PCB Solder Jumpers - Cont'd

With the success of my previous PA-47 project, I feel like blogging again.

Previously, I proposed a Solder Jumper Pad Footprint for my future projects (see previous post). One of those was used on the PA-47 Amplifier. The manufacture did not have any problems creating the pads, as shown.

Solder Jumper - 0703

The overlapping hooks of the jumper pattern makes for easy filling with solder, and then with some Solder Wick, it was just as easy to re-open.

Solder Jumper - with Solder

I may need to create a larger jumper pad set for larger traces, as shown the traces between pads are 16 mils. For reference, the copper pour ground grid is made with 6 mil traces.

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A Personal Note: This post is a milestone for me, it is my 100th post for the year, which is more than any previous year, and far more than I would have expected when I started in 2009.

I suggest everyone start a Blog. It is very enjoyable and you will meet and network with many interesting people. I would also suggest you encourage your kids to blog (ether privately or publicly) about topics that interest them. Kids with learning-disabilities should start ASAP, even if they only write one line of text each day - they WILL see progress. Because they will blog about topics of their interest, and because they are the expert of their activities, it will be an easy task. They may not be a potential Doogie Howsers, but blogging will help collect ones thoughts. In the TV show plot, Doogie was a great Blogger.

Actually, my blogs are not for me, not for you, nor any of my current readers, my blogs are for my Great-Great-Grand-Children - it is a way to communicate with them of my ideas, interests, and thoughts. I would have loved to have found letters (or blogs) written by my Grand Parents, or their Parents.   Sadly, I only know the names of six generations of Fathers, and very little else.

Do your part - Create a Blog!

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PCB Solder Jumpers - Cont'd

For Diptrace my new (proposed) Solder Jumper (see previous post), the buried trace connection point on the pad was created by creating the "shape" with the "initial point" at the desired connection point. The "initial point" is where the construction of the "shape" starts and ends. After construction, the "shape" is converted to a "pad" via a right mouse menu item. Below, for demonstration, the "initial point" was artificially exposed by opening (moving) the adjacent points at the left. The grid is set to 2 mils.

For Demonstration the Trace
Connection Point is Exposed at the Cursor

Normally, the gap would be closed, and the two (moved) points would be located at the same point.

This use of the "initial point" may be documented some place in the Diptrace manuals, but I have not found it.

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PCB Solder Jumpers

I have received some good feedback on Patterns for PCB Solder Jumper (see previous posts).

Experiments with very small 0201 size foot prints were NOT as successful as I would like. The small 0201 pads would not hold enough solder to allow proper bridging of the gap between pads. A usable bridge could only be made with very dry slaggy solder.

I am trying the new Solder Jumper Pattern as I suggest in the previous post. Here are the proposed dimensions, the folded pads should help hold the solder and aid in bridge creation. Or, at least that is the plan.

Overall size is 72 x 32 mils (0703)
Dimension Values Shown are Mils

The trace connection is a point within the thicker section on each end. Finding the method of creating that point was via trial and error. Diptrace uses the first created pattern point as the attachment point, I had to artificially bury the point inside of the pad to make trace connections easy.

The PCB Manufactures that I use, and my own Homebrew PCB processing, should be able to create the pattern without difficulty.

I have recently sent a small board off to Manufacturing with one of these new Solder Jumpers ,  Soon, I will report the results.

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