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Just another instant hack.
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C'mon, does it really need to be three log entries for each and every project?
3D Printing AVR Arduino Art Audio Automation BeagleBone Bluetooth Cameras Clock Drones Environment Hardware IoT LED Medical Music Radio Raspberry Pi Remote Control Robotics Rockets Satellites Science Security Software Virtual Reality Wearables
Most of the SMD (Surface Mount Device) parts are ferromagnetic, so a magnetic field can be used to keep the SMD in place while measuring it.
3D Printing AVR Arduino Art Audio Automation BeagleBone Bluetooth Cameras Clock Drones Environment Hardware IoT LED Medical Music Radio Raspberry Pi Remote Control Robotics Rockets Satellites Science Security Software Virtual Reality Wearables
The Neodymium magnet can be recovered from a defective HDD (Hard-Disk Drive).
Open the HDD case and dismount the heads actuator.
Recover the two magnets.
Be careful with the magnets, so not to broke or peal them by mistake.
3D Printing AVR Arduino Art Audio Automation BeagleBone Bluetooth Cameras Clock Drones Environment Hardware IoT LED Medical Music Radio Raspberry Pi Remote Control Robotics Rockets Satellites Science Security Software Virtual Reality Wearables
Wrap the Neodymium magnet in cling film, so it can not interfere with the measurements.
Well, I really don't have any issues using regular probes to measure a loose smd part. But I like the idea in general and I'll try it out to see if if can be used when soldering as well. But probably the part will just align with the magnetic field and not stay put at the pcb where I place it.
It would be awesome to just being able to have a bigass (or at least decently sized) magnet at the backside of the pcb, then just plunk down a handful of smd's that will stick where I put them, and then being able to solder them all without holding them with tweezers and tacking down one end first. ^_^
Indeed, if the probes have a big radius tip, then the SMD can be caught under the tips curvature, but if the probes are sharp, then the SMD tend to flip or twist, depending how you press the sharp tips.
It would be nice to keep all parts in place with a big magnet, but the SMDs are just slightly magnetic. Not sure if they will stay in place. Also, there is a tendency to move and align to the strongest magnetic field lines. But you should give it a try, maybe it works!
Another interesting idea will be to use an electromagnet as a head for a pick and place machine, instead of a vacuum head. Not sure if all the SMDs are magnetic, but small resistors and capacitors were magnetic enough.
Sometimes, when the SMD remains on the iron after unsoldering, and is floating in a blob of melted solder, a HDD magnet can be used to extract the SMDs from the tip of the soldering iron.
RoGeorge
Nice Tip! I'll try it!