Socket Installs Microphone In Cell Phones

A two-position surface-mount socket used to install microphones in cellular phones is designed for bottom entry, plugging through the circuit board into the socket on the opposite side to achieve a low microphone profile suited for pocket-sized phones. The socket eliminates the expense of hand soldering. The assembly and soldering technique, called intrusive reflow, uses conventional thru-hole components in a reflow soldering process. The leads of the component are placed into plated thru-holes in the board and the board is reflowed in the same pass as other SMT components. The sockets come on 12-mm wide tape for pick-and-place assembly machines.