SMD chips

Hi;

I could use a bit of direction here. I have a RDA9330H to change, small

44 pin IC. Now I can get this done, just don't drink too much coffee before work. Thing is, I saw other chips on the board with only =BD the space between the pins and I am wondering how they are changed.

I have heard of heat guns, we have a magniying glass, but I need more of the nuts and bolts of the process. I have changed a few LSI chips, but the technique was less then optimal.

I cut the leads off the chip with a razor. Broke it off the glue, and then painstakingly removed the bits so the new chip would seat properly.

After tacking the new IC at opposite corners I flooded the sides with solder, then wicked off the excess. This actually worked a bunch of times on like the 44 pin QFP (I think) package of the TDA9330H. I remember doing a bunch of them in Hitachi built camcorders. The digital servo IC lost the phase lock for the capstan, and handled by the freq lock alone caused massive wow and flutter. I had three or four of them, after they were in top notch mechanical condition, they still had the wow and flutter. It had two different pins for the phase and freq lock, and they were not integrated exactly the same into the capstan control voltage.

I did those differently, I used a guitar string for removal. I am not worried about changing this 44 pin QFP. I am worried about the other ICs on the board. Some of them pins got a mighty fine pitch. What do you all do ? is it a hot air gun, or are we destined to become board jockeys ?

Just figuring things out, a heat gun would soften the glue. Enough heat would melt the solder and you just lift it off. Then, getting the new IC aligned wqith some sort of jig, with downward pressure you should be able to make it flow.

Even if this becomes feasible, we are not talking BGA ICs here. On those I simply don't know.=20

Thanks in advance.

JURB