Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
(Source: Image CC-BY 2.0 Matt Bolton)
Figure 12.1
Reflowing a panel of 12 Bluetooth modules in an electric skillet.
The electric skillet reflow technique didn't always produce functional circuit boards
and sometimes resulted in solder connections that would never pass even the most lenient
of
IPC standards
(IPC stands for “Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits,”
the dominant accrediting organization for the electronics manufacturing industry). Even
so, SparkFun was able to get enough boards successfully built this way to use in personal
electronics projects and to sell to others who would be using them in the same DIY, hob-
byist fashion. Fortunately, there were no aerospace, military, or medical contracts coming
SparkFun's way in those days that would have required a much higher quality level of cir-
cuit board assemblies than what was possible with less precise, repurposed tools.
It can't be emphasized enough, though, that simply getting functional boards out into
the world, which made previously difficult-to-access technologies more accessible, was
the goal of SparkFun back then. A burgeoning market of creative and talented innovators
lay in waiting, ready to embrace the extensive lineup of sensors and microcontrollers that
could interact with, speak to, and control any number of things, both abstract and physic-
al. SparkFun is still excited to bring these technologies to the curious and creative masses,
but it also seeks to share its stories and advice on open source hardware development and
manufacturing.
