board with
anything
when I'm done to protect them? I hadn't given it any thought until now?
Thanks in advance,
John
At 10:20 PM 9/29/01 -0500, you wrote:
>So for manual soldering would it be ok? Is there any coating I should
put
>over the traces when I done to protect them?
>
>Thanks,
>
>John
>
>
>At 11:17 PM 9/29/01 -0400, you wrote:
> >SOLDERMASK: That green coating on the circuit board that keeps the
traces
> >tight to the board when you solder, it keeps the solder from flowing
down
> >the trace(s) and making shorts and also keeps the traces from
tarnishing.
> >It's most useful when soldering with a wave machine, without the
mask,
> >solder would stick to all the traces and you would have a mess, lots
a
> >shorts.
> >
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>What are solder masks?
It's the usually green coating on all areas not meant to be soldered that
helps prevent solder from bridging over between adjacent solder pads and
causing shorts. It's most useful when wave soldering, but it can help when
hand soldering. Whether or not you NEED it on your boards will depend on
how closely you space the edges of your pads from each other - you're the
designer. You can use smaller pads with decent spacing or huge pads with
tiny spacing. The latter could be a problem.
I like to clean the flux off my boards using a rag dampened (not sopping
wet) with isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol). I get it in a paint store, but
rubbing alcohol (which is usually 70% isopropanol and 30% water) will
do. Same precaution about getting it into anything. Do NOT let it run.
About coatings after soldering and cleaning... Unless you expect a
corrosive environment, I wouldn't coat the board. If a bit of dark copper
offends you, you could use a light acrylic spray. Clear Krylon spray paint
would do. Whatever you do, do NOT get it into IC socket holes, dip
switches, variable capacitors, etc.
If I have any "vias" on a 2-sided board (plated thru holes with no
component in them meant to let a trace pass from one side to another, I
like to solder them closed. This assures less chance of cleaning fluid or
board coating getting onto the component side where it might get wicked
into IC pins or whatever.