Hi,
We’re using pogo pins like PRT-08870, and we’re trying to install them with a relatively fine pitch (~50 mils). Do you guys have any guidance on how to install/solder these pogo pins with precision? We tried 3d printing a jig to align the pins vertically before soldering them, but the pitch is too fine, and we can’t get a successful jig to print.
Hello monroea.
You might try adding some stanoffs to your board to keep it above your work surface and then add something under the board to act as a spacer and keep the pins at the correct height. Then solder the first pin by hand and adjust until it’s in the right position and let the solder solidify. When you’re ready to install the rest of the pins, the spacer will keep the vertical height correct.
When it’s time for the rest of the pins, solder and adjust the last pin in a row, then you can move something in horizontally that touches the first and last pins. The rest of the pins will then have the correct horizontal and vertical orientation but might need a bit of fine tuning to keep them all perfectly straight.
If you’re making your own PCBs and have to make a lot of the same design, it might help to make a PCB jig that can be secured to the board your soldering and then removed when you’re done. Something similar to the image below. The upper boards below are permanently attached, but they don’t need to be for your design.
https://cdn.sparkfun.com/r/500-500/asse … 8b4568.jpg
[This tutorial shows how we build test jigs, but a slightly modified process might work for making your own alignment jigs.](PogoBeds: SparkFun Production and Testing - SparkFun Electronics)
