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4. Headers, headers, headers

Time to add the headers, a way to connect things together, which is necessary for electronics. Follow the steps to see which headers, how many pins, and where, are necessary.

Obtain the F header that is 2 rows, 18 pins. Insert this into SV1. The opening of the headers should point towards the bottom edge of the board.

Tack down one of the pads with solder first before flipping. This will make it stay in place a bit easier. Then, flip the board.

Ensure the headers are flush with the board after flipping. This is important because it will help with the alignment of the keypad during assembly. Using your soldering iron, apply solder to the pads of the header. Then, flip the board.

Insert the Xbee headers into MOD1.

Note: a special trick that we found when working with soldering the Xbee headers, is to actually insert and Xbee into them. It helps ensure the solder doesn’t wick up into the header prongs. If you have an Xbee, you might want to consider trying this too!

Apply tape to keep the Xbee headers in place. Then, flip the board over.

Tack the first pad of each row down with solder. Then, ensure that both headers are flush with the circuit board.

Solder the remainder of the header pads. When complete, flip the board.

Insert the F header for the display, located at MOD2. Depending on which model of Operator Interface you have, this could range between 4-8 pins.

Apply tape to keep the header in place. Then, flip the board over.

Tack the first pad of the header down with solder. Then, ensure that the header is flush and perpendicular with the circuit board.

Solder the remainder of the header pads. When complete, flip the board.

The soldering of these headers is complete. Here’s how the board should look currently.
← Speaker, transistor, LEDs galore More headers →

Page last updated on: Sat Jan 18 20:17:26 2020