PicoKeyer-Plus
05/25/2014 (Firmware V4.5)
Page 11 of 19
Assembly Instructions
Before You Start
Your PicoKeyer-Plus kit was designed with the beginning kit builder in mind. With just a little care and practice,
even a first time kit builder can complete the project in a relatively short time. You will need to gather a few tools
and supplies together before beginning to assemble your kit. Here’s what you will need:
A clean, level, static-free work area with good lighting. Wooden workbenches are fine. If you are working
on a kitchen table, be sure to spread out some newspaper or something else to keep solder splatters and
sharp wire ends from damaging the table top.
A soldering iron. A small, low-wattage (25-35 Watt) pencil type iron is ideal. Avoid larger, pistol-grip
types. You can find inexpensive irons at your local Radio Shack. You will need a fine tip intended for
electronics. Be sure to use an iron rest or holder to keep the iron from damaging your work surface. If you
plan to assemble more kits, I recommend investing in a good quality, temperature controlled soldering
station such as the Weller WES or WLC series. You’ll be glad you did! Follow the iron manufacturer’s
instructions for tinning the tip, and keep a damp sponge handy to keep the tip clean.
Solder suitable for electronics work. Use a good quality, small diameter rosin core solder intended for
electronic assembly. DO NOT use acid core solder!
Small needle-nose pliers and a pair of small diagonal wire cutters. The smaller you have, the better off you
will be. Again, you can find hand tools intended for electronics work at Radio Shack and other suppliers
such as Techni-Tool, Jensen, Mouser and Sears.
A clamp or small vise to hold the work is a good idea. I use a PanaVise, but you can also construct a board
holder out of scrap wood and rubber bands. If you use a regular bench vise, use gentle pressure and
something to cushion the vise jaws.
A pencil to check off each step as you finish it.
Once you have all of your tools and supplies gathered together, you’re ready to get started. Warm up the iron while
you remove the parts from the bag and lay them out on the work surface. We’ll start with the small parts and work
our way through each component, checking them off on the list as we go.
To install a component such as a resistor or capacitor, follow these steps:
1.
Hold or gently clamp the PCB with the component side up. The side with the white printing is called the
“
component side
” or top; the side with no white lettering is called the “
solder side
” and is the bottom.
2.
Bend the component wire leads, if necessary, to fit the spacing of the holes in the PCB. Insert the leads
through the holes in the PCB. From the bottom side of the PCB, bend the leads out at a 45-degree angle to
hold the part in place.
3.
From the bottom of the PCB, solder the leads in place. Remember to place the tip of the iron at the point
where the lead comes through the PCB hole, so you heat the wire and the hole at the same time. Wait a
couple of seconds for the lead to heat up, then touch the solder to the lead and pad, NOT the soldering iron
tip. The solder should flow into the joint. Remove the solder and iron and don’t move the PCB for a
couple of seconds until the solder has cooled. The joint should be smooth and shiny. If it looks dull or
rough, touch the tip of the iron to the joint to re-melt the solder. If there is a blob of solder, use some solder
wick or a solder sucker to clean it up; re-solder the joint if needed.
Be careful not to leave the iron on the joint too long, and don’t use too much solder. Electronic
components and circuit boards can be damaged by too much heat for too long. If you have never soldered
electronic components before, it would be a good idea to find some scrap parts and PCB and practice on
them first. Also, it’s a great idea to find someone more experienced to help you learn this skill!
