Development Kit
Hand soldering technique enables one dev board to handle 92 TI MCUs
Colin Holland
7/13/2010 8:22 AM EDT
A single development board that supports many of Texas Instruments
Inc.'s microcontroller devices has been developed by SchmartBoard Inc.
(San Ramon, Calif.).
Normally different MCU families require multiple boards but Schmartboard's one single development board supports all 64-pin QFP packages in TI's C2000 and MSP430 MCU platforms and all 48-pin QFP packages in TI's Stellaris range, 92 devices in all.
SchmartBoards' uses a 'EZ' technology to hand solder devices in surface mount packages. It was granted a patent for this technology for hand soldering SMT electronic components in April 2009.
The patent covers a modification of circuit board technology. A normal PCB consists of two main components on the surface. The solder mask and the electronic pads. The electronic pads are on top of the solder mask, and this is where the electronic components are placed. This system works great when circuits are mass-produced using precise robotic pick and place technology. However, when circuits need to be hand soldered for projects or prototyping, the average engineer does not have the dexterity or expertise to do it.
SchmartBoard’s technology has the solder mask much higher than the pads. additionally the pads are 'pre-tinned' with solder. What this modification does is allow the electronic components to easily be hand placed by virtually anyone. Because the solder is already on the pads, a user simply takes a soldering iron and melts the solder to the component leads or runs the boards through a re-flow oven. This technology makes it virtually impossible to create shorts or bridges when hand soldering SMT components.
The development board in being included in the company's 2010 MCU Design Contest which runs from July 2010 through the end of the year.
The suggested retail for the boards is $30 but during July the product is available through SchmartBoard website for $15.
Normally different MCU families require multiple boards but Schmartboard's one single development board supports all 64-pin QFP packages in TI's C2000 and MSP430 MCU platforms and all 48-pin QFP packages in TI's Stellaris range, 92 devices in all.
SchmartBoards' uses a 'EZ' technology to hand solder devices in surface mount packages. It was granted a patent for this technology for hand soldering SMT electronic components in April 2009.
The patent covers a modification of circuit board technology. A normal PCB consists of two main components on the surface. The solder mask and the electronic pads. The electronic pads are on top of the solder mask, and this is where the electronic components are placed. This system works great when circuits are mass-produced using precise robotic pick and place technology. However, when circuits need to be hand soldered for projects or prototyping, the average engineer does not have the dexterity or expertise to do it.
SchmartBoard’s technology has the solder mask much higher than the pads. additionally the pads are 'pre-tinned' with solder. What this modification does is allow the electronic components to easily be hand placed by virtually anyone. Because the solder is already on the pads, a user simply takes a soldering iron and melts the solder to the component leads or runs the boards through a re-flow oven. This technology makes it virtually impossible to create shorts or bridges when hand soldering SMT components.
The development board in being included in the company's 2010 MCU Design Contest which runs from July 2010 through the end of the year.
The suggested retail for the boards is $30 but during July the product is available through SchmartBoard website for $15.
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