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1Disclaimer
I'm not sure that I would recommend literally implementing this with the files attached lol. I would make 2 changes regardless of the application: slightly increasing the connection pad size, and slightly increasing the voxel corner joint footprints. Nice-to-haves might be a version with real Pogos added for better temporary stability.
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2Stuff the PCBs, print your parts
I like a manual solder paste-based workflow haha. These boards are all designed with 1206 components, so it's not too painful at all.
For the printed parts, you want to be cognizant of how close you are to the low-melt solder reflow pads. If you give enough air gap (3mm or so), I haven't had any problems with PLA. You can get much closer (or even touching) with something like PC, but in general the resistors will get hotter than the softening temp, so watch out.
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3Pre-apply low melt solder
This is a dumb set up, but to ensure even-ish solder quantities, I pre-chop the wire solder into equal lengths and then pre-tin the pads. This is also where I'd stick the thin gauge wire into a via on each pad to form a single use bad and ugly spring-loaded element to ensure immediate electrical connectivity to the new module.
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4Do the mechanical assembly
For whatever module format you are using. If you are making the full functional voxels and need to solder the corner connectors to each other, I would strongly recommend making the pads larger. These are deceptively hard to solder.
If you are going to have something automate the module assembly for you, pre-install the magnets as well. Because the connections are not orientation-agnostic, I install the magnets so that they are also not orientation-agnostic, i.e., incorrectly placing the next module tends to result in the magnets repelling away from each other, which helps prevent against shorts.
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5Module-to-module assembly
So now that you have the modules, you can assemble them into your target geometry. Or, your robot/cnc/whatever can do this for you. The included files have the gripper geometry in them. By sticking this onto whatever automation set up you have, you can place any module from one of the PCB voxel faces.
While doing this, you want to make sure you're budgeting enough time for the heat up and cool down. Per the specs in the project description, this typically took me about 1 min to fully reflow, and then another 4 min for some confidence that it had sufficiently cooled. It is v annoying to think the thing is cooled and then proceed to knock out the prior module with the next one's placement.
miana
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