STEFFCORP 2600 VCO
3 - Stay organized
We really don’t advise you to assemble the two PCBs in any particular order. Instead,
we just believe you should keep your working space tidy and organized. And by
organized we also mean planning your work. And check your solder joints as you go.
4 - Store galore
One way of keeping things organized is to bring out just a few components at a time
to avoid mixing them up. Mind you, those SMT parts are tiny…! (We at Steffcorp just
love those small container boxes easily found on ‘aliexpress’ and such places. They
make it really easy to find the part needed in a second)
5 - The right side
This might sound over-obvious, but do make sure you always apply parts to the side
where the silkscreen is. (Silkscreen is referred to as the markings on the component
side of a PCB to identify components, part numbers, logos etc.)
6 - Consider this
OK, so we didn’t want to provide you with any detailed advice on which order you
should solder the components. But then again, we do not want to cause any
frustration so please consider the following, broad guidelines:
Solder all SMT parts before soldering THT.
This is all about making sure you can reach the soldering pads, because on a ‘busy’
PCB, THT components sometimes tend to get in the way.
Then, solder the power headers and the trimmers. (on both PCBs)
Finally, attach the jacks, pots and the switch to the ‘Front PCB’ but do not solder at this
stage. Instead, remove the nuts and mount the panel. Screw the nuts in place but
don’t overdo it just yet. Now carefully turn the PCB with the panel around and solder
all the jacks, pots etc. making sure everything is perfectly aligned.
7 - Spacers are the best
When you have assembled both of the PCBs and you feel it’s time to put them
together you should consider this great tip…
First, assemble the male and female headers. Then apply and fasten the four spacers
on one of the PCBs. Now, fit the assembled headers in their respective holes on one
of the PCBs and ‘lock’ them by mounting the other PCB on top of the spacers. This
way, you can easily solder the headers flush to each PCB.
© 2017 STEFFCORP 5 Version 1.0
