Monday 8 September 2014

Solder A Computer Mother Board

Some components have several pins.


The components on a computer mother board get smaller and more complex as technology advances. Surface mounted devices (SMDs) have from 2 to 64 pins or even more, and their connecting leads sit close together, making soldering one without heating another difficult. You must practice to develop precision soldering skills. Correct equipment includes a soldering iron with a small tip and temperature control, small gauge solder wire with a flux core, precision tweezers to hold components, and a magnifying glass, preferably on a stand with a light.


Instructions


1. Precision tweezers hold tiny devices well.


Plug in the soldering iron and let it heat up.


2. You need a small tipped soldering iron for this.


Clean the tip by melting a generous amount of solder onto it, then wiping it off with a damp sponge until it shines. Clean the tip before each application.


3. Some components have only two connections.


Touch the soldering iron to one corner of the solder cup arrangement on the mother board for the component you want to install. Melt a small drop of solder into it.


4. Pick up the component with the tweezers and reheat the cup with the soldering iron. When the solder melts again, push the appropriate pin into the cup. Hold it still until the solder hardens.


5. Heat and fill the cup on the opposite corner of the component. Heat it again and push the opposite pin of the component into the cup and hold it until the solder hardens. If the component only has two connections, you're done. If it has more, the two connections on opposite corner will hold it in place while you solder the other connections.


6. Use the tweezers to align all the pins with their respective solder cups. Align them all before you continue soldering, as the more you solder, the more difficult they may become to move.


7. Solder each pin on the component. Hold the tip of the soldering iron so that it touches both the pin and the cup to heat them both, but without touching any other pin. Then touch the tip of the solder wire to the connection, but not to the iron itself. Allow a small bit of solder to flow into the joint. Quickly pull the iron and solder. Blow in the joint to cool it faster.


8. Clean the tip again, and continue soldering each pin, cleaning the tip between each connection.


9. Clean up any solder "bridges" with solder wick. Hold the wick to the joint and heat it with the soldering iron. The solder will suck into the wick by capillary action. You will have to re-solder the joint after using solder wick.


10. Clean all the joints with the non-metallic brush soaked in solvent. Dry away the excess solvent with a rag.

Tags: soldering iron, again push, components have, continue soldering, iron solder, only connections