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[on:]

I recently bought a 9 degrees of freedom sensor stick to play with in tandem with my Arduino ADK:

http://www.coolcomponents.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=36_58&products_id=640

Being somewhat dubious about how to connect this (especially since it's likely to be reused in various projects over time), I decided that perhaps some circuit board pins were the answer:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/type-2145-pcb-solder-pins-1933

Is this the right approach? If it is, do you just put the pin through the hole and solder the underside?

I'm not really sure to approach this and don't want to damage my 9dof board so any tips and hints on how to make connections like this would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Reply #1 on:]

If I remember correctly these pins are intended to be an interference fit, hence the splined part. It was a way of connecting both sides of a double sided pcb (with extention). However, check the hole dimensions before you try and intall any!

[Reply #2 on:]

Yep, you just push it through with the mushroom head on the copper side, then solder it to the track.  There are 2 diameters sold by Maplin so you need to get the correct size.  Thats the one that lets the plain part fit snugly through the hole, then needs effort to push the splined part home.  You can get setting tools but I find a small hole drilled in the end of a piece of round rod, which is held held in a vice (looking upwards) and a gentle tap with a small hammer onto the mushroom head does the trick.

[Reply #3 on:]

Thanks for the info and help guys

[Reply #4 on:]

You need the right diameter pins, wrong size either wont fit or fall out.

Better approach might be to use 0.1" header pins so it can be plugged into a breadboard easily.  Having to solder and resolder will become a boring chore!