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POPULATING THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD
In assembling this kit, your work space should be well-lit, well-ventilated, and disposable; that is, don't
work on the nice dining room table! Work on a utility surface that you can burn, drill and scratch. A
piece of ¼" tempered masonite, or a chunk of MDF, makes an excellent cover if you don't have a utility
work bench.
Solder fumes are not healthy for you. The fumes consist of vaporized flux, which can irritate
CAUTION:
your nose, lungs, and even your skin. You MUST work in a space where the air drifts away from you
as you work, so fumes do not rise straight onto your face.
Solder residue usually contains lead, which is poisonous if you ingest it. Do not breathe the
CAUTION:
fumes, do not eat the supplies, wash your hands after you handle solder, and sweep and wipe up your
work space after EVERY USE.
The printed circuit board (PCB) holds the components in this circuit. All of the components will be
installed on the "component side" of the board, which is the side that has the part numbers on it. The
other side of the board is called the "solder side", which, as the name implies, is the side on which
the legs of the components are soldered to the board. Proper technique for installing and soldering
components to a circuit board is demonstrated through several great resources on Instructables and
Youtube under the search "PCB soldering tutorial." The general procedure consists of the following:
1. Install the part on the "component side" of the board, by threading the wire leads through
the appropriate holes in the board. For your convenience, the board has silk screen outlines
indicating where the components should be placed, along with text indicating the part number
and the component value.
2. Hold the component in place with your finger and turn the board over.
3. Gently bend the leads out at about 45 degrees to keep the component from falling out of its
holes.
4. Flip the board over solder-side-up, and solder all of the components in one pass.
5. Clip the leads off with small diagonal cutters, right at the solder joint.
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