Surface Mount Technology (SMT): Components, Techniques, and Tips

Surface mount devices (SMDs) are increasingly used in commercial and industrial applications. They have improved performance over through-hole components. In this course, we explain the differences between these two types of electronic parts while also providing an overview of surface mount technology (SMT), including its benefits and drawbacks. Then, we explore numerous tools and equipment required for soldering, such as soldering iron, solder, solder wick, solder paste, tweezer and safety goggles.

Next, we investigate several components available in surface mount, like resistors, capacitors, fuse, coil, diode, transistors and crystals. You'll learn how to identify them on a printed circuit board (PCB), which ones are labelled with value or not marked, and how to find their values by analysing the codes written on them. After that, we underline the key specifications to consider while acquiring SMT components online. Different soldering methods, such as wave and reflow soldering, are then covered.

The course continues by discussing the process of assembly, which includes solder paste printing, component placement on the board, reflow, inspection, rework and cleaning. You'll discover the steps for correcting some errors by removing and placing new components using unique soldering stations. Finally, we explain how to clean the soldering iron tip and remove solder from a circuit board. This course will teach you how to populate a printed circuit board like a professional. Sign up today!