SMD is a lot less difficult than it looks. The space savings and the
> option to mount components on both sides of the board are a nice bonus
> in addition to the drilling.
> --
> RoRo
What about circuits that use a PIC that needs to be programmed where the PIC can not be programmed in place? I was all set to use surface mount on a project and then started thinking about how many holes I would still have to drill. It seemed like I would still have to drill about half of the connections.
Dan
I would try VERY hard to avoid that. I can't imagine a situation where it should be particularly difficult to implement ICSP.
Worst case, put the PIC in a socket and the rest of the parts on the surface.
Yes, most SMD projects do need some holes.
Well, you reduced the number of holes by half. As a bonus, you reduced size, weight and cost. A pretty good deal, if you ask me.
Usually, you can't eliminate all the holes, but reducing the count is a good thing, especially if you are hand drilling.
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