I have been playing around with various ICs for a little while now. But up to now I have only used DIP chips because I know how to prototype with them and include them in my projects.
Some are clearly require unsuitable. Are there other types of chip other than DIP packages that I can easily include in my projects.
TIA.
Other than DIP, you have a wide variety of surface mount. Of you want to use surface mount, consider getting devices in a package that you can get a chip carrier for... TSSOP, SOIC, etc...
ElectronicsNoobie:
Are there other types of chip other than DIP packages that I can easily include in my projects.
"Easily"? No.
People do work with other chip types at hobby level but breadboarding is impossible and you start needing special soldering equipment and custom PCBs for everything.
Get SOIC to DIP adapters. Solder the SOIC chip to the adapter board and use that for your prototype.
... or just go straight to designing a PCB, use Oshpark or iTeedstudio for your prototype PCBs and feel free to use whatever chip you want.
For the TSSOP and finer packages, if you don't have a toaster oven, or hot air gun, it will be difficult (but not impossible) to solder these by hand.
vasquo:
Get SOIC to DIP adapters.
Little boards that you can solder pins + surface mount chips to then use them like DIP packages...
SOIC packages are very easy to solder to, and can be included in pcb layouts
with no problem, but most of the other smt packages are somewhat of a pain.
The ones with really tiny pitch are difficult to hand solder no matter what, but
for not too tiny pitch and not too many pins, some people have success using
the method where you solder the pins down, and then use solder wick to clear
the solder bridges from between the pins. Works if you're really careful.
vasquo:
For the TSSOP and finer packages, if you don't have a toaster oven, or hot air gun, it will be difficult (but not impossible) to solder these by hand.
...or a hot plate, a syringe of solder paste, and a flux pen.
oric_dan:
SOIC packages are very easy to solder to, and can be included in pcb layouts
with no problem, but most of the other smt packages are somewhat of a pain.
I'd agree with this - SOIC pin spacing is 1.27mm (0.05in), which isn't hard to deal with
using solder's own surface tension (apply just enough solder, plenty of flux, it'll tend
to behave. Solder-suckers and solder braid are possible to use.
The smaller pitch spacings like 0.65mm and 0.5mm start to require a different technique -
solder paste and reflow. Solder stencils are the way to make this work reliably across a
board - starts to get tricky. Some PCB fab houses do free laser-cut stencils, this is a great
help.
Once you do go over to using solder stencil and a reflow oven then the soldering is actually
the trivial part, its applying the paste and placing the components that takes time and care.
dc42:
vasquo:
For the TSSOP and finer packages, if you don't have a toaster oven, or hot air gun, it will be difficult (but not impossible) to solder these by hand....or a hot plate, a syringe of solder paste, and a flux pen.
Yup... and a solder braid/wick to fix shorts.
on ebay you can buy sop8/16 to dip, for a few bucks from china along with adapters yoi simply drop the chip in and off you go...
so there's choices for sure...
Yup... and a solder braid/wick to fix shorts.
Actually... with enough flux... no wicking is needed. You rely on the fact that there is a tight pitch and surface tension will pull the molten solder back to a pad.
pwillard:
Yup... and a solder braid/wick to fix shorts.
Actually... with enough flux... no wicking is needed. You rely on the fact that there is a tight pitch and surface tension will pull the molten solder back to a pad.
Yes, that works when I get the amount of solder laid across the pads just right. When I do need to resort to solder braid, I find it works much better if I wipe it with the flux pen first.
vasquo:
For the TSSOP and finer packages, if you don't have a toaster oven, or hot air gun, it will be difficult (but not impossible) to solder these by hand.
I've soldered a TQFP-144 0.4mm by hand. The technique is to use a chisel tip, don't care about making solder bridges because you can't avoid them, and then remove them with desolder braid. It works fine. The only thing I have ever totally needed a hot air gun for has been QFN and BGA parts where I apply the solder first and then melt the package down onto the pads. Of course, hot air is nice to reflow even TQFPs that you hand-solder, it adds another level of clean-up after the braid.
JoeN:
vasquo:
For the TSSOP and finer packages, if you don't have a toaster oven, or hot air gun, it will be difficult (but not impossible) to solder these by hand.I've soldered a TQFP-144 0.4mm by hand. The technique is to use a chisel tip, don't care about making solder bridges because you can't avoid them, and then remove them with desolder braid. It works fine. The only thing I have ever totally needed a hot air gun for has been QFN and BGA parts where I apply the solder first and then melt the package down onto the pads. Of course, hot air is nice to reflow even TQFPs that you hand-solder, it adds another level of clean-up after the braid.
Meh... not how I do it...
Ensure your board is HASL, not electroplated. Flood the footprint and chip with flux (from a flux pen). Align the chip perfectly with the footprint and hold it there with one hand. Use the soldering iron (any cheap iron will do, with any shaped tip - I use a point) to melt the HASL solder. Use an in-out motion along the direction of the footprint pad (in to the pins, then out to the edge of the footprint) to ensure you never get any bridges, etc. Perfect soldering every time, no need for wick, paste, etc. If you find there's not quite enough solder in the HASL then melt some onto your iron and clean it off on a sponge - you end up with just enough on there to complement the HASL solder.
I do that on a daily basis and it sure beats the heck out of trying to get rid of solder bridges.
The key issue is MOQ - Minimum Order Quantity.
When you meet MOQ and if you want, You could order die.
RFM12B-S2 Wireless Transceiver
The die is bonding directly on printed-circuit board.
Once you have die, you could have whatever package you want, and go for it.
P.S. not all IC are suitable for all package, no 100% freedom.
