Through - Hole Reflow (THR) technology is a process in which through-hole components are soldered to a printed circuit board (PCB) by using reflow technology. It allows soldering the through-hole components and surface-mount components at the same time and with the same reflow profile. This makes the process more cost effective and saves time, as no wave soldering is needed anymore. Through - Hole Reflow is becoming more and more popular, not only for EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) companies, but also for customers with smaller production lines. The main requirement of the through-hole components is to withstand high temperatures during reflow soldering. Here not only the plastic housing material must be seen, but also the LEDs, where chip and leadframe are ofter sensitive for high temperatures. A further design requirement is to make sure the reflow heat can reach all solder points in the same way and with the same result. A final requirement to be considered is the component handling with pick and place equipment. With the correct modifications of the assembly process, the manufacturer can ensure the quality and long term reliability of the solder joint. In this Application Note, we will clarify which design aspects had to be improved or changed in order to obtain good results with our WE-RJ45 THR connectors.

Download: ANP078