2015-08-06

SMD soldering at home: Slides

Here are PDF files with slides from my presentations. These are modified versions of the slides I used during presentations. I added some information which will make them usable without my commentary, and incorporated some modifications based on the feedback I received after the lectures.

SMD soldering at home: SMD rework, and some unrelated topics like how to measure frequency response, and how frequency response analyzer works.

Fourth, and the last part of the series. During this lecture I talk about rework done to the MMIC amplifier board which I built during lecture 3, explain how to measure frequency response of a circuit, talk about inner workings of a frequency response analyzer, and in the end I demonstrate that the board really works and amplifies the input signal.

2015-08-05

SMD soldering at home. I'm building a board. Live. Almost successfully.

Part three of the SMD saga. This time I show how to use some of the techniques mentioned in second lecture to build a small power RF amplifier using MMIC.
I explain how to prepare board for placing the components, how to place them and, finally, how to solder the board using hot air reflow process and how to use board preheater. I also explain why reflowing electrolytic capacitors or other sensitive components can be dangerous for them.