Soldering equipment

[bbjunkie]

Hi,

I'm considering buying something suitable for some intricate soldering, currently i've got a board on which I need to swap an ASIX AX88796 IC. It has a lot of very fine legs. I think hot air may be the only way.

Suggestions welcome

Thanks

Jim

[mariushm]

Re: Soldering equipment

Put solder on the pcb pads or just use liquid paste then use a quality solder iron or hot air gun.

See to the end: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...9fAlfQE#t=839s

I've recently bought a Hakko 936 and was almost shocked at how easy it was to solder stuff compared to the 35-50w mains powered solder irons.
However, with a chip that has the pins so close together, I'd probably use hot air and solder paste.

At 26:50 in the video above it shows how to use hot air gun...

[retiredcaps]

Re: Soldering equipment

Another good solder video (only 9 min total).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NN7UGWYmBY

If short on time, start at 5:30.

[999999999]

Re: Soldering equipment

Pulling the old chip off will be easier with a hot air station, but since you don't want to try to salvage the chip, you could use a probe or insulated needle/etc to pry up the pins one or a few at a time using a soldering iron, then drag solder the replacement chip on after using desoldering braid to remove all remaining solder.

Unfortunately Hakko has discontinued their 936 & 937, replacing those with FX-888 (? I think that's the number) and unfortunately a lot of their 9xx series tips for those stations too.


I suppose my point is, if you don't have a high quality soldering iron yet I would invest in that before only a hot air station since it has more uses over the long run, but if you plan on doing chip swaps like this in the future it is worthwhile to have the hot air station too.

Hard to tell from the picture exactly how small and tight the pins are though, maybe too tedious to use an iron and needle probe even if possible, especially if the traces to it are long/thin/fragile.

[Agent24]

Re: Soldering equipment

Chipquik or hot air station (you can get basic ones very cheap now) should remove the IC easily.

For installing the new IC, solder paste and hot air could work, you'd probably have to clean up some bridges though.

You can also try flood-and-suck method, or with some practice, drag soldering.


(So says all the videos I've seen on Youtube anyway!)

[mockingbird]

Re: Soldering equipment

You _can_ actually solder those in with ordinary solder and an ordinary iron, it's not easy, but I've done something like that. I don't recommend it.

[Evil Lurker]

Re: Soldering equipment

Get some Chip Quik. Its a special solder that stays liquid for like 30 seconds... plenty long enough to get the IC loose. For resoldering you can practice your drag technique, but for me I would go the hot air route with some mechanics soldering paste.

[bbjunkie]

Re: Soldering equipment

Thanks for the replies. Think i'll go the hot air route as no doubt i'll be faced with this again in the future.

Any recommendations on a reasonably priced station for occasional use? (preferably not Chinese)

[thesloc]

Re: Soldering equipment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uiroWBkdFY