soldering

During the component shortage, I got to know Raspberry Pi’s RP2040 microcontroller. It is a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ with about 262 kilobytes of RAM. The feature I like most is the …

Often I hear this question: “how can I get better solder joints?” Without looking at anything they are doing, I already know that they could be using more flux. Or, as I point out …

Using a Metcal GT120, we look at three ways to improve your soldering skills. Using flux, setting a correct temperature, and selecting the proper tip all result in better solder …

Low-temperature solder paste makes it easier to reflow-solder and re-work surface mount circuit boards. MG Chemicals offers a Bismuth-based paste that works great from larger …

Desoldering braid removes surface solder from a circuit board. It makes reworking PCBs easy and quick. With a few tips and tricks, products like MG Chemical’s Superwick can work …

My friend Pablo recently upgraded his firestarter iron to a Hakko FX-888D. Because of its popularity and his relative newness to the iron, I asked if he’d like to write up a review …

An overlooked danger of electronics soldering is the fumes. While the smell and smoke may not be pleasant, the chemicals in the fumes can be harmful. Is solder made with lead(Pb) …

In this element14 Workbench Wednesdays episode, I review tools provided by Weller which are suitable for surface mount soldering. Throughout the soldering series, I have been using …

Right after the digital multimeter, or DMM, a soldering iron is a must-have tool for electronics work. Like most tools, there is a vast variety of options available. In this …

The Bay Area’s Maker Faire 2018 encompasses an impressive scope of activities. Pedal-powered live music, fire-breathing machines, kids building stuff, corn dogs, fresh honey, LEDs, …