conformal_coating
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| conformal_coating [2024/04/26 00:14] – created river | conformal_coating [2024/07/23 20:47] (current) – [Hacky Options] river | ||
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| - | ===== Conformal Coating ===== | + | ====== Conformal Coating |
| This is a very worthwhile technique to protect any electronics that has a chance of getting wet. I have spent weeks repairing electronics that was damaged by water, which would probably have been fine if the manufacturer had spent a little more time on coating the PCBs. Enclosures designed to be waterproof often end up not being so. | This is a very worthwhile technique to protect any electronics that has a chance of getting wet. I have spent weeks repairing electronics that was damaged by water, which would probably have been fine if the manufacturer had spent a little more time on coating the PCBs. Enclosures designed to be waterproof often end up not being so. | ||
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| Application in small quantities will probably be by brush or spray. A spray can is much quicker and easier unless you have a lot of parts to mask, then maybe quicker to brush around them. Note though that the coating will spread out somewhat and may be drawn into unmasked parts. | Application in small quantities will probably be by brush or spray. A spray can is much quicker and easier unless you have a lot of parts to mask, then maybe quicker to brush around them. Note though that the coating will spread out somewhat and may be drawn into unmasked parts. | ||
| - | ==== Parts to mask ==== | + | ===== Parts to mask ===== |
| * Moving parts: buttons, encoders. | * Moving parts: buttons, encoders. | ||
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| Parts not conformal coated may be suitable to be protected with silicone grease - particularly connectors. | Parts not conformal coated may be suitable to be protected with silicone grease - particularly connectors. | ||
| - | ==== Removal ==== | + | ===== Removal |
| Acrylic softens in IPA. I read on a forum that tetrahydrofuran (THF) would work much better, but I've not tried it. Supposedly acetone works but might damage the board. | Acrylic softens in IPA. I read on a forum that tetrahydrofuran (THF) would work much better, but I've not tried it. Supposedly acetone works but might damage the board. | ||
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| I have found that I can use multimeter probes on acrylic coated parts without removing the coating - it seems the probes can just push through, but not super reliably. | I have found that I can use multimeter probes on acrylic coated parts without removing the coating - it seems the probes can just push through, but not super reliably. | ||
| - | ==== Hacky Options ==== | + | ===== Hacky Options |
| - | Acrylic conformal coating looks, feels, and smells very much like clear nail varnish. I don't know if they are any different. | + | ==== Nail Varnish ==== |
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| + | Acrylic conformal coating looks, feels, and smells very much like clear nail varnish. I don't know how they differ. I have now tried applying some nail varnish to a board. It was thicker than the conformal coat I have, so took a bit more work, and harder to put in small spaces. Finished coat also looks thicker / rougher. I have not tested effectiveness in water. | ||
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| + | ==== Other ==== | ||
| Other grease coatings. Lanocoat if that's what you have on hand? | Other grease coatings. Lanocoat if that's what you have on hand? | ||
| - | ==== Questions ==== | + | Legitimate rather than hacky: epoxy. Maybe not the best choice normally, but on a boat it might be what you have already. |
| + | ===== Questions | ||
| How much does coating affect frequency of crystal oscillators? | How much does coating affect frequency of crystal oscillators? | ||
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| ===== See Also ===== | ===== See Also ===== | ||
| - | [[construction|Electronics Construction / Hardware Notes]] | + | * [[https:// |
| + | * [[construction|Electronics Construction / Hardware Notes]] | ||
conformal_coating.1714090484.txt.gz · Last modified: by river