Quote:
Originally Posted by e*clipse
I really like the prototype possibilities with the heat gun, in fact I'm ordering one today. Any suggestions with those e-bay ones?
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I picked up a cheap eBay one. The only issue i have with it is that it didn't come with a power switch. I can switch the heat gun or soldering iron on or off but with the heat gun and soldering iron both off the unit is in a standby mode. I would have prefffered it have a nice mechanical power off switch. It is on my to-do list to add a switch. Other than that it is great.
Mine has a small fan in the heat gun wand rather than a fan in the main unit and an air hose. Not sure which is better as i have only ever used this one. But it is nice and quiet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by e*clipse
Paul - if you want to do even small batch stuff, I would suggest a stencil. I got a stainless stencil when I made my 1st rev BMS, and it really made the solder past job a lot easier. I just populated the board by hand after that. Regarding 64 pin chips and the like, they really do pull into place with surface tension, like the video. 
- E*clipse |
Paul, i would second the idea of getting a stencil. Especially for a board with the number of components you are working with. Putting the paste on using the syringe isn't difficult but it does add to the time taken and the amount of time you are doing precision work which can be fatiguing.
If you do use a stencil then you would probably be populating the entire board. It would be difficult to just stencil a subset of the components unless the stencil had been designed to omit certain components.
When i ran short of components at one stage of building my BMS modules i just continued on putting on the micros and a few other components. This allowed me to do the in circuit programming of the micro. This let me continue production while i awaited the extra components.
Maybe you could do the same. Offer the boards with the micro and a handful of other components fitted. Enough so that you could program the micro?