How do you solder a circuit board?
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Answer ( 1 )
First of all, you need some tools like slide shows.
Then, for each of the connections you want to solder, hold the tip briefly on the connection point and add the solder and hold the heat until the solder flows into the connection.
If you haven’t done it before, practice something on a circuit board that is bad and useless. This way, the circuit board you want to solder will not be damaged. The main thing is, don’t just melt the solder onto the connection … melt it into the connection. A simple tack will likely result in a “dry” solder joint. The electrical wire will not be as good, and with time and vibration it will normally come off.
Now, remember, most electronic devices these days use a surface mount device (SMD) components. When they are made, a solder paste is printed on the bare circuit board. Then a robot (automatic placement machine) places all parts in the right places. Finally, the entire circuit board is passed through an IR furnace, which heats the entire assembly and melts the solder. Boards with through-hole devices are “wave soldered”. A combination of both processes is often required.
If you plan to make repairs to a printed circuit board to remove through-parts, you will also need a desoldering pump and/or (sometimes both) a solder wick.
You need a powerful hot air gun and fine tweezers to remove SMD parts.
There are many specialized tools for PCB revision. As a rule, however, you can use the tools mentioned above. It is also good to have a strong magnifying glass (or better still a microscope). It can be very difficult to see what is going on when soldering, and you can easily damage the mounting pads and traces.
If you plan to do this, you should have as much practice as possible on a bad board.