Which surface mount package is easier to hand solder?

PJMonty

Hi,

I have a circuit I'm designing and it looks like I may need to use a surface mount device on it. I'll be making a PCB and hand soldering the components. I have a choice between two styles of SMD packages, and (since I've never hand soldered SMD) I don't know which is the better choice for ease of soldering. I have attached pictures of both. Can anyone with experience recommend one or the other?

Thanks, PeterM

T Chap

Either one is just about as easy. Don't try to use a solder pencil. Just get some solder paste and take a tooth pick or something small, dab some paste on the PCB, place the part on it and heat it with a heat gun. You may need to wrap some foil around the heat gun to direct the heat if you want, not required though. I would do the SMT part first. See the thread "home made SMT" for more details, but it is pretty simple.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

The Citizen part will be the easier one to solder and, with its conformal J-lead pins, less likely to fail under thermal stress. Be generous with your pad sizes, and you shouldn't have any problems.

-Phil

LoopyByteloose

What exactly do you mean by a 'heat gun'?
Is this intended for surface mount devices or is it an adapted device?

If I were to use a solder iron, I would go with the J mounts. Though I have no experience with such, I just feel more confident if I can visually inspect the connections.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
"If you want more fiber, eat the package.· Not enough?· Eat the manual."········

···················· Tropical regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan

T Chap

I adapted my regular heat gun to put out a smaller diameter of air to avoid melting solder on other parts. If you don't have any solder paste, you can get some water soluable paste at manncorp.com for around $45 a jar. Just place some paste over the pads, don't worry if the paste touches, but don't put too much. A few practice runs will dial in the process in just minutes. Once you place the paste, put your part on top of the paste, hold the heat gun over the part until the paste becomes liquid solder, then you are done. Clean off the paste with water, dry the board and that's all there is too it.

The solder iron will work, but you'll have to hold the part in place, and have to deal with placing your solder, etc. If you invest the money to get the paste, you'll be glad to learn how the process works, plus be able to solder any smt part without a second thought.

LSB

I've also had good luck with putting a second, larger pad next to the component pad--overlaping slightly. Heat and apply soldier to the larger pad and, with plenty of flux, it will flow to the componemt pad. Be sure your iron is hot enought to make a good joint and keep the application time (heat) short... Not an expert method, but for an occassional hobby application with only a few pins it gets me by.

metron9

If your pad size is large enough and you use a solder tip on the pad there is enough heat transfer to use regular solder. I use .020 solder and hold the part down while soldering

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Think Inside the box first and if that doesn't work..
Re-arrange what's inside the box then...
Think outside the BOX!

PJMonty

I appreciate all the good information. Sounds like the J-Lead is the crowd favorite, but either will work. Good to know before I start making PCBs.

Thanks, PeterM