As discussed in a previous blog post, it is important to follow best practices for attaching thermocouples to a printed circuit board (PCB) to accurately measure the reflow profile of an assembly.
Recommended locations for the attachment of the thermocouples are listed below.
- Make sure thermocouple tip is touching the solder joint, not the component or the board.
- Solder joints that are in areas of high thermal mass such as large and high density components, densely populated areas, and the middle of the board
- Solder joints that are in areas of low thermal mass such as small components, lower populated areas, and the edge of the board
- Any components or solder joints of concern
- If the solder joint is underneath the body of the component, drill a hole under bottom termination components and attach the thermocouple through the hole
Stay tuned for more reflow profiling best practices!