> OK I'll bite. I ask with the caveat that I'm only coming from the
> hobby perspective.

Ditto here.

> How do you prototype with SMD?

Admittedly, it's not the same. Jim Kortge has written some good stuff
about prototyping SMD Manhattan style, I actually prefer Islander, not
quite as neat for SMD, but quicker and more reliable.  However, I keep
plenty of thru-hole resistors and a handful of solderless breadboards for
the early testing stuff.  Oh yeah, I have some very thin copperclad that
makes nice Manhattan pads for SMD.

> Through hole passes what I call the Radio Shack test: can I buy
> the parts I need to do the job from Radio Shack at 3 PM on a
> Sunday afternoon?

Wow, you got a better Radio Shack than I do.  Once upon a time you could
get simple stuff at RS, but these days, even a capacitor is asking a lot. 
Not that I never go there; they do have very junky copperclad that works
in a pinch, and LEDs, fuses, etc. at obscene prices.  But beyond that, we
have one store that bought out the stock of the stores in the area, but
that cache is dwindling.  I doubt I could even find a resistor in town
anymore.  You got questions? we got cell phones.

> a couple of low profile IC sockets

Yeah, find those at RS these days.  For multilegged parts, you do need a
PC board.  You aren't going to wire up a 100 pin part even dead bug style.
 Far Circuits has some cheap little boards that I keep around for the
purpose, but even for DIPs I have some of those I'll glue to my Islander
or Manhattan board.  Those little boards are horribly priced in some
places, but stocking up at Dayton won't break the bank.  Admittedly, you
can make a board for a DIP with a hacksaw, you aren't going to do that for
a TSSOP.

Once you get to the PC board stage, the laser printer scheme works well,
and with no holes to drill it's a lot nicer than thru hole.  Etchant seems
to be getting to be more of a problem, though.

There are, of course, SMD protoboards, but they seem to be horribly
expensive, at least for the hobbyist.  Speaking of protoboards, have you
seen the ones Microchip sells for the Explorer 16?  Those things are
gorgeous and not a lot more expensive than Radio Shack's junk phenolic
boards.

--McD



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