Difference between revisions of "Googly Assembly Instructions"

Revision as of 20:05, 25 November 2011

This page walks through the process of assembling the Googly Eye Shield for Arduino.

Bill of Materials, or, "What's in the kit?"

Assembly procedure

We'll go step by step, installing the kit components, few though they may be.

This guide assumes that you have had some soldering experience. If not, or it's been a while, you may also want to look at pages 2 and 5-7 of the Bulbdial clock assembly instructions, which go over basic tools and technique. And, if you really are a beginner, there are plenty of good tutorials on line, like this one.

Step 1: The circuit board

Here's what the Googly Eye Shield circuit board looks like:

Starting in the next step, we'll be adding the "stacking" header set to the four outboard header locations, which are those four locations outlined in long black rectangles. Identify those locations on the circuit board. There are two 6-pin locations next to where the "Googly Eye Shield" label is, and two (longer) 8-pin locations on the opposite side of the board.

Step 2: Insert headers

Insert the two 6-pin and 8-pin headers into their respective locations, from the top side of the board.

Step 3: Flip board

Gently-- so as not to bend the actual pins --grip the board by the headers on the bottom side, so that you can turn it upside down without the headers falling out. Flip the board over and rest it (headers down) on a level surface.

Step 4: Level headers

Level the headers in the board so that they sit straight up and down, and flush to the board. (This is usually straightforward with gentle pressure and a little bit of side-to-side wiggling.)

Step 5: Solder corner pins

Lightly solder just one pin of each of the four headers-- the outermost four points are a good set to begin with. Take care to not use too much solder; you don't want to coat the gold pins with it higher than necessary, and you don't want to wick too much into the holes below either.

(Again, if you're new at soldering or out of practice, take a look at pages 2 and 5-7 of the Bulbdial clock assembly instructions, which go over basic tools and technique. And, if you really are a beginner, there are plenty of good tutorials on line, like this one.)

Step 6: Check alignment

All four headers should now be fixed in place at one end. Pick up the shield and check that all four "stacking" headers are flush and square to the board. If not, hold the board down while you momentarily melt the solder and adjust the header as needed. (If the header is not initially flush to the board, it will "snap" down into place if you melt the solder while pressing like this.)

Step 7: Finish soldering

Solder the rest of the header pins in place. Again, take care to not overdo it with the solder.

Step 8: Introduction to Glue Dots

The kit comes with glue dots for attaching the googly eyes. They come between two sheets of backing paper (or plastic). In the next steps, we'll apply those glue dots to the backs of the googly eyes, so that you can apply them to the shield. These glue dots are a permanent adhesive, and provide a stronger bond than is available on any commercial sticky-back googly eye.

Do not touch the adhesive or apply it to any surface except for your final intended destination, as the glue dots are not repositionable and any grease or debris on the surface will reduce its coefficient of stickiness.

Step 9: Make those Googly Eyes Sticky!

Peel off the backing paper (or plastic) from either side of the glue dot(s) that you want to use. Center a googly eye over a glue dot and press it down firmly to adhere it to the glue dot.

Step 10: Apply Googly eyes to Shield

Apply Googly eyes as desired. You may also choose to accent your Googly Eye Shield with smiles, eyebrows, and/or mustaches.