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Make the LoL Shield
Making the LoL Shield
Being that there are a number of resources online about how to solder. I am not going to go over that
here. This is a fairly straight forward kit that should be a great first time project. If you haven’t
soldered before I suggest you
check out this page for a ton of examples and links.
It’s actually how I
learned to solder, by reading, watching, and then practicing.
Document Map:
Overview
Step 1:
The Parts
Step 2:
Soldering the LEDs
Step 3:
The Headers
What you will
need
to build this kit:
• Soldering Iron (a cheap one will work, but a temperature controlled iron will improve your
soldering)
• Flush Cutters
• Solder
• An Arduino (covered in the programming portion)
Things you
really should have,
but do not absolutely need:
• Helping hands
• De-soldering braid
• Multimeter
I suggest you check out this list of recommended items
for a good soldering setup. I’ve also written
up a
blog post for workshop setups,
but this can easily apply to someone on a budget.
Some tips before we start:
• Lay out everything beforehand, and go through the directions at least once before you start.
• Keep your iron tip clean. I Highly recommend
a brass tip cleaner.
• Use 60/40 flux core electrical solder, unless you have a good iron and know what you are
doing.
• The joints should look like a “Hershey’s Kiss”, completely covering the pad.
• Do not over-heat things. It will only take 1-3 seconds at the most to solder a joint.
• Don’t abuse your tools. Use your tools for their intended purpose, and keep them maintained.
This will dramatically improve the quality of anything you do.
• Double check your work.
• If you get stuck, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Step 1: The Parts
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Check your kit and make sure you have all the parts you need. Click on the images for details:
Your kit should contain:
• 1 LoL Shield v1.5 PCB
• 133 Red or Green LEDs
• 1 36-pin header
Step2: Soldering the LEDs
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Since the LEDs are
diodes (light emitting diodes), they go in just one direction. The purpose of a diode is to help direct
the flow of electrons so that they go where you want them. The LEDs happen to emit light while
doing this. That principal is also what allows us to light up so many LEDs with so few pins of the
Arduino. There are actually two markers for the LEDs that allow us to tell their polarity. The first is
that the long lead is positive, and the short lead is negative. You can also see above that a small notch
is taken out of the LED case, that marks the negative side as well.
If you look at the
silkscreen (the white markings) on the PCB (printed circuit board), you will find that a little notch has
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been taken out of the LED drawing as well. You are going to be placing all of the LEDs in the same
way, matching both the notch and short lead to the marked spot on the PCB. Essentially, with the text
being upright and readable, you will place the long lead on the left side, and the short lead on the right
side.
It’s much quicker if you do these in columns. Place them all in, and gently pinch with your fingers to
flip the board over. You will then solder just one side of the LEDs before you straighten them. Check
out this video for more information:
LoL Shield – LED Straightening
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To straighten the
LEDs you solder one lead of each LED so that it sticks to the PCB. Then you gently place your finger
on the LED and press on it as you re-heat the soldered joint. By pressing it flat against the PCB, the
LED will automatically straighten up. Keep filling in each column and work your way down in this
way. Some people also find it helpful to place a column on the opposite side to stabilize the PCB. I
tend to work my way in about halfway, and then start filling in the opposite direction. With the
amount of time you are going to spend, you’ll find a method that works best for you. Take your time,
and rest if you get tired.
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