Solder up the kit
The first step is to solder the kit together. If you've never soldered before, check the tutorials on the preparation page.Place the 3 4.7K resistors as shown. Resistors are not 'directional' so don't worry which way they go in: it doesn't matter.
Bend the leads out so that when you turn the board over the resistors dont fall out.
Turn the board over.
Solder the leads, clipping as you go if it's too clumsy to solder around the wires.
Place the three zener diodes and the serial port connector. The diodes are directional so don't put them in backwards. Note that there is a black stripe on the red glass, this stripe matches the white stripe on the silkscreen picture of the diode.
The serial port connector goes on only one way but it will be pretty obvious (because the two sides are different). The connector slides onto the end of the board and sandwiches it.
For the next step, you will place the 8 LEDs. LEDs have a 'direction' so if they're backwards they don't work. There are three ways to tell the direction.
One is that the postive lead is longer than the negative one.
Second, the negative side inside the plastic is larger and has a 'cup'.
Third, the negative side has a flattened section (feel it with your fingers).
Place the 8 LEDs so that the negative side is nearest to the edge.
Next, place the microcontroller socket. Note that there is a little notch at the top, this tells you which way to put in the microcontroller. There is also a notch in the silkscreen image so match the two sides up, it will make it less likely for you to put the microcontroller in backwards (which could damage it).
When you turn the board over, hold the socket with a finger because it will fall out easily.
Page last edited March 11, 2013
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