SMD components help

[Grazza]

Hi Everyone,
I am about to do my first board with SMD components. I have never done them before, they are OPA1678 which are SOIC 8 I think. I have these little adaptor boards that will convert them to DIP8. However, not super sure on how to solder the op amps. Is it just a case of be really freakin careful and use as little solder as possible, or are people using conductive adhesive? Are there any tricks I need to know?

Thanks guys.

 

[Nostradoomus]

Get some solder paste and a fine hoof style tip for your iron. You put paste on all the pads you intend to solder and then place the component on them, helps to keep them in place as long as you can hold the top steady enough (I use those little screwdrivers for grub screws, or a tiny piece of blu tack on the bottom if it’s being a bugger)

Definitely practice before you end up possibly destroying a pricier chip like an OPAxxx.

Get some cheap opamps and take your time til you get the hang of it, it’s not too bad really.

 

[Grazza]

Great, thanks. Never heard of solder paste before, will look it up!

 

[temol]

Quick and dirty learning trick - find a broken device with smd components on a pcb, use a heating gun to remove all the components from the board and start soldering them back. It can be anything - router, dvd player, radio, PC motherboard.

 

[Grazza]

Will do, that's a great idea

 

[swelchy]

another route without soldering paste is tin one of the pcb pads for the component... then apply some no clean soldering flux.. the kind that's thick and comes in a tin to all the pads for that component.. place component with tweezers... heat the one pad to make it stick to your tinned pad.. then solder the other leg off component.. go back and hit the first with more heat and solder... That's how I roll