Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
How SparkFun Electronics Grew to Scale
SparkFun Electronics was created to be a source of electronics components and tools for
students studying electrical engineering. Over time, that business model morphed into one
that delivered uniquely easy access to electronic components that were often difficult to
“play” with because the only package type they were manufactured in were surface-moun-
ted devices (SMD), which the electronics industry has continuously adopted with greater
frequency in the name of smaller, faster, lighter, and more energy-efficient devices. SMD
components have been a fantastic development for the electronics industry and have been
one of the driving forces behind technology being delivered in ever smaller platforms.
However, the more tightly packed and diminutive this technology became, the more dif-
ficult it became for the lay person to access, at least without having access to high-end,
expensive assembly and testing equipment. Recognizing this challenge to access the day's
technology, Nathan Seidle, founder of SparkFun, and his early engineering cohorts saw an
opportunity to chop down the barriers to entry for interacting with that technology. They
were interested in bringing SMD components and other technologies back to a human
scale, where the units could be worked with low-cost tools that were readily available in
household workspaces. The solution was to design and build circuit boards, such as break-
out boards, that would make it easier to embed those technologies into whatever unique
and custom-built projects inventors could dream up.
Early on, and without the capital to invest in the machinery that large circuit board as-
sembly manufacturers utilize, Nathan learned how to utilize some very basic tools to as-
semble circuit boards and developed a method of reflowing circuit boards using an elec-
tric skillet (
Figure 12.1
). Reflowing is the process of melting a solder paste that has the
consistency of peanut butter at high temperatures until the paste turns into a liquid state;
this liquid then becomes a solid metal alloy when cooled. The hardened alloy acts as the
conductive material connecting electronic components to the conductive circuitry within
the circuit board substrate. The reflowing process is the most common way of putting to-
gether a working circuit board and it is the process used by most electronics manufactur-
ers, no matter how large or small.
