http://www.pcb7.com/i-want-to-learn-practical-electronics-like-type-of-pcb-soldering-equipment-being-used-for-good-soldring.html All about PCB Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:30:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 http://www.pcb7.com/i-want-to-learn-practical-electronics-like-type-of-pcb-soldering-equipment-being-used-for-good-soldring.html/comment-page-1#comment-642 Nigel M Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:24:35 +0000 http://www.pcb7.com/i-want-to-learn-practical-electronics-like-type-of-pcb-soldering-equipment-being-used-for-good-soldring.html#comment-642 Electronics Technician at a good trade school for starters. Electronics Technician at a good trade school for starters.

]]> http://www.pcb7.com/i-want-to-learn-practical-electronics-like-type-of-pcb-soldering-equipment-being-used-for-good-soldring.html/comment-page-1#comment-641 amanssci Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:21:48 +0000 http://www.pcb7.com/i-want-to-learn-practical-electronics-like-type-of-pcb-soldering-equipment-being-used-for-good-soldring.html#comment-641 The easiest way to learn all of this is by working in a lab. Most of it is practical skills rather than theory, but there are so many different things you need to know that I couldn't even begin to enumerate them. I would not worry much about PCBs, unless you have to design circuits. Then the easiest way is to get layout software, make Gerber files and send them to a PCB prototype fab. Simple two sided circuits have become really cheap now and you couldn't make more than two layers in the lab, anyway. Soldering... if you have a modern temperature controlled soldering station, it's rather easy. Those are so cheap that getting an old style unregulated iron is a waste of time. The bigger issue is circuit design. That, unfortunately needs some serious education or you will never leave the "it did not work, so I soldered this to that and it still does not work right but I just pretend it does" path of many amateurs. The easiest way to learn all of this is by working in a lab. Most of it is practical skills rather than theory, but there are so many different things you need to know that I couldn’t even begin to enumerate them.
I would not worry much about PCBs, unless you have to design circuits. Then the easiest way is to get layout software, make Gerber files and send them to a PCB prototype fab. Simple two sided circuits have become really cheap now and you couldn’t make more than two layers in the lab, anyway.
Soldering… if you have a modern temperature controlled soldering station, it’s rather easy. Those are so cheap that getting an old style unregulated iron is a waste of time.
The bigger issue is circuit design. That, unfortunately needs some serious education or you will never leave the “it did not work, so I soldered this to that and it still does not work right but I just pretend it does” path of many amateurs.

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