[NTLUG:Discuss] WTH: ( want to hire ) Electronic Hardware Geek ( for TiVo Upgrade )

[Wayne Dahl]

On Fri, 2003-08-29 at 09:44, Steve Baker wrote:
> Greg Edwards wrote:
> >
> > I've worked with some hardware engineers that would beat you over the 
> > head with a 2x4 for that suggestion ;)
> 
> ...but then, they *are* hardware engineers.  :-)
> 
> I'm perfectly serious about that being the way the serious commercial
> board manufacturers do it.  I've seen rigs exactly like that used where
> I used to work in England.
> 
> > I can't solder to save my life but I've watched some real artists at 
> > work before.  Solder gun, solder feeder (can't remember the real name), 
> > and good light is all they need.  Pop that puppy in, flip the board 
> > over, and away they go, smoke and solder chips flying all over the place.
> 
> That's true - there are people that can do it - but it's REALLY not easy.
> 
> I can solder the old style 40 pin dual-inline chips quite easily - but these
> microscopic devices with hundreds of legs are just *impossible*!   You need
> a professional.

It's been 15 years since I did any surface mount soldering, but I
learned to do it in a manufacturing plant (Jabil Circuit in St. Pete,
FL...making IBM motherboards, disk-drive controllers, etc) with 2
regular soldering irons with fine tips.  After 3 months there, I was
laid off and went to a manufacturer of marine Loran-C devices and marine
radios.  They couldn't believe how fast I could solder surface mount
stuff.  If you don't do it fast, you stand a good chance of damaging the
components and an even GREATER chance of lifting the solder pad off the
board.  The latter is not insurmountable, but definitely not desirable.

I used to solder 100 pin square processing chips to these boards with
nothing more than a fine tip soldering iron, a magnifying light and a
dental pick (to pick out any inadvertent bridges).  I hated it, but I
almost never had a failure.

I wouldn't want to try it on your TiVo...like I said, I haven't done it
in a long time.  I wouldn't want to relearn on your very expensive box. 
What are the chips for?

Wayne