I plan to integrate a Spark Core into a small project. The problem is, I wanted to mount the Spark Core onto a custom PCB with very little to no clearance under the board. So everything on the board has to be SMD. However, If I solder in a Spark Core, the tips of the male headers stick out under the PCB. Is there a way to safely de-solder the through-hole headers on the Spark Core and re-solder in some SMD headers? Do you think this will damage/mess up the Spark Core/PCB?
Or does anyone have special tips or experience dealing with this? I mean, I guess I could bend each pin 90 degrees to make it pseudo-SMD?
It would be cool if a version of the Spark Core was released that had bare copper pads on the edges of the PCB instead of holes/headers, so it could be surface mounted.
You said you have virtually no room below your PCB, and how is it above? Could you mount the Core a bit higher?
This would also allow for some air flow arround the µC. I guess it wouldn’t be too happy to be squeezed between its own and your PCB without any cooling flow anyway.
On the other hand, if you only want to do this to one or two Cores instead of going through the hassle of desoldering the pins an resoldering mounts (which allow for the hight of the botton Core compinents plus some air), you could just use a electronic diagonal cutter like these and clip back the pins.
When I did my EE internship I had a great job doing this with 1000+ taximeter boards with 300+ pins each to clip - man was I glad when this was over
core with smd mounting pads on the Plugg.ee and nothing was ever heard about that version.
