Clough42 Electronic Lead Screw

[ttabbal]

I used red translucent packing tape!



I suspect the solder is lead free. It needs heat. I found adding a little bit of lead solder helped desoldering quite a bit as well.

 

[RJSakowski]

lead free solders are more difficult to use than the old 63/37 electronic solder but it is still manageable. In more than fifty years of electronic soldering, IMO the biggest factor is getting a quality solder to begin with. Solders sold in hardware stores and the like are often poor quality, made from reclaimed metals and tend to oxidize quickly, making for poor quality joints. I still use the older solder because of the lower melting point and I am not bound by RoHS rules. A second factor is having the right flux. Even in name brand solders, the flux varies quite a bit in activity. I am not sure what you have available in Oz but here I use either Ersin or Kester solder. I currently use Kester 44 Rosin Core. I used to use Ersin Multicore or Savbit solder.
Third, use the right temperature and enough iron to do the job. I usually work with a 50 watt iron at 300ºC. The iron should have a tip appropriate to the task at hand. Finally, use the right diameter of solder for the job. For fin work, sub mm. For heavier work, 2 -3 mm.

 

[RJSakowski]

deleted, double post

 

[Boswell]

I use RED polycarbonate or Plexi that I get as drops from a local Plastic supplier. It generally works GREAT as a lense for RED 7-Seg LEDs.

 

[Gouge61]

I have flashed the software (the latest version on Github) to the Ti Launchpad. Using James' video as a guide, I have every indication of successful program loading. However, when James shows that the software will work when detached from the USB connector, mine will not. After flashing, I can manipulate every button, turn off the control, and turn it on with the button on the control card. If I disconnect the 5v power supply and reattach it, I only get the lone LED that shows power to the controller. Suggestions? I am flashing this on a Windows computer with CCE version 9, like the video. Anyone experiencing this?

 

[Gouge61]

I have purchased a new Ti Launchpad board and another boost board. I soldered the boost board and checked continuity as per your guidelines on Github. I have wiring that good - this is a bench test of the PCBs. Today I tried to flash them using CCE v9. I can load the program in debug mode and in release mode. I get everything as described in the video, except when I disconnect the 5v power, then I get nothing. If I flash the card in either debug or in release mode, I get the “Clough42 1.4” display, followed by the 0.005. I can manipulate the buttons, turn off the control panel, do everything I would want to do, but when I disconnect the power - the 5v wall wart, I only get the lone power LED in the upper left corner of the control panel display. Two Launchpads and two booster cards later, what am I doing wrong?

 

[xr650rRider]

In debug mode, the program isn't written to EEPROM, so when you turn power off, it's cleared. So you need to flash in release mode. Sounds like you may have but if the display is displaying Clough42 on power up, the board is flashed. You just have to figure out why it's always in debug mode.