Tips for desoldering double PS/2 port with iron? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: lpc32
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2015, 10:24:00 am
content: Any tips for desoldering without hot air a double-stacked PS/2 port? While a multilayer board, that specific area isn't too bad. The problem is that it's 5 anchors + 12 pins. I don't care about the board.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2015, 11:28:39 am
content: If you do not care about the board,A very efficient way is to use a heating gun, and to blow hot air on the other side of the board.Shake the board, or help with a screw driver to remove the ps2 port.

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 11, 2015, 12:48:33 pm
content: Without hotair and just using a standard iron? Use low melt-point chip quick solder. It will mix with the other solder, lower it's melting-point and thus keep it liquid for some time. Then alternate between the pins so everything stays liquid while you pull the connector out.

author: lpc32
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2015, 01:01:01 pm
content: I'm trying to make do with what's available. No hot air station, no special solder.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2015, 01:30:35 pm
content: Quote from: lpc32 on May 11, 2015, 10:24:00 amOUPS ! I missed this part.I just looked to one. I have two suggestions (not tried ) following the previous posts- put it on a hot plate, or a pan. Fry it.- put solder and use a small hand vacuum pump to get each pin one by one.Or more effectively, do this for the 5 connectors, and then put a blob of solder on thepins (one group at a time) to desolder them.

author: con-f-use
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 11, 2015, 05:21:36 pm
content: Both the plate and the solder-blob will likely meld, deform or dis-color the plastic in the connector.Quote from: lpc32 on May 11, 2015, 01:01:01 pmThan you're out of luck. Without at least a hand vacuum, you will almost certainly lift traces or damage your connector.

author: Evil Lurker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2015, 07:26:57 pm
content: Quote from: con-f-use on May 11, 2015, 05:21:36 pmActually they come off pretty easy. Use braid or an iron to straighten the big 5 bent anchor pins around the outside then stick the pins down on a big dollop of melted solder on a stove eye. Pulled a bunch of them including other connectors on the back of junk motherboards off that way without damaging them.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2015, 08:39:26 pm
content: hotair stations start at $30, dont be a cheapass

author: redshift
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2015, 09:03:24 pm
content: Quote from: Rasz on May 11, 2015, 08:39:26 pmThis.But if you really want to give it a try, maybe if the pins are close enough together you can add solder until there is a big molten blob and pull the part right out. Sounds counter-intuitive to add solder but it might help it stay molten long enough.Alternatively, if there is enough space in the holes around the pins you might be able to use a desoldering pump to completely separate each pin from its pad/plated hole. But on a motherboard I kinda doubt it, especially considering it needs to completely separate from the board in 17 places total.Let us know what happens though!

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 12:04:15 am
content: Quote from: lpc32 on May 11, 2015, 01:01:01 pmpropane torch, medium back and forth motion.

author: lpc32
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 01:03:52 pm
content: A solder sucker or wick weren't enough. They were enough to remove a double USB port, but if I recall it had less anchors, more spacing between the pins or larger holes, and it was a 1 or 2 layer board.I'm not ready yet to contaminate the stove.If you mean a solder blob on all 17 joints, I'm not sure I have enough heat capacity, with a 65W iron, to keep a 2x2cm area melted. Did you succeed in doing something similar? If not all joints together, it doesn't appear there's enough flexibility to pull the connector out one side or corner at a time.A cheap hot air station would indeed be a better solution. But it's not an immediate one, delivery will take a few weeks.Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on May 12, 2015, 12:04:15 amOr nuke it from orbit.Isn't that a bit extreme?Anyway, another option was to saw the PCB around the PS/2 port, but soldering wires to it would be annoying. So my temporary solution was to tap an extra connector (1mm grid) on a keyboard. It doesn't help me test with other keyboards, but it'll do for now.

author: redshift
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2015, 03:00:13 pm
content: You can just buy a 6 pin mini-DIN jack from digikey:http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/MD-60SM/CP-2260-ND/96940

author: netdudeuk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2015, 07:29:10 am
content: Quote from: redshift on May 12, 2015, 03:00:13 pmI bought a load of those from eBay for next to nothing and they're perfectly fine. I've also picked up USB and VGA sockets too.

author: niflheimer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2015, 07:30:22 am
content: And don't underestimate the propane torch. If you do it right you ain't going to damage the connector - It takes like 10-15 seconds to heat up the backside enough for the connector to pop out with minimal force.

author: lpc32
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2015, 08:06:36 am
content: Yeah, eBay would be a better source for me. 1/10 Digikey's price, free shipping. I'm also not in the US.Okay, the torch is officially considered. Nothing readily available, but come to think of it, maybe candles will do.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2015, 12:13:37 am
content: Quote from: niflheimer on May 13, 2015, 07:30:22 amVoila. Very simple to do, and the PCB helpfully shows it's hot by bubbling and turning black and catching fire.

author: atferrari
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2015, 11:43:07 am
content: If you do not care about the board, cut, as close as possible around the connector before doing anything else. Yes, you need hot air even from a hair dryer to help the sodlering iron.