So you’ve finally found the right connector for your design. With low stack heights, SnPb finish on the tail, and a highly rated normal force, this should solve your signal integrity problems and be the connector/cable of your dreams, right? Well first of all, if you dream about connectors, something may be off. More importantly, interconnect processing may also be involved in fully designing any of Samtec’s interconnect solutions into your design.
Samtec’s Interconnect Processing Group (IPG)
In this issue (blog) of More Than Just Connectors, we will be discussing Samtec’s Interconnect Processing Group. Samtec’s Interconnect Processing Group (IPG) is an in-house staff of Engineers to field all of your interconnect processing concerns. IPG can assist you in improving the overall processing and manufacturability of your board. They also can assist in lowering its total applied cost.
Some of the challenges IPG can assist with when implementing our connectors onto PCBs include:
- Paste In Hole (PIH) Processing
- Soldering fine pitch SMT connectors
- Cleaning connector/cable leads before or after placement on the board
Does Samtec have information on Paste In Hole (PIH) Processing?
Paste In Hole technology employs the same techniques for through-hole soldering as those used for standard surface mount connectors and components. Samtec provides the recommended stencil aperture and plated through-hole sizes for most connector series capable of being processed using Paste In Hole technology on the connector footprint. To be a candidate for Paste In Hole soldering, a connector must have an insulator body material capable of withstanding lead and/or lead-free reflow temperatures, and vertical and horizontal clearance around leads large enough to allow adequate printed solder paste volume. For more information on Paste In Hole processing, see this eBook: Paste in Hole Reflow by Bob Willis, and other helpful information on our Processing Literature page under the ‘Paste In Hole Processing’ menu.
Does Samtec have any recommendations for processing multiple fine pitch SMT connectors on a single board?
The majority of Samtec’s vertical board-to-board connectors are capable of being used in applications where multiple connectors are placed on a single board and mated simultaneously. When using multiple connectors per board, there is a higher potential for misalignment. To prevent this issue, closely follow Samtec’s recommended footprint and stencil designs, ensure a good solder print, machine place the components, and hold the drill diameter tolerances for the alignment pin holes to +/- .002″ [0.05 mm]. Each connector series has a unique maximum recommended misalignment in the X and Y directions to ensure a good mate.
What types of cleaning processes can be used on Samtec connectors?
Samtec, Inc. has verified that our connectors may be cleaned in accordance with the solvents and conditions designated in the EIA-364-11A standard.
For more information, please see the link below or reach out to IPG directly at ipg@samtec.com. Also be on the lookout for future articles from our “More Than Just Connectors” series.
