[sdiy] Cyclone SID

[Paul Schreiber]

>>
> Ya but you have to admit the cost of assembly & part count adds up,

Errr...not really. 'Adds up" for parts that cost $0.0004? Please!

> you have a million parts, but where are you going to place them?

Look in your cell phone :) I can place 144 0204 SMT parts in an area
about 5mm x 5mm. Remember, 90% of SMT boards use *both sides*
to place parts. Neary impossible with through-hole.

> Pcb cost increases ect, you need more traces lines / could add up to a 
> multylayer pcbs where pricing skyrockets

Errr...no. see cellphone above. In todays pcb technology, 6/6 rules are
considered 'normal' (.006 lines with .006 spacing). This is due to the
use of BGAs. In fact, if you use "fine pitch analog" traces of say 10/10
the pcb board houses consider this to be "sloppy". In my MOTM modules
most traces are 16mil or in a *few* tight cases 12mil. My pcb house
giggles at my 'old tech' rules.

> about masking and produciton errors / shorts ect testing is more tedious.
>

Errr....no. All pc boards used in *production* (not etched in your sink)
are 100% electrically tested *before stuffing* for opens and shorts. SMT
pick-and-place machines, even mid-range ones, can put parts down on a pc board
within 0.005mm at the rate of 6-8 a *second*. There are no "errors" at all!
And, the beauty of SMT is there are virtually ZERO soldering defects.
Wave soldering literally engulfs the entire bottom-side of the pc board
in solder as it travels over the "wave" (a 'waterfall' is more like it) and
this is where solder shorts happen. In SMT, sold paste is only applied on the
pads of the parts. And it is placed VERY accurately.

Paul S.