Since we made use of leadless and fine-pitch components in our node design, we decided to try out using solder paste and reflowing the entire board with a hot plate.
Target PCB (Center) Surrounded by Scrap Boards
We taped down scrap PCBs around our PCB to ensure that it cannot shift around. The solder paste stencil was then taped to the surface on one end after aligning it with the pads on the PCB.
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- Spread Solder Paste Above the Pads
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- Result After Solder Paste Spread With Scraper
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- Solder Paste on Pads
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- Partially Populated PCB
The boards were then populated by hand:
Fully Populated Board Before Reflow
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- Isaac Hand Soldering Unit For Testing
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- Brushing Teeth
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- Assembled PCB