Joe McCauley wrote:

> Has anyone any experience using these? I need to make a pcb to fit
> into a curved (in the plane of the PCB) and restricted space. To
> complicate matters, the curve will not be the same in all cases. I
> thought a flexible PCB would work, but am concerned with how to
> solder one reliably. Has anyone any experience with mounting
> components on these? I will only have to do a couple of prototypes,
> any more will be someone else's problem. The sort of stuff going on
> it is an rfPIC (12F675) & some passives as well as battery
> management circutry such as charger and boost converter.=20
>=20
> I wonder if anyone here has experience with working with these who
> could offer some pointers. Also will bending the rfPIC loop antenna
> significantly affect operation?=20
>=20
> Thanks for any pointers,

I have done flexible with "standard" FR4 of 0.2mm thickness, wrapped around=
 a=20
metal tube of approx 70mm diameter, held with cable ties. My PCB company sa=
id=20
they could do either 0.1or 0.2mm thickness fairly easily as these are stand=
ard sizes=20
used in laminating of multilayer boards. From memory I seem to recall 0.2mm=
 was=20
the thinnest they could do PTH.

As my board was a hand assembled prototype I soldered all the parts by hand=
 (all=20
SMD) when the board was flat, then re-worked each component with the board =
in=20
the final round shape to release the stresses. When designing I tried to or=
ient each=20
component so its shortest axis would align with the bend.

--=20
Brent Brown, Electronic Design Solutions
16 English Street, St Andrews,
Hamilton 3200, New Zealand
Ph: +64 7 849 0069
Fax: +64 7 849 0071
Cell: +64 27 433 4069
eMail:  brent.brown@clear.net.nz


--=20
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