RD-500S II Area Array Rework System
(aka: Big Shiny Metal Thing James Hugs a lot)
What is it? : This system is a professional grade area rework station that is capable of removing, and replacing, surface mount components on a large printed circuit board.
Well that sounds pretty impressive, but what can I do with it? : Solder stuff, or unsolder stuff, or resolder stuff. That is a pretty simplistic view, but is basically correct. Let's give an example shall we?
We blew the chip on our Arduino Leonardo. We know it's the chip, because it looks like R2D2 after the Death Star assault. So first you google the leo, and find out what chip is really on there, and order that. Do not deviate. In fact, let's bring up Mouser right now and see what they have for ATmega32u4 (the square thing on the leo) That way we are all on the same page (I worry about one or two of you, you right there... ya you. You're nodding off! Wake up this is important) So in mouser you come up with.. holy smokes, I didn't know they sold Arduino. Anyway you come up with the atmega32u4-mu and atmega32u4-au, and atmega32u4-aur... and look another mu and another au... which is our chip?! If you look the aur is slightly more expensive, it's probably a special solder something something... ingore that one. The mu has the silver tabs on the bottom of the chip, and the AU has the tabs sticking out the side. If memory serves the leo's chip sticks out the side, so for $6.31 we can get a replacement chip. Get some leds too, you can never have too many leds. So ground shipping will usually get here in a day or two, so make some cake.
Is the chip in? Good let's get started. The big metally bars will clamp the leo into place. On the computer you will select the proper heat profile (how to do this is quite involved and in the more explicit directions area I'll explain all of that, we are just getting the general idea right now) When properly set up the system will extract the chip for you. The desoldering gun is used to clean up the pads, and then select the “solder my chip” profile, and it will, in fact, solder the chip down. The system is basically automated, and designed to be able to replace chips on X Leo's per hour, and is designed to protect the board from warping during the replacement process.
So how do I work this thing? : Ya got me. But when I figure it out, I'll update this page with informative and mildly entertaining instructions.
How do I get checked out on this?: In order for James to allow you to play with his baby, you must first master the Soldering Iron, and the Hot Air Rework Station, and the Reflow Oven. Seems like a lot to learn for an overgrown toaster oven, but this device uses temperature profiling, as well as hot air and IR rework methodologies. Soldering is a requisite for rework, so by proxies it's a requisite for this, just made sense to add it.
