Dongle V2 manual?

[rogerwh]

Need some help finishing my V2 dongle.  Fits, is there a manual for V2?  When I follow the link I still get teh V1 manual.  Second question is what goes in the "test" space on the PCB?

One follow up question, I got solder in one of the through holes.  What is the best way to clear it out?

[KeithTarpley]

Greetings,,,

See here: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login .

The test location contains a connector for a jumper that will allow the dongle to send out a specific DMX stream for testing purposes, when the new firmware is complete.  You can use the V1 firmware until then.  An updated manual will be available eventually.  The hardware was updated with other updates and the firmware and info is still being updated.

You can try to use a solder sucker, if you have one, or heat up a short wire pin with your iron, then gently, gently push the solder out, when it is warmed up by the heated pin, kept heated with an iron.  That's if you also don't have some solder braid to remove the extra solder.  A little juggling, if you don't have a way to hold the board steady with a third hand.

Keith

[rogerwh]

Thanks Keith for the answer.  Do you happen to know the part Num for the jumper?  Also, is there a specific orientation or does it matter?

[KeithTarpley]

Greetings,,,

These two parts are needed, from the V2 bom:

649-65474-002LF|1
538-22-03-2021|1

One is the jumper, one the 2 pin connector.  You need 1 of each.  Plugging the numbers into Mouser will let you see them.

It's a simple jumper, so no specific orientation needed.

The V1 firmware works without it, if you don't choose to use it, or need to wait to obtain the 2 parts.

Keith

[bisquit476]

One follow up question, I got solder in one of the through holes.  What is the best way to clear it out?

I've used a small drill bit (hobby shop's have a #60 to #80 drill bit set), don't remember the exact size though, but it worked great for me.

[bisquit476]

The white 2 pin header that Keith talked about is just below the oscillator

[RJ]

One follow up question, I got solder in one of the through holes.  What is the best way to clear it out?

I've used a small drill bit (hobby shop's have a #60 to #80 drill bit set), don't remember the exact size though, but it worked great for me.

Please tell me you heated it up and used it in place of the wire Keith was talking about. You never want to actual drill on a thur hole of a PCB it can ruin the pcb. Using it as a device to heat up and get the solder out is OK though.

Best thing to do is to have solder wick from radio shack or somewhere. Then add some solder to the hole to get it over full. Then put the solder Wick on it and with the iron turn up hot put the tip on the top of the hole Then add the smallest amount of solder that you can to the tip and wick to start the wicking action. It will suck it up and out. while it is still hot lift the iron and wick together (never pull if it get stuck just heat more and add a tiny bit of solder to get it loose.)

This or use a solder sucker it works also.

RJ

[rogerwh]

One I was able to get cleaned out by heating up a safety pin and finally getting it to push through.  The other is still clogged.  My first attempt at soldering and I've got quite a few solder bridges on some of the pins that are close together so tomorrow I'll go to the shack and get some solder braid.

[KeithTarpley]

Greetings,,,

It gets easier.  All of us had to learn.   

Keith

[RJ]

If you are getting lots of bridges Turn your heat up and use less solder. Solder does not act like mash potatos when the temp is right. It is like mercury so it is hard to get bridges on a profession solder masked through hole pcb with out too cold. when you are too cold you will spend too much time on the joint and add too much solder which causes two problems. first yuo get bridges, second you over heat the parts by spending too much time on them.

That is correct I said being too cold will burn up parts. 

The parts and not design for soldering temps but for a few seconds at max. It does not matter if it is almost hot enough or plenty hot enough they can not survive long with that kind of heat. So if you set you iron too cold and spend 10 seconds trying to heat the part you can kill it. If you turn you iron up 50 deg c (Really hot!!! too much!!!) more and it melts and flows the solder in 1 second you will do no harm in that the time did not exist to heat the die of the part up to danger temp.  so bump you iron up 15 deg C and watch sodlering become SOOOOOO MUCHHHH Easier. Heat is not your enemy time on the part is. If you are on the small parts for more than 2 seconds you need to get off of it and figure out what is not right. Not Clean, Not Hot, somethign is wrong. The bigger parts like triacs will take even more heat and a little more time.

RJ   

[rogerwh]

I think temp and the tip are my two main issues.  I have a digital station from the shack and was running around 425 F.  I thought that was way too hot as I recall somewhere that most set at about 325-350.  But below that temp, I couldn't get the solder to flow very well.  It kept wanting to bunch up on the lead.  I had a lot of trouble with the chip sockets in not touching more than one lead at a time.  That slowly improved the more I did it.  I've ordered some chisel tips but they aren't in yet.  I'm hoping that will help some cause I'm sure not looking forward to building 3 Expresses with the way my skills are right now.

[tbone321]

The 235-350 temp that they were talking about was in C not F so crank that iron up.

[RJ]

Thats would only be 218 C so you were really cold. Try about 510 deg F (260 deg C) this will be pretty good for you and you will be a happy guy!

RJ

[bisquit476]

One follow up question, I got solder in one of the through holes.  What is the best way to clear it out?

I've used a small drill bit (hobby shop's have a #60 to #80 drill bit set), don't remember the exact size though, but it worked great for me.

Please tell me you heated it up and used it in place of the wire Keith was talking about. You never want to actual drill on a thur hole of a PCB it can ruin the pcb. Using it as a device to heat up and get the solder out is OK though.

Yes, to clarify, I found a bit that was smaller than the hole, heated up the pad, twisted the drill bit into the hole, and pulled it out while twisting the bit. The solder came out in the flutes of the drill bit.

[n1ist]

The danger with using a drill bit is that you can damage the plating on the inside walls of the holes.  This plating forms a connection between the two sides of the board.  If damaged, you may be able to solder the part on both sides of the board to fix it.
/mike