Help required AD8610 / browndog connection

[PinkFloyd]

I've just soldered an AD8610 onto a browndog and am assuming I've soldered it the correct way round? There wasn't a notch on the opamp to line up with the circle on the browndog.

Excuse my soldering but the only soldering iron I had to hand was the huge one shown in the picture

It seemed to do the job ok and only made contact with the legs of the opamp for a split second. I attached a small piece of double sided sticky tape to the browndog which made aligning the opamp a piece of cake... press the chip onto the tape and it stays fixed whilst soldering

Assuming I have soldered this chip onto the browndog the correct way round I'm now wondering which side of the opamp ( A or B ) I should align with the "notch" side of my dip8 socket?

Help would be appreciated as this is the first time I've used an AD8610.

Cheers.

 

[MonkHead]

there is a symbol instead of a notch that indicates the orientation, its that black arrow on a white little boxy background- in the picture you can see it after the serial number. B is the "notch" side of your opamp.
CHEERS

 

[Earwax]

I think you have it right. The white square on the 8620 makes the orientation more obvious when matched with the circle on the board under the chip.

 

[Pappucho]

Looks good Pinkfloyd! Pin one is designated by the square pad and this would be considered the "notch" side.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonkHead there is a symbol instead of a notch that indicates the orientation, its that black arrow on a white little boxy background- in the picture you can see it after the serial number. B is the "notch" side of your opamp. CHEERS

Oh great,

So I've fitted the opamp the wrong way round then? I've connected it with the arrow pointing to the right hand side on the opamp and the circle on the browndog is on the left hand side

Bloody typical

 

[setmenu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd Oh great, So I've fitted the opamp the wrong way round then? I've connected it with the arrow pointing to the right hand side on the opamp and the circle on the browndog is on the left hand side Bloody typical

Looks fine to me.
Square pad denotes pin 1.
The trace leading to pin one on the adapter comes from Pin 1 on the Op.
Soldering looks nice too

Setmenu

 

[Excalibur]

You are correct. Once in a while you will find an IC with no index marking at all. When this happens just hold the IC with the lettering facing toward you. according to standard convention, the bottom left corner will always be pin one.
Looking at the Brown Dog adaptor, the square pad indicates pin one and if you follow the trace you will see that it connects to pin one of the opamp.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Cheers folks,

That was a big help. The AD825 was self explanatory as it had a circular indent on the chip which matched up with the circle on the Browndog. I just wasn't sure about the AD8610.

Just the AD8065's to solder onto browndogs now and that's that little job completed. I'm sure it would have been ideal to have used a 50W iron with a very fine pointed tip rather than the enormous implement (more like a branding iron!) I used and I'll probably invest in a smaller tip if I'm going to be soldering anymore of these chips onto browndogs

Thanks for the advice.

All the best.

Pinkie.

PS: I assume this ^ is correct? best to be on the safe side

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earwax I think you have it right. The white square on the 8620 makes the orientation more obvious when matched with the circle on the board under the chip.

Hi Edwood,

I haven't got a clue about these adaptors but aren't you supposed to solder the pads that the pins are connected to? I see, from your picture, that you haven't soldered yours?

All the best.

 

[MisterX]

The AD8610 does have a notch to indicate pin one.
It is very small and you have to look very hard to see (or use magnification).
Soldering the pins on the browndog is not required..... in fact the heat from the iron can actually loosen the pins if not done right.

 

[guzzler]

edit: misterX beat me to it

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterX The AD8610 does have a notch to indicate pin one. It is very small and you have to look very hard to see (or use magnification). Soldering the pins on the browndog is not required..... in fact the heat from the iron can actually loosen the pins if not done right.

Oh well.... I must have done it right as the pins are rock solid and the AD8610's are playing away (very nice!!) as I type

 

[Earwax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd Hi Edwood, I haven't got a clue about these adaptors but aren't you supposed to solder the pads that the pins are connected to? I see, from your picture, that you haven't soldered yours? All the best.

I'm not Edwood -- I'm a squirrel, not a hampster!

I guess there's an option to buy the browndogs without pins installed, but these were already installed, no soldering needed.

 

[MonkHead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd Oh great, So I've fitted the opamp the wrong way round then? I've connected it with the arrow pointing to the right hand side on the opamp and the circle on the browndog is on the left hand side Bloody typical

like you already know you did a good job

btw what's the opamp for if i may ask?
CHEERS

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonkHead like you already know you did a good job btw what's the opamp for if i may ask? CHEERS

Opamp is being tested in this beauty: http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=76124

I honestly have never had cause to solder an 8610 onto a Browndog and I think the "job" is badly done as solder has covered each entire leg, optimally it should only flow between the base of the leg and the pad. Having said that, an amatuer may well look at the photograph and class it as a "good job" but if I was soldering like that in the field I'd be sacked

The joints have been successfully soldered, however, with minimum heat reaching the circuit.......... my tip to joint time was like .006 of a second (on and off like a snap of the fingers) the old addage "it's not the tools it's knowing how to use them" saved me from frying the chips but if I were soldering SOIC chips to browndogs (for a living) I'd invest in a really small tip and, possibly, a magnifying glass (if my eyes were shot) to make things easier

The double sided sellotape is the key ingredient...... get a good pair of scissors and slice a small bit of double sided sellotape slightly smaller than the rectangle on the browndog........... arm yourself with a watchmakers screwdriver and tack the small piece of double sided sellotape onto the end of the driver. Position over the browndog and attach. Peel off the protective coating to expose the other sticky surface (use a small screwdriver) the Browndog now has a sticky surface ready to accommodate the chip.

Arm yourself with another watchmakers screwdriver. Attach some double sided sticky tape to the end of it.......... peel off the backing tape to expose the sticky surface. In effect you have now got a screwdriver with a sticky end. Using this sticky implement, pick up the opamp........... transfer it over to the browndog, position it so the legs meet up with the pads.......... bear down on the op amp with the pressure of your index finger.......... gently "roll" the tacky watchmakers screwdriver off the top of the opamp.

OP amp is now firmly attached to Browndog and it's a simple case of adjusting the chip so the legs meet the pads before soldering......... I'll try to force my 1.5mp camera to show what I mean

What was the question again? oh yeh......... I'm trying all the AD opamps out in the superb WNA kit amp which, incidentally, is the most exciting and musical headphone amp I have "ever" heard.......... I'm, as I type listening to it with the AD8610's on board and it's, undoubtedly, a very accomplished amplifier. I would go as far as to say it's the best I have ever heard and, according to Dr.White, it gets a "lot" better with the introduction of the LM6171 chip...........

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonkHead like you already know you did a good job btw what's the opamp for if i may ask? CHEERS

I'll be reviewing this amp, in full, over the next few weeks / months but, at this juncture, I can honestly state it's the best I've heard (and then some)

All the best

Pinkie.