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Pro tip: always test your PCB before you solder the whole thing

I was building a 75% in my garage last month and got ahead of myself. I soldered all 84 switches onto the board before doing a basic continuity test. Plugged it in and a whole column was dead. Had to desolder every single switch on that column, which took me over two hours. Found a tiny solder bridge between two pads I'd missed. Has anyone else had a board look perfect but still fail like that?
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2 Comments
sandra_black
That "tiny solder bridge" is such a good example of how a small, easy to miss mistake can cause a huge amount of rework. I see this all the time, not just with electronics. People skip the small check at the start because they are excited to see the finished thing, and it always costs more time later. It is a hard lesson to learn about slowing down.
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beth_sanchez47
Over two hours to desolder" is the worst feeling, right?
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