PAM-7Q - Hardware Integration Manual
UBX-13003143 - R06
Early Production Information
Product handling
Page 16 of 26
5
Product handling
5.1
Packaging, shipping and storage
For information pertaining to reels and tapes, shipment and storage information, as well as drying for
preconditioning, see the specific
PAM-7Q Data Sheet
5.2
Soldering
5.2.1
Hand soldering
Use a soldering iron temperature setting equivalent to 350 °C.
5.2.2
Optical inspection
After soldering the PAM-7Q module, consider an optical inspection step to check whether:
The module is properly aligned
All pads are properly soldered
No excess solder has created contacts to neighboring pads, or possibly to pad stacks and vias nearby
5.2.3
Cleaning
In general, cleaning the populated modules is strongly discouraged. Residues underneath the modules cannot be
easily removed with a washing process.
Cleaning with water will lead to capillary effects where water is absorbed in the gap between the baseboard
and the module. The combination of residues of soldering flux and encapsulated water leads to short circuits
or resistor-like interconnections between neighboring pads.
Cleaning with alcohol or other organic solvents can result in soldering flux residues flooding into the two
housings, areas that are not accessible for post-wash inspections. The solvent will also damage the sticker
and the ink-jet printed text.
Ultrasonic cleaning will permanently damage the module, in particular the quartz oscillators.
The best approach is to use a "no clean" soldering paste and eliminate the cleaning step after the soldering.
5.2.4
Rework
The PAM-7Q module can be unsoldered from the baseboard using a hot air gun or a soldering iron. Use a wide
iron tip to unsolder all the pins at the same time. In general, we do not recommend using a hot air gun because
this is an uncontrolled process and might damage the module.
Attention: use of a hot air gun can lead to overheating and severely damage the module.
Always avoid overheating the module.
After the module is removed, clean the pads before placing and hand soldering a new module.
Never attempt a rework on the module itself, e.g. replacing individual components. Such
actions immediately terminate the warranty.
In addition, manual rework on particular pins by using a soldering iron is allowed. Manual rework steps on the
module can be done several times.
5.2.5
Conformal coating
Certain applications employ a conformal coating of the PCB using HumiSeal
®
or other related coating products.
These materials affect the HF properties of the GNSS module, and it is important to prevent them from flowing
into the module. The RF shields do not provide 100% protection for the module from coating liquids with low
viscosity; therefore, care is required in applying the coating.
