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Soldering and Desoldering Tips and Tricks

Video Walkthrough


How do I turn on the soldering irons in PRLTA 103?


How do I solder through-hole components by hand?


How do I solder surface mount components by hand?

Capacitors, diodes, inductors, resistors



DPAK-style components (MOSFETs, voltage regulators)



Integrated circuits (ICs)



How do I solder surface mount components using a reflow oven?

This method involves applying solder paste to the pads on the PCB, manually placing your surface mount components into the solder paste, and baking the board in a special oven to solder the entire PCB at once. This method is not really easier than hand soldering for one-off PCBs; you are trading one set of challenges for a different set. If you are interested in using solder paste and the reflow oven to solder your components, please contact Osama Jameel in PRLTA 109.

How do I desolder components?


How can I practice soldering without damaging my project?

A great way to practice is to find an old PCB at Goodwill (inside a printer, scanner, camera, floppy drive, etc.) and practice desoldering and soldering components on the board. You can also find old circuit boards in the cabinets in the front of PRLTA 103.

Dr. Shawn Jordan

is an Associate Professor, electrical engineer, maker, and engineering education researcher.

1 comment:

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