#SMD REFLOW HOW TO#
#SMD REFLOW UPGRADE#

There are a lot of different thermo-whats out there. Thermo-what? A thermocouple is a type of temperature probe that can withstand the very high temperatures (>100C) of the toaster oven.

#SMD REFLOW HOW TO#

But how to control it close enough to reflow expensive PCBs?įirst we need a thermocouple. Ok - so that's the oven we would like to use. All low-cost ovens such as this Oster operate with the bare minimum of parts. The timer dial exposed: In retrospect, this was a foolish thing to think. I tore into the timer dial hoping to find some sort of a relay that could be digitally controlled. The entire oven seems very simple, yet well designed to withstand the extreme use of 10-12 years of high-temperature stressing. I'm not sure if I can get it back together. It's got to be better than just two, right?ĭon't immerse in water?!? Damn. Notice the two heating elements on top and bottom. The front control panel - soon to be circumvented. The lights dimming across my house gave me a fuzzy feeling in my stomach as well. A dry-run test proved this baby can heat up like crazy. I think I paid $60 at Target (local chain - basically WalMart) for this guy : But first, we must purchase and immediately destroy a perfectly good toaster oven! That's where the Reflow Toaster Controller comes into play. By the way, this reflow oven didn't work.Īll we aim to create is an embedded system that takes in temperatures and actuates a relay that controls the heating elements - effectively controlling the temperature. Picture of the premo profile off our $2300 reflow oven. This is all because of a posting on the SFE Support Forum. All that is needed is a controller to heat the toaster to a specific profile. This is hot enough to melt solder paste allowing home hobbyist the ability to 'cook' PCBs. A toaster can hit 230C with relative ease. These cheap-o units from Tar-chez can cost a meager $50. Don't eat from a toaster oven that's cooked PCBs.

#SMD REFLOW UPGRADE#

Isn't it time for you to upgrade that 56k modem? My apologies to all users still on slow connections.Īll the usual warnings apply: A toaster oven can kill you. I heard Hong Kong is going to Gigabit internet connections. And I'm too impatient to wait for the v2 PCB.Īs usual, there are quite a few photos. Basically, I just want to share the information I have obtained and the layouts I have created. Well, at least not in our 110V fire starter. We are only here to re-hash and hopefully educate those in the art of toasting.Īs of writing - we haven't reflowed anything. There are many more knowledge individuals that pioneered the field. We have really built upon the shoulders of others here. Yes, we have our own reflow oven that cost 30 times as much. Yes, we know others have used toaster ovens for reflow soldering purposes. If you've ever played with SMD devices, you know what a pain it can be to solder tight pitch pins.

Smd reflow