Tiny LEDs: What to Do With Them?

[EE4life]

Hi All,

The other day I ordered LED's from digikey to do some electrical experiments for fun, and to my surprise I got these: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/SMLP12WBC7W1/511-1616-2-ND/1801991

They are literally too small to even hold. They are like the size of knat. What do I do with them?

 

[nsaspook]

You can solder wire leads to them.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Easily-Solder-Wires-to-SMT-LEDs/

 

[AlephZero]

Next time, use the filter on the web page to select the type of packaging you want. For example "canister" will find parts that look more like

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/XSCWD43MB/1497-1041-ND/4745856

And look at the link to the data sheet before you buy. That will tell you the physical size etc, not just show you a picture. (I guess you expected your LEDs to be a lot bigger than they actually were).

 

[sophiecentaur]

I think you just have to put this one down to experience and remember to read the spec sheets of stuff before you buy.
(We have all been there.)

 

[AlephZero]

(We have all been there.)

Yeah. I once had the reverse problem, when I bought a set of neon tubes that could display numerical digits by mail order from a "pre-owned equipment" company. Like this:

They worked fine, except they were HUGE - each tube was about 12 inches long and 3 inches diameter!

 

[berkeman]

Hi All,

The other day I ordered LED's from digikey to do some electrical experiments for fun, and to my surprise I got these: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/SMLP12WBC7W1/511-1616-2-ND/1801991

They are literally too small to even hold. They are like the size of knat. What do I do with them?

Yeah, 0402 SMD parts are a pain to handle and solder manually, and that's when you have a PCB with the correct pad pattern!

Take a look at the "Surfboard" adapter boardlets: http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/prototyping-products/adapter-breakout-boards/2360393

They give you a way to convert tiny SMT pad patterns to more standard 0.1" spacing through-hole pins for prototyping. I didn't see any specifically for adapting 0402 components at that page, but look at the other tiny parts that they do support, to see if adjacent pads for those parts are about 0.040" apart (for 0402 SMD parts).

 

[nsaspook]

Just be glad you didn't order something smaller.

http://www.murata.com/new/news_release/2012/0905/images/ind_img02.jpg

 

[AlephZero]

Just be glad you didn't order something smaller.

I didn't know you could buy the components to build your own home cinema display, one pixel at a time

 

[dlgoff]

They are literally too small to even hold. They are like the size of knat. What do I do with them?

You don't need to make this a negative experience. Make it a way to expand your capabilities.

image compliments of http://www.freetronics.com/pages/surface-mount-soldering-with-a-toaster-oven

 

[meBigGuy]

Now you know what a 0402 surface mount package is. Even soldering wires to them is tough. Heat one side and the other side comes unsoldered. And. they stick to the solder on your soldering iron (due to surface tension of molten solder). Good luck without a microscope, good soldering iron, and really steady hands.

The instructables idea of using duct tape when attaching wires is a good one. but 0402 is way smaller than what they were working with.

 

[nsaspook]

0402 to wire:

 

[EE4life]

Thank you all for the tips. I better watch what I buy next time.