Eutectic Solder is great stuff;  That's the 63/37 solder you see
(Regular solder is 60/40 ratio of metals.)  Eutectic melts at a lower
temperature, and doesn't easily make cold solder joints (It has no
"Paste" phase) - It's wonderful stuff for reworking critical circuits (I
just use it, period, it's a little more expensive than 60/40, but worth
it.)  Colophony-flux, I don't know on.

  Radio Shack may well sell Eutectic solder?  Aah, looked it up, their
part number 64-015 "Hi-Tech Solder", 0.050" diameter, 1.5 oz for $
2.99;  Not super cheap, but OK <G>

  LCD's like alternating DC OK, just make sure you have no DC bias for
long (i.e. if you have a 55% or higher duty cycle, it will destroy the
LCD in time, IIRC it polarizes the internals of the LCD?  I know it
nukes it anyways <G>)

  Soldering iron without leakage - if you have a little current leak
from that cheap radio shack soldering iron, it'll destroy the LCD;
That's an expensive way to find the problem.  Best (but expensive) bet
is to use a grounded-tip soldering iron, so all leakage is drained to
ground not zapping your IC's & so forth.  In an emergency I suppose you
could put a wire-wrap wire conductor from the soldering iron's tip
through a 1 Meg resistor to ground, which should drain charge safely for
a while.  Better to spend $100 for a decent soldering station, once you
can.

  I've nicked the ribbon cable carefully with a razor blade, scalpel, or
such sharp knife (almost but not quite to the conductors - not Into or
Through the conductors, is the idea <G>), on BOTH sides of the ribbon
cable, then used fingernails to part the insulation the rest of the way
(you can even cut more, by bending the ribbon cable & cutting
carefully;  If you're like me, and use a scalpel, you learn to lock your
fingers together so there's no chance of cutting yourself, short of
someone hitting your hand REALLY hard, intentionally;  Just don't let
people like that near you <G>)  I don't do lots of ribbon cables,
though.

  Mark, mwillis@nwlink.com

cloudscraper@EXCITE.COM wrote:
>
> I'm trying to hook up a DMC-16207U 16X2 Optrex LCD to an 'F84. I know next
> to nothing about this stuff and would like some help.
>
> 1). The optrex data book suggests using Eutectnic solder (containing
> colophony-flux). What is that? Can I just use Radio Shack stuff?
>
> 2). The data book says NO DC voltage to LCD. I was gonna hook up directly to
> PIC and 5v DC power supply- am I missing something?
>
> 3). Use soldering iron without leakage. I have a standard RS pencil type
> soldering gun - How can I tell if it 'leaks'?
>
> 4). Is there an easier way to connect a ribbon cable to this LCD other than
> soldering - I'm liable to screw it up?
>
> 5).  What's an easy way to strip ribbon cable?
>
> TIA
>
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