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  • Author Author: camuyano
  • Date Created: 2 Mar 2016 12:21 PM Date Created
  • Views 3612 views
  • Likes 3 likes
  • Comments 13 comments
  • smd
  • pcb
  • usb
  • soldering
Related
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Problems soldering micro usb connectors

camuyano
camuyano
2 Mar 2016

Currently I am working building a board that uses a micro USB female connector. In theory this was amazing until I had to hand solder those diabolic connectors. The pins are tiny and very short and that makes my success rate of soldering the connectors down to something like 4 good out of 5 tries. After looking some soul searching for the roads of the internet I found on Adafruit's site someone pointing to the trinket board connector. So I decided to go with it, I went into the trinket github and just copy pasted the part to my design and sent the PCB to fab. In a few weeks I should receive the board and some connectors and give it a try.

Here is a picture of the connector I will be trying out. It  seems to be easier than the other however this has to go trough the PCB so I cannot have much on the other side of the PCB. Current PCB had some extra real state but maybe not so in others.

 

image

 

 

If anyone has tips and tricks on how to solder microusb connectors by hand let me know. For now I am just practicing and practicing and practicing. Logic says that if I practice enough eventually I will be able to clean solder them.

Also how about strong holds of the connectors, what is a recommended connector that can withstand some abuse.

If all goes well I will be soldering about 200 of them, maybe after I will have all the practice I need.

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Top Comments

  • Former Member
    Former Member over 9 years ago +1
    Hi! Hot air gun, solder paste and good cleaning before soldering. Tom
  • shabaz
    shabaz over 9 years ago +1
    By hand it takes me too long to solder a single microUSB to want to do many of them. That is with a soldering iron; presumably much, much easier with reflow but I've not tried that with such connectors…
  • mlease
    mlease over 9 years ago in reply to camuyano +1
    Javier, get a small tube of solder past. Smear a little of the solder paste on the pins of the connector and then place it on the board. You do need a fairly fine pointed soldering iron tip but just place…
  • mihaip.
    mihaip. over 8 years ago in reply to COMPACT

    Thank you.

    I don't have this tool, IR wand.

    I only have a heat gun, soldering iron and chip quik kit.

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  • COMPACT
    COMPACT over 8 years ago

    The micro USB connector was designed to use only 40-50% of the PCB space of a mini USB connector.

    This makes it hard to hand solder without the correct tools and are best installed with automation.

    A preheater makes the connectors much easier to solder because the preheater provides most of the thermal energy to solder the connector.

    The hand tool provides the tiny bit of remaining energy to melt the solder.

    Solder paste melts much easier than solid solder.

     

    An IR wand is great because it does not create an air draft to inadvertently move the components around.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOFIn0JSqWw

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  • mihaip.
    mihaip. over 8 years ago in reply to shabaz

    It is a good starting point.

    Thank you, shabaz.

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  • shabaz
    shabaz over 8 years ago in reply to mihaip.

    Hi Mihai,

     

    There are subtle differences between different ones, even though they look the same.

    A typical micro type AB is linked below, possibly that is more likely on a tablet than a micro type B, but still it could be different from the one in your tablet, since every connector manufacturer has differences in their product. So no guarantee that it will fit the PCB:

    USB micro type ABUSB micro type AB

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  • mihaip.
    mihaip. over 8 years ago

    Hello everybody.

    I am trying to repair a not-so-well-known tablet, Allview Viva H10 HD.

    I need to replace the micro usb connector.

    Problem is I don't know model name for it.

    I've been searching the internet "by eye" and found nothing useful since now.

    Your picture of the usb connector matches with the one I need.

     

    Please, tell me where to buy it (link) and what is the name of it.

     

    Thank you very much.

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