South Jersey Robotics Club October 2014 Meeting Presentation Topics: How to Solder Makerfaire

Agenda New Member Introductions! Show and Tell Soldering for beginners Makerfaire Next meeting planning… Lunch!

Introductions Please state your: – Name – Interests in this area Software? Electronics? Mechanical? Which platforms (Arduino, Pic, NXT, Vex, RasPi, etc.) – Level of experience – What you want to get out of the club – Quick description of any projects you’re currently working on or want to start

Show and Tell / Announcements Anybody have anything interesting??? Pololu has a sale going on right now – up to 30% off! (Ends Oct 22). – They also usually have a big Thanksgiving time sale.. (I usually spend a LOT). Good time to stock up on parts if you need them.. Central NJ Robotics… Xbox One Kinect has been hacked! Intel Edison / Galileo platform

Intro to Soldering Soldering – The act of electrically and physically joining components together to form circuits. Not quite the same as welding, although similar in some regards. Get ready to feel like you need 5 hands!

Tools Soldering Iron Solder Braid (optional) Snips / Dykes Wire Strippers Solder – (Rosin Core, NOT Acid Core!!!) Liquid Flux Sponge (wet) Solder Sucker (optional) Solder brass sponge (optional, but +++) Soldering iron stand (optional, but +++) Alligator clip – to act as a heat sink Magnifying glass / helping hand tool (extra hands!!!)

How to pick an iron… Replacement tips are VERY important Wattage – higher gets hotter, and faster, but too high can cause problems Tip size – smaller allows for finer work, but can be tough to work with on larger components. Best to look for a good quality variable power soldering station. – But you can certainly get by with a 25-35W Radio Shack special!

Tinning your iron… Very important! Otherwise your iron won’t work very well… – Warm up the iron. Let it get hot! – Wipe the tip through a damp sponge to clean off the tip (do this several times to get all around the tip) – Apply some solder to the tip – Solder should cover the tip – Repeat on a regular basis – certainly every time you use the iron for the first time on a project. If the tip won’t hold solder or looks black, replace the tip! Solder Brass is REALLY useful for this!

Soldering…

Be careful! Don’t overdo it with the solder!!! Shouldn’t be a huge mass of solder on there… Should be shiny, not dull It’s a good idea to squirt a little flux onto the parts you’re joining before soldering them to help clean things. Don’t leave the iron on the connection any longer than absolutely needed! – Can cause pads on the board to lift, or part failures due to overheating Clean the tip of your iron after EVERY connection! Wear safety glasses, and make sure there’s good ventilation in your workspace Wash hands after done (especially if using lead based solder)

Other stuff to note… Unplug/turn off iron when not in use. Will extend the life of the tip (reduces oxidation) – Also reduces fire hazard… If you used too much solder or if it created a “bridge” either: Heat up the solder with the iron and use a solder sucker to vac the excess solder away Place unused portion of solder braid on top of the solder joint then place the iron on top of the braid. The heat will transfer and the braid will “soak up” the molten solder. Repeat as needed.

Hints You’ll usually feel like you need 5 hands. This is NORMAL! Don’t rely upon solder joints to provide mechanical connections! Your joints WILL break! (ie, don’t put a lot of force on them). Don’t even attempt surface mount components… At least not until you’re very experienced, and even then only the larger stuff. Stick to “through hole” for now! ALWAYS use project boards that have copper clad on the back – makes it WAY easier to make connections! If soldering wires together, always a good idea to use shrink tubing to cover the connection afterwards. Lots of good “How To” videos out on YouTube. Get a board and a bunch of cheap resistors and just PRACTICE!!!

Makerfaire 2014! Both NYC and Atlanta!!!

Next meeting What’s a good date? November 9? 16? (Sundays) Location? Topic? – Some Ideas: Basic Electronics/ Circuits Mini Sumo IMUs + GPS Filtering (Particle / Extended Kahlman) Encoders How to use an O-Scope / Logic Analyzer How to use EagleCAD OpenCV for beginners Intro to ROS (Robot Operating System) Maze Solving Obstacle detection and avoidance/tracking Web based robot control interface Line following / line sensors / PID control