Circuit Break Podcast #303

Tip Resurrection Cream

How is it possible that Stephen and Parker can talk about solder and soldering supplies for over one hour. Listen to this weeks episode to find out!

Related Topics
Solder Slugs

We'll dive into nuances of working with contract manufacturers, specifically focusing on the responsibilities of both the designer and the manufacturer.

The Danger Pool

The CHIPS act is driving chip manufacturers like Texas Instruments, TSMC, and Intel to expand in the US, but there's a shortage of engineering manpower.

The PCB Plague

Ever have PCBs that solder just will not wet and solder to? You probably thought it was improper soldering technique but that was probably not it!

Other Resources

Circuit Break Podcast
Webinars
Videos
Tour MacroFab's ITAR-Compliant Facility

November 17, 2021, Episode #303

How is it possible that Stephen and Parker can talk about solder and soldering supplies for over one hour. Listen to this weeks episode to find out!

Bench Soldering Supplies/Consumables

  • Solder
    • What kind of Solder Alloy?
    • Preferred Brands
      • Get a datasheet!
    • Flux core
    • Diameter of the solder
  • Flux
    • Ensure compatibility of the fluxes you are using
  • Flux cleaner
  • Tip cleaner/tinner
    • Brass sponge thing
    • “Tip Resurrection Cream”
  • Solder wick
  • Solder pot
    • Stephen forgot about this in last week's episode of solder equipment

About the Hosts

Parker Dillmann
  Parker Dillmann

Parker is an Electrical Engineer with backgrounds in Embedded System Design and Digital Signal Processing. He got his start in 2005 by hacking Nintendo consoles into portable gaming units. The following year he designed and produced an Atari 2600 video mod to allow the Atari to display a crisp, RF fuzz free picture on newer TVs. Over a thousand Atari video mods where produced by Parker from 2006 to 2011 and the mod is still made by other enthusiasts in the Atari community.

In 2006, Parker enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin as a Petroleum Engineer. After realizing electronics was his passion he switched majors in 2007 to Electrical and Computer Engineering. Following his previous background in making the Atari 2600 video mod, Parker decided to take more board layout classes and circuit design classes. Other areas of study include robotics, microcontroller theory and design, FPGA development with VHDL and Verilog, and image and signal processing with DSPs. In 2010, Parker won a Ti sponsored Launchpad programming and design contest that was held by the IEEE CS chapter at the University. Parker graduated with a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Spring of 2012.

In the Summer of 2012, Parker was hired on as an Electrical Engineer at Dynamic Perception to design and prototype new electronic products. Here, Parker learned about full product development cycles and honed his board layout skills. Seeing the difficulties in managing operations and FCC/CE compliance testing, Parker thought there had to be a better way for small electronic companies to get their product out in customer's hands.

Parker also runs the blog, longhornengineer.com, where he posts his personal projects, technical guides, and appnotes about board layout design and components.

Stephen Kraig
  Stephen Kraig

Stephen Kraig is a component engineer working in the aerospace industry. He has applied his electrical engineering knowledge in a variety of contexts previously, including oil and gas, contract manufacturing, audio electronic repair, and synthesizer design. A graduate of Texas A&M, Stephen has lived his adult life in the Houston, TX, and Denver, CO, areas.

Stephen has never said no to a project. From building guitar amps (starting when he was 17) to designing and building his own CNC table to fine-tuning the mineral composition of the water he uses to brew beer, he thrives on testing, experimentation, and problem-solving. Tune into the podcast to learn more about the wacky stuff Stephen gets up to.

Credits

Special thanks to whixr over at Tymkrs for the intro and outro!

Related Podcasts

MEP EP 304

Cow Field

This week Stephen and Parker were supposed to discuss bench equipment for development and testing but got distracted by talking about home-brewing beer.

Danger pool

The Danger Pool

The CHIPS act is driving chip manufacturers like Texas Instruments, TSMC, and Intel to expand in the US, but there's a shortage of engineering manpower.

Through hole manufacturing

Through Hole Manufacturing

Through hole assembly for PCBs might be great for low volume prototypes but how do you scale up that process? What design considerations are needed?

CB FI 438

Solder Slugs

We'll dive into nuances of working with contract manufacturers, specifically focusing on the responsibilities of both the designer and the manufacturer.

MEP FI 302

A 1 Dollar Chips Matter

What kind of soldering equipment should an engineer look at getting for their bench? Parker and Stephen start discussing equipment and supplies!

The pcb plague

The PCB Plague

Ever have PCBs that solder just will not wet and solder to? You probably thought it was improper soldering technique but that was probably not it!

About MacroFab

MacroFab offers comprehensive manufacturing solutions, from your smallest prototyping orders to your largest production needs. Our factory network locations are strategically located across North America, ensuring that we have the flexibility to provide capacity when and where you need it most.

Experience the future of EMS manufacturing with our state-of-the-art technology platform and cutting-edge digital supply chain solutions. At MacroFab, we ensure that your electronics are produced faster, more efficiently, and with fewer logistic problems than ever before.

Take advantage of AI-enabled sourcing opportunities and employ expert teams who are connected through a user-friendly technology platform. Discover how streamlined electronics manufacturing can benefit your business by contacting us today.