[sdiy] PCB mount components (was: using off the shelf pcbs in a commercial project)

[Andre Majorel]

On 2008-08-16 11:26 +0000, Justin Owen wrote:
> From: Dan Snazelle [subjectivity at hotmail.com]
> 
> >problem with that though is getting all the rotary's to line up
> >right with the boards. and the rotary's arent usually board
> >mountable are they?
> 
> You can get rotary switches (and pots, etc) with PCB mount pins.
> For the last thing I built I had a top board with all the rotary
> switches, LEDs and Pots (normal pots but with short leads
> running to SIL connectors on the PCB) mounted to it and a bottom
> board with all the components on - then you just need to run
> connectors from top board to bottom board. (he says making it
> sound simple...)
> 
> Yes - aligning the pins on the PCB and the components with the
> holes in the front panel takes some planning (is a PITA)  and
> the time I saved in wiring rotarys was used up with laying out
> the PCBs - and I do also have access to good graphic/layout
> software.
> 
> Which method is easier/better? Ummmm...

By PCB-mounting the front panel components, you are not only
swapping wiring time for PCB design time. You are also comitting
yourself to spending more time sourcing parts. Worse, the parts
may be expensive or unavailable (what if it you need, say, a 1 M
log pot and they don't have any) ?

Also, you will have to choose between mounting the pots on the
panel side of the PCB (meaning you have to disassemble the entire
panel to gain access to any one pot) or on the opposite side,
meaning you need pots with suitable pins and probably large holes
in the PCB :

  http://www.sowa.synth.net/modular/m_sqbackbig2.jpg

In all cases, maintenance will be more difficult because a
replacement pot or switch must have the same PCB footprint *and*
height.

IMHO, for a couple units, PCB-mounting the front panel components
is not worth it. But some here make one-offs this way and seem to
be happy with the results, so...

-- 
André Majorel <URL:http://www.teaser.fr/~amajorel/>
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