Starting
The first thing to do is inspect the PCB for shorted or open tracks or other
damage. Be aware of the static warning when doing this check. When you are
satisfied that all is well, then you can proceed.
Start with the flattest parts first, which are the resistors. Hold each resistor body
by the thumb and forefinger and use your other hand to loosely bend both of the
leads over at right angles at the same time. Try not to make the bends too sharp,
and you will find that they slide straight into the mounting holes on the board.
Leave the pigtails on each of the components until after soldering as the extra
lead length serves as a heat sink for the component. Try not to leave the
soldering iron on the components too long or you risk damaging them. The usual
method is to hold the iron tip so that it touches the component lead and the PCB
pad at the same time, and then apply a small dab of solder. This operation
should only take about a second or two. If you are unsure of your soldering
ability, find some spare components and practice on these before building the
programmer board.
Check that each solder joint is bright and shiny and doesn't look like a big dull
blob which could mean a dry solder joint. The solder should flow freely onto the
component lead and solder pad if it is to be a good joint.
After the resistors are soldered in, recheck your work and then mount the diodes
D1, D2 and D3
There are 4 LEDs that can be mounted next. Make sure they
are oriented correctly. The Anode is marked on the PCB and
is the longer of the two leads on the component. The
Cathode has a flat surface on the LED body and is also
marked on the board.
Next, if supplied, mount the IC socket for the PIC16F628 chip.
Now you can mount the box poly (MKT) capacitors. Most of these look the same,
so check the values and make sure they are inserted into the correct positions.
Then solder the four 22p ceramic capacitors.
Next, mount all the electrolytic capacitors. These are polarity sensitive
components so make sure they are mounted properly. The positive lead is longer
than the negative lead, and the negative lead is also marked on the side of the
capacitor. On the PCB overlay, there are holes marked [+] as the positive lead
for each of these components.
