Help me with my DS board

[mstechca]

DS = Double-sided (in case you didn't know)

So I am in the middle of completing my DS board, until I inserted the first component, the 28-pin IC socket. What I can't seem to do is have solder connected to the device on both sides. I can easily apply solder to the solder side of the board, but I can't seem to apply solder to the component side without wrecking the socket.

BUT with an IC or almost any other component, I could get away with applying solder to the component side.

The only way I can see this being done is to apply a 30 AWG wire (diameter of < 1mm) through the same holes the IC pins go, and connect the wire ends to the appropiate spots in the circuit.

Is there a FASTER way to do it?
Because it would take a while for me to thread wire through almost every hole.

[Nigel Goodwin]

The answer is VERY simple, you don't design your board to require connections between layers on IC sockets!. Or, if you do, you use a through hole plated board.

As presumably you've already made this mistake?, you can get single pin sockets (that come in rows), these are purely metal, and you can solder them on both sides. The joining strip that holds them together snaps off after soldering.

Maybe your soldering gun/iron needs to be a soldering pencil??!! A very thin tip helps A LOT!

[mstechca]

thanks

But now I have wasted $6 in circuit boards alone trying to make one work.

Is there any other suggestion besides a thin tip?

and where can I get the thinnest tip?

Surely an "Electronics god" could just snap his fingers and get one... But seriously - it depends on what kind of soldering pencil you have. Ask the Google gods where to get one.

[mstechca]

the status "electronics god" indicates that more than 1000 posts have been made.

I could probably find one, but I don't know if I can find one thin enough.

Nigel, I am taking your suggestion, and I will see what happens.

oh geeeeez.....[/quote]

[philba]

Ok, I'll spell it out since no one else will.

there is no tip that is thin enough to allow you to solder through a non-plated through hole. not gonna happen for multiple reasons.

Making your own double sided boards is easy except you don't get plated through holes (or solder mask). You *could* make a board with PTHs but it's a lot of additional work and simply not worth the effort. When I design a DS board for home fabrication I apply what I call "Non-Plated Through Holes Design Rules". This means that you have to find places where you can make a connection between the two layers. There are two kinds of places where you can do this: vias and component leads that are accessable from both sides for soldering and thus making a connection between the two layers.

Components that give access to both sides (NPTH compatable): leaded resistors, axial electrolytic caps, leaded ceramic caps, unsocketed dips, to220s... You can terminate a top layer trace at one of these pins.

Components that are incompatable with NPTH: sockets, flush leds, dsub minis, rj11/45/..., terminals, most relays, radial caps... Do not terminate a top layer trace at one of these pins.

Vias are pretty easy to make work in NPTH boards. You just run a wire through the hole and solder both sides. some people use little grommets that have to pressed into the via hole but I think that is a huge waste of time when you can simply solder a wire.

Design a board or two with NPTH DRs and it becomes second nature. Here's a pic of one I did recently. Note the ovals - the top one is where I use a dip pin to connect top and bottom grounds, the bottom one is where I use a diode lead. The large dip on the right is socketed.



You might be able to save your board by taking some really thin wire (say one strand of stranded 16 ga wire) and thread it through the holes where you have a problem. then solder the wire to the top layer trace in such a way that it doesn't interfere with the fit of the socket. You might have to drill out the holes a little bigger. then insert the socket (or other component) and solder the bottom wire, pin and trace together. I've tried it once and it was a real pita - just use NPTH design rules and all is well.

Phil

[mstechca]

I thank you for your comments.

I'll spell it out for you, philba: I never said anything about putting a soldering tip THROUGH a through-hole...
With a thin tip, its way easier to get to the leads at the top of the board, where the components are otherwise in the way of a "normal" size tip. Barring Parkinson's or too much caffeine, its not impossible to successfully solder both sides of a DIP socket.

[philba]

Where were you suggesting he put the tip? like under a socket? that will never work - he'd melt the socket And the flush mount variety there is no chance at all.. much easier to use NPTH design rules. and there are lots of other devices where there is no way someone could even get close (radial electrolytics, for example)..

[mstechca]

Did you really think I was going to ram the tip through the hole? I dont think so. :lol: :shock:

Let me conclude that after my first DS board, I think I will return to single-sided boards and use jumpers. I know I said I didn't want to use jumpers before, but now I learn they are easier. and this time, I'll make my jumpers staples. :lol:

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by mstechca

Let me conclude that after my first DS board, I think I will return to single-sided boards and use jumpers. I know I said I didn't want to use jumpers before, but now I learn they are easier. and this time, I'll make my jumpers staples. :lol:

I don't like to say "I told you so!" - well, I lied, I do! :lol:

[mstechca]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

I don't like to say "I told you so!" - well, I lied, I do! :lol:

Let me tell you, It might have costed me about $6 or $7, but it is a heck of alot cheaper to learn this way from hands-on experience than to pay $1000+ for education to find out that the teachers DONT TEACH well at all!

I have saved $990+ :lol:

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by mstechca

I have saved $990+ :lol:

If you'd listened to free advise you've have saved $1000 :lol: