South Jersey Robotics Club
October 2014 Meeting
Presentation Topics:
How to Solder
Makerfaire
Agenda
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New Member Introductions!
Show and Tell
Soldering for beginners
Makerfaire
Next meeting planning…
Lunch!
Introductions
• Please state your:
– Name
– Interests in this area
• Software? Electronics? Mechanical?
• Which platforms (Arduino, Pic, NXT, Vex, RasPi, etc.)
– Level of experience
– What you want to get out of the club
– Quick description of any projects you’re currently
working on or want to start
Show and Tell / Announcements
• Anybody have anything interesting???
• Pololu has a sale going on right now – up to 30%
off! (Ends Oct 22).
– They also usually have a big Thanksgiving time sale.. (I
usually spend a LOT). Good time to stock up on parts if
you need them..
• Central NJ Robotics…
• Xbox One Kinect has been hacked!
• Intel Edison / Galileo platform
Intro to Soldering
• Soldering – The act of electrically and
physically joining components together to
form circuits.
• Not quite the same as welding, although
similar in some regards.
• Get ready to feel like you need 5 hands!
Tools
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Soldering Iron
Solder Braid (optional)
Snips / Dykes
Wire Strippers
Solder – (Rosin Core, NOT Acid Core!!!)
Liquid Flux
Sponge (wet)
Solder Sucker (optional)
Solder brass sponge (optional, but +++)
Soldering iron stand (optional, but +++)
Alligator clip – to act as a heat sink
Magnifying glass / helping hand tool (extra hands!!!)
How to pick an iron…
• Replacement tips are VERY important
• Wattage – higher gets hotter, and faster, but
too high can cause problems
• Tip size – smaller allows for finer work, but
can be tough to work with on larger
components.
• Best to look for a good quality variable power
soldering station.
– But you can certainly get by with a 25-35W Radio
Shack special!
Tinning your iron…
• Very important! Otherwise your iron won’t work very
well…
– Warm up the iron. Let it get hot!
– Wipe the tip through a damp sponge to clean off the tip
(do this several times to get all around the tip)
– Apply some solder to the tip
– Solder should cover the tip
– Repeat on a regular basis – certainly every time you use
the iron for the first time on a project.
• If the tip won’t hold solder or looks black, replace the
tip!
• Solder Brass is REALLY useful for this!
Soldering…
Be careful!
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Don’t overdo it with the solder!!!
Shouldn’t be a huge mass of solder
on there…
Should be shiny, not dull
It’s a good idea to squirt a little flux
onto the parts you’re joining before
soldering them to help clean things.
Don’t leave the iron on the
connection any longer than
absolutely needed!
– Can cause pads on the board to lift, or
part failures due to overheating
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Clean the tip of your iron after EVERY
connection!
Wear safety glasses, and make sure
there’s good ventilation in your
workspace
Wash hands after done (especially if
using lead based solder)
Other stuff to note…
• Unplug/turn off iron when not in use. Will extend
the life of the tip (reduces oxidation)
– Also reduces fire hazard…
• If you used too much solder or if it created a
“bridge” either:
• Heat up the solder with the iron and use a solder sucker to
vac the excess solder away
• Place unused portion of solder braid on top of the solder
joint then place the iron on top of the braid. The heat will
transfer and the braid will “soak up” the molten solder.
Repeat as needed.
Hints
• You’ll usually feel like you need 5 hands. This is NORMAL!
• Don’t rely upon solder joints to provide mechanical connections!
Your joints WILL break! (ie, don’t put a lot of force on them).
• Don’t even attempt surface mount components… At least not until
you’re very experienced, and even then only the larger stuff. Stick
to “through hole” for now!
• ALWAYS use project boards that have copper clad on the back –
makes it WAY easier to make connections!
• If soldering wires together, always a good idea to use shrink tubing
to cover the connection afterwards.
• Lots of good “How To” videos out on YouTube.
• Get a board and a bunch of cheap resistors and just PRACTICE!!!
Makerfaire 2014!
Both NYC and Atlanta!!!
Next meeting
• What’s a good date? November 9? 16? (Sundays)
• Location?
• Topic?
– Some Ideas:
•Basic Electronics/ Circuits
•Mini Sumo
•IMUs + GPS
•Filtering (Particle / Extended
Kahlman)
•Encoders
•How to use an O-Scope / Logic
Analyzer
•How to use EagleCAD
•OpenCV for beginners
•Intro to ROS (Robot Operating
System)
•Maze Solving
•Obstacle detection and
avoidance/tracking
•Web based robot control interface
•Line following / line sensors / PID
control