SMD (was Re: [sdiy] "obsolete" 2N3906)

[Paul Maddox]

Colin,

> I dread the day when thru-hole components are all gone, and I have to
> prototype a circuit by going straight to SMT.
> The ease with which you can experiment with a thru-hole circuit on
> stripboard is far greater than re-working an SMT board.

I agree, though I'm loather admit many of my newer designs are just so
bloody complex and have so many parts that doing stripboard just isn't a
viable prospect anymore.. Add to that my favourite CPU (MEGA128) is only
available as a 64pin TQFP its something I'm trying to move away from..

> Final tweaking of circuit values by ear would not be something surface
> mount lends itself to IMHO.

agreed, replacing 0804 components isnt much fun.. but the 1206 size isn't
too bad to work with.

> Or does everybody else get their designs bang-on right from the
> schematic capture stage ?

not usually, I can get close. But prototypes I do one PCB, mod it, then make
the changes and then do more of them.
The newer CPU PCB is a good example, the first one was big, the new on is
much much smaller (100mm by 90mm) has all the same features and none of the
bugs :-)

Paul