Hi All,

About to get into a discussion concerning ENIG PCB's, and solder joint
appearance.

I've used a 2% silver solder paste because from past history at other
employers, it did seem to make a difference in the overall appearance,
surface, and otherwise, for the better...

But from my perspective, ENIG plated PCB joints, won't ever look like the
joints on a HASL plated PCB. A 2% silver will make things look a little
better (In my humble opinion), but they still won't be as bright and sparkly
as a HASL joint will exhibit...

But is that really a problem?

I know what the J-STD-001, and the -610 says, but I'm about to face some
concerns from one of our customers that the solder doesn't look as shiney as
it should be ( I think)...bottomline, they have some concerns about the
solder...the boards in question are ENIG...

I know this has been talked about over and over again, and I used a 2% silver
solder to try and make things look a little better. It does, but the joints
still aren't as shiney as a HASL joint....they won't be as long as you have
gold in the equation, but that doesn't mean that the joint is bad...

Next week is gonna be fun...

-Steve Gregory-

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