Surface mount connectors are increasingly popular, and have the distinct advantage over their through-hole equivalents that the lead pitch can easily be reduced: both board-to-board and flat flexible circuit connectors are available with lead pitches down to 0.5 mm. As with any component, connector materials have to be selected to withstand the soldering regime, and reflow conditions set to ensure that joints reflow. Except in the few cases where the moulding blocks access to the leads, rework is generally straightforward, in the same way as SO-packages.
A degree of ‘user education’ has, however, been needed to correct the impression borne of earlier experience that surface mounted connectors have unusable mechanical limitations. Whilst not as robust as through-hole types, the force required to ‘tear’ a connector from the board is typically an order of magnitude higher than that needed to separate plug and socket, even when the board connector is ‘waggled’.
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