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  • Author Author: camuyano
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Problems soldering micro usb connectors

camuyano

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.

Parents Comment
  • in reply to camuyano

    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 it each of the pin/pad joints to melt the solder paste. If you get a short between the pins, usually just running the iron tip between the pins will pull the excess solder away on the iron tip. Worst case use some thin solder wick to remove the short. It is unlikely you will remove enough solder to desolder the joint completely.

     

    That technique works rather well with fine pitch connectors and small ICs. Once you get it down it should only takes a few seconds per connector.

     

    Mike

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