PHYSICAL ELECTRONICS LABORATORY 1

EXPERIMENT ONE: SOLDERING LABORATORY

COURSE NUMBER: ECE 363

GROUP: GROUP 10

MEMBERS –

DATE: 29th SEPTEMBER, 2021.

DEPARTMENT: ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

THEORY:
Soldering is a joining process used to join different types of metals together by melting
solder. Solder is a metal alloy usually made of tin and lead which is melted using a hot iron.
The iron is heated to temperatures above 600 degrees Fahrenheit which then cools to create a
strong electrical bond. At its simplest form, soldering is the process of joining two metal
pieces with a third type of metal, whose melting point is lower than theirs. This bonding
metal is called “solder.” Think of an electric circuit, that classic look of a connective tissue on
the PCB that links the circuit components together. This “connective tissue” you see is solder.
Soldering is an indispensable part of the electronics industry, where it’s the primary way to
join electrical components together. It’s as equally important in making jewelry, joining
pipes, air-conditioning, stained-glass work, sheet metal work, and the list goes on.
Filler metals used in soldering used to be lead-based (lead solder). Due to regulations,
lead-containing solders are increasingly being replaced by lead-free solders, which can
consist of antimony, bismuth, brass, copper, indium, tin, or silver.
How does it work: The solder is melted using the heat of an iron connected to a
temperature controller. It is heated to temperatures above its melting point of about 600
degrees Fahrenheit, causing it to melt and then cool, creating the solder joint. In addition to
creating a strong electrical joint, solder can also be removed with a desoldering tool. Solder is
a metal alloy used to create strong, permanent bonds. like copper connection in circuit boards
and copper pipe joints. It can also come in two different types and diameters, lead and lead-
free, and can also range from 0.032 “to 0.062”. Inside the solder, the core is the flux, a
material that is used to reinforce and improve its mechanical properties.
Steps involved in soldering a sample circuit

 Start with the small components to the taller components and connecting wires
 Place the element into the PCB, making sure it goes in the correct way around
 Twist the leads a little to secure the part.
 Make sure the soldering iron has warmed up and if required, use the moist sponge to
clean the tip.
 Place the soldering iron on the component of the pad and feed the solder’s end onto
the board
 Take away the solder and the soldering iron from the board.
 Leave the terminal to cool for a few seconds.
 Using a couple of cutters neat the excess component terminal
 If you make a mistake while heat up the joint with the iron, place the solder tip of
your solder extractor and push the button.

On a final note, a proper solder joint is smooth, shiny, and looks like a volcano or
cone shape. You want just enough solder to cover the entire joint but not too much so it
becomes a ball or spills to a nearby lead or joint.

De-soldering is the removal of solder and components from a circuit for troubleshooting,
repair, replacement and salvage. De-soldering requires application of heat to a solder joint
and removing the molten solder so the joint may be separated. Inevitable errors will occur
while soldering and it is important to know how to fix them.
The primary objectives for de-soldering are:
1. Removing an incorrectly placed component.
2. Removing solder from a clod joint
3. Removing a deflective component
The typical(only) component needed for de-soldering is shown in Fig. 1

Fig 1: A typical soldering station

MEASUREMENT METHOD:

Firstly, a Vero board with already assembled components was given for us to learn the
process of de-soldering. Following the instructions of the lab instructor, we plugged in our
soldering irons and when it was at a suitable temperature, we de-soldered the components by
applying heat to the lead fusions holding them in place.
We were provided with the following materials for the experiment from the lab
instructor:

1. 40W/60W soldering iron- used to provide heat for melting the solder.
2. Soldering stand- used to hold the soldering iron whenever it’s not being used.
3. NPN transistor
4. 91kΩ resistor
5. 15kΩ resistor
6. 100Ω resistor
7. two 1kΩ resistor
8. two 10µf capacitor
9. a Vero board (large enough to hold all the components)
10. lead wire
11. Connecting wires.
For graphical outlooks of some of the tools, check Fig. 2
 Fig 2: Required Tools For Soldering

Despite the fact that no measurements were collected, the goal of the experiment was to
assemble and solder the electronic components, and the techniques used to do so are detailed
below. Push all components loosely through the holes (as directed by the circuit diagram in
the manual (fig 3). There should be at least two holes between components to allow for
wiring and track breaks. Turn the board over so that all of the component pins are visible on
the opposite side. To begin, glue the capacitor and 1k resistor to the transistor's connecting
side with precisely the proper amount of solder. Then connect the 100 resistor to the
transistor's emitted side. After that, attach the 91k resistor to the 1k resistor with a connecting
wire on one end. Then connect the other end to the transistor's base. Connect one end of the
15k resistor to the 100 resistor with another connecting wire and solder neatly. Solder the
opposite end of the 91k and 15k resistors to the transistor's base. Finally, attach one end of
the 10f capacitor to a 1k resistor. Then attach the capacitor's opposite end to the same
transistor's base. After that, the work is double-checked for cold joints and soldering errors.

12v
V2

R1 Rc
91k 1k
C2

10u
Vo
Rs
C1 Q1

10u
vs 1k 2N 5058

R2 Re
15k 100

Fig 3: Circuit Diagram

A proper solder joint should be smooth, shiny and have enough solder to cover the entire
joint but not too much so it becomes a ball or spills to a nearby lead or joint. In this case, the
analysis carried out was to ensure appropriate solder was used on the joints and that the joints
were dry. This is best done by inspecting the completed circuit with a keen eye.

 Adequate solder: The joint had enough solder all the way around it and was done in
such a way that the component pins were held in place and weren’t loose. This is
because too much solder is an unnecessary waste and may cause short circuits with
adjacent joints.

 Cleanliness (smooth, clean and shiny): The joint was soldered in such a way that there
wasn’t any dirt around it which would lead to an untidy circuit. It isn’t advisable to
add more solder on a rough and dirty joint because it won’t fix the problem. The right
thing to do is to de-solder the joint and redo it again.

 Time: The joint was heated with the lead wire for just the right amount of time. This
is because excessive time will damage the component and the circuit board copper
foil.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

We observed that to be able to properly solder the various components to the Vero board that
the soldering iron had to heated to a certain temperature to enable easy melting of the lead
wire when soldering the joints. The circuit board had to be kept clean and free from dirt at all
times to enable clean, smooth and shiny joints. The lab experiment satisfied the aim of the
experiment which was to learn how to use a soldering iron and lead wire to remove and
reassemble components on a Vero board, to learn also how to solder components on a Vero
board and how to build a circuit and test its functionality completely because we saw how the
circuit work when connected and how it applies in everyday life. The other methods which
can also be applied include: Soft soldering (This process has the lowest filler metal melting
point of all the soldering types at less than around 400°C these filler metals are usually alloys,
often containing lead with liquidus temperatures under 350°C.) and hard soldering (Brass or
silver is the bonding metal used in this process, and requires a blowtorch to achieve the
temperatures at which the solder metals.)
REFERENCES
1. Elprocus, Different Methods of Soldering Required for Electronics, What are the
Methods of Soldering Electronic Components. Accessed on: 5th October, 2021.
[Online]. Available: https://elprocus.com/different-methods-of-soldering-the-
electronic-components/
2. J. Sabhadiya, Soldering Guide_ Definition, Types & How to Do it, Soldering Guide:
Definition, Types & How to Do it. Accessed on 5th October, 2021. [Online]. Available
: https://www.engineeringchoice.com/soldering
3. TWI-GLOBAL. “What is soldering? A full guide (meaning, definition and types)”
[Online]. Available:
https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-soldering
4. Virtual Amrita Laboratories Universalizing Education, “Soldering (Remote trigger)”,
2011. [Online]. Available: https://vlab.amrita.edu/?
sub=1&brch=195&sim=364&cnt=1