Circuit Board VIAS

Solder small wire links to both sides of the pcb through the holes where you would normally place the vias.

as i need to mount ic sockets in these holes i can't join with wires or pins

snipped-for-privacy@netspace.net.au (Lucky Phil) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

Try wire wrap sockets, and solder both sides of each leg on the board.

sides

or pins

Machine pin sockets will allow you to solder both sides, unless you have everything packed together which is a BAD move if you intended to make the board yourself. There are many DS PTH proto services available fairly cheaply.

Dave :)

use machined pin sockets and solder both sides

-Andrew M

As others have suggested, machine pin sockets are the best way to go in this case. I'm assuming you mean dual in line IC sockets, and not square sockets.

If you've got IC sockets side by side, it can be difficult to solder them in place on both sides of the board, because when the socket is in place, the bottom edge of the surrounding plastic can be very close to the pcb, and its pretty difficult to get a soldering iron and solder in there. Especially if there are horizontal braces/spacers between each side of the socket, then it can be extremely difficult to solder the pins to the pads that would almost be hidden on the top side.

I'd use the following method. Cut the machine pin IC socket in half, and remove the side braces/spacers so that you have 2 equal length rows. Tac solder each end of the socket on the solder side, while keeping the minimum amount of the pin protruding through the pcb. This allows the socket to stand off the board by a millimeter or more, allowing you more space to solder the socket to the pads on the top layer of the board, under the plastic housing of the socket.

When you feel you have the socket at the right height to enable you to get the solder and soldering iron in the correct positions on the top of the board, then complete the soldering of both rows on both sides of the pcb.

Farnell used to have a product made by multicore that was basically thick plated solder, you inserted it into the hole and crimped it in then heated it with an iron to remove the solder core and leave behind the hollow shell inside the hole.

Mark H

I am actually usinc plcc sockets (32 pin square ones) so they can't be cut up. The multicore things are what i'm looking for but have not been able to find a smaller quantity than 1000

Philip

Try using the SIP method I mentioned earlier.

You could try to space the socket off the pcb by a millimeter or so, so you can get access to the top layer pads and legs of the socket.

Hi Lucky, Yep I was using them on 52 pin plcc's, make sure you size them right as the smaller size is a very tight squeeze for the square plcc pins. I forked out the full amount for 1000 as I figured I could use them elsewhere. The packet is very small when it arrives for the cost.

I don't think it's the approved method but I bought a cheap pair of rounded off longnose pliers and heated the tips and bent them 90 degrees so the tips touched: after filing both sides at once on a flat file to align them I used this tool to crimp them. It doesn't flare the ends but as the piece gets squashed it expands and wedges tight in the hole. The solder still makes contact with the ends when tinned.

You may be able to buy direct off Multicore cheaper than Farnell.

Regards Mark

The February issue of Elektor describes using these soldering vias or "bail bar tubes" as they call them. .

Thanks everyone for your input, I have decided to use Jaycar IC socket strips P/N PI 6470 used a dremel to cut off the pin sticking out the bottom then removed from plastic soldered into pcb from component side then fitted component through holes and then soldered from other side, worked like a dream. lucky

I'll say you're lucky. I gave up on DIY PTH years ago, it just wasnt worth the frustration. Huge numbers of "faults" turn out to be dodgy vias. If you value your time at all, its generally cheaper just to get a decent PTH pcb made. If you are doing this in a commercial sense, its downright daft. Then there is the medium- to long-term reliability issue (or, more precisely, the lack thereof).

Cheers Terry