What I liked about the older, simpler Arduino was that you could move an ATmega328p project from an Arduino board to a chip on a breadboard then to a custom PCB with minimal complexity - with just hobbyist-level skills.
But the boards and modules just seem to be getting ever more complex, with lots of tiny SMD components, removing that path.
Sometimes you get lucky and the smd components have larger packages you can hand solder, but the price for assembly in a Chinese pcb shop is so cheap I don’t think I want to hand solder
Robotic pick and place board assembly means through-hole components are going the way of the dodo. Sorry.
Adafruit sells breakout boards for various SMT packages so that with a little solder reflow work you can adapt that shiny new chip to your breadboard.
https://www.adafruit.com/category/475
pick and place board assembly means through-hole components are going the way of the dodo
The factories willing to do SMD mixed with through-hole high-power electronics is shrinking. However, package constrained power dissipation limits on SMD technology is real.
Comments
What I liked about the older, simpler Arduino was that you could move an ATmega328p project from an Arduino board to a chip on a breadboard then to a custom PCB with minimal complexity - with just hobbyist-level skills.
But the boards and modules just seem to be getting ever more complex, with lots of tiny SMD components, removing that path.
Sometimes you get lucky and the smd components have larger packages you can hand solder, but the price for assembly in a Chinese pcb shop is so cheap I don’t think I want to hand solder
There are modern MCUs that require a total of 5 passives and a dream. Sure, they're still QFN at best, but they're within that "hand soldering" range.
Not to mention that both factory made custom PCBs and pre-assembled PCBs are cheaper than ever nowadays.
Robotic pick and place board assembly means through-hole components are going the way of the dodo. Sorry.
Adafruit sells breakout boards for various SMT packages so that with a little solder reflow work you can adapt that shiny new chip to your breadboard. https://www.adafruit.com/category/475
The factories willing to do SMD mixed with through-hole high-power electronics is shrinking. However, package constrained power dissipation limits on SMD technology is real.
Depends on what your firm builds. =3