Homebrew PCBs

On Fri, 07 Apr 2006 12:10:59 +0200, Leon Heller  
<leon.heller@...> wrote:

> Those DF12 sockets are made with metal tabs, but those are the only ones
>
> stocked by my modem supplier. There is a general shortage of those Hirose
>
> connectors, especially the ones with tabs, in the UK. Probably something  
> to
>
> do with ROHS.

It seems there is sometimes a shortage of components of some kind or the  
other here in europe, ROHS or not, in low quantities anyway. Some just  
don't "seem to make it over the pond" to distributors.

>> BTW those throughhole pads in places seem VERY small with that size of
>
>> hole in them, compared to the trace the rings are tiny. I don't think  
>> that
>
>> is such a good thing with non-PTH boards.
>
>
> They are the standard PTH size I use, I keep meaning to change them. I  
> use
>
> thin wire for the links and don't have problems. I should have added
>
> teardrops which would help.
>

Thought so. You can always fold the end of the wires over along the trace,  
but it isn't really that desireable.

> I didn't want to waste ink and solid areas seem to smear sometimes. They
> also take a long time to dry.


I see. I just couldn't figure out why you'd do it with a inkjet, i see why  
it is sometimes required with a laser but didn't know about the smearing  
or drying. Do you happen to know if there is any significant disadvantage  
with crosshached ground planes? i mean the area resistance is probably  
higher, but is shielding affected at all with that small size of gaps?


> I'm just about to get my microscope out and start assembling that  
> connector.

Is that a plastic case component? could be tricky to reflow then, how are  
you going to solder it?

ST