|
1 | | -# Breathing Heart - Solder Kit |
| 1 | +# Breathing Heart Solder Kit Assembly Guide |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +Welcome to the assembly guide for the **Breathing Heart Solder Kit**! Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned maker, this guide will walk you step-by-step through the process of building your very own LED breathing heart circuit. The PCB is shaped like a heart and, when assembled, will create a calming pulsing light effect using simple analog electronics. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +By the end of this guide, you will have: |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +- Practiced through-hole soldering |
| 8 | +- Learned to identify and place resistors, transistors, capacitors, ICs, and more |
| 9 | +- Assembled a beautiful heart-shaped breathing LED circuit |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +🛠 **Required tools**: soldering iron, solder, flush cutters, and optionally tweezers. |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +--- |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +## Resistor Color Codes |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +Understanding the color bands on resistors is crucial for placing the correct components. Below is a quick reference for the resistor values used in this kit. You can identify them either by reading the color bands or by measuring with a multimeter. |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +<table> |
| 21 | + <thead> |
| 22 | + <tr> |
| 23 | + <th>Value</th> |
| 24 | + <th>Color Bands</th> |
| 25 | + <th>Schematic</th> |
| 26 | + </tr> |
| 27 | + </thead> |
| 28 | + <tbody> |
| 29 | + <tr> |
| 30 | + <td style="vertical-align: middle;">47kΩ</td> |
| 31 | + <td style="vertical-align: middle;">Yellow, Violet, Orange, Gold</td> |
| 32 | + <td><img src="../../img/guides/breathing-heart/resistor-47k.png" style="width: 200px; height: 100px;" /></td> |
| 33 | + </tr> |
| 34 | + <tr> |
| 35 | + <td style="vertical-align: middle;">10kΩ</td> |
| 36 | + <td style="vertical-align: middle;">Brown, Black, Orange, Gold</td> |
| 37 | + <td><img src="../../img/guides/breathing-heart/resistor-10k.png" style="width: 200px; height: 100px;" /></td> |
| 38 | + </tr> |
| 39 | + <tr> |
| 40 | + <td style="vertical-align: middle;">22Ω</td> |
| 41 | + <td style="vertical-align: middle;">Red, Red, Black, Gold</td> |
| 42 | + <td><img src="../../img/guides/breathing-heart/resistor-22.png" style="width: 200px; height: 100px;" /></td> |
| 43 | + </tr> |
| 44 | + <tr> |
| 45 | + <td style="vertical-align: middle;">100kΩ</td> |
| 46 | + <td style="vertical-align: middle;">Brown, Black, Yellow, Gold</td> |
| 47 | + <td><img src="../../img/guides/breathing-heart/resistor-100k.png" style="width: 200px; height: 100px;" /></td> |
| 48 | + </tr> |
| 49 | + </tbody> |
| 50 | +</table> |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +💡 **Tip**: The **fourth band (gold)** indicates a tolerance of ±5%. |
| 53 | +🧰 **Alternative**: Use a **multimeter** to measure resistance directly if you're unsure. |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +## LED Orientation and Polarity |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are **polarized components**, meaning they must be installed in the correct direction to work properly. |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +### How to identify LED legs |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +- **Long leg** = Positive (**+**) → called the **anode** |
| 62 | +- **Short leg** = Negative (**−**) → called the **cathode** |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +### How to match the LED to the PCB |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +Each LED slot on the PCB shows a diode symbol like this: |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +<img src="../../img/guides/breathing-heart/led-footprint.webp" width="120" /> |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +- The **flat edge of the triangle** (left side in the symbol) is the **cathode (−)** → match this with the **short leg** of the LED. |
| 71 | +- The **open tip of the triangle** (right side) is the **anode (+)** → match this with the **long leg** of the LED. |
| 72 | + |
| 73 | +### Visual Guide |
| 74 | + |
| 75 | +<img src="../../img/guides/breathing-heart/led-orientation.webp" style="width: 200px;" /> |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +⚠️ If inserted backwards, the LED will not light up. Always verify orientation before soldering! |
| 78 | + |
| 79 | +## Step-by-step Instructions |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +| Image | Description | |
| 82 | +|-------|-------------| |
| 83 | +|  | **Step 1: Identify Your PCB**<br>Start by identifying the front side of the PCB. This is where all the components will be placed and soldered. Take a moment to get familiar with the component labels. | |
| 84 | +|  | **Step 2: Solder 47kΩ Resistors (R1, R2, R4)**<br>Locate the three 47kΩ resistors. These are marked with color bands: **yellow, violet, orange, gold**. Insert and solder them in the positions labeled R1, R2, and R4. | |
| 85 | +|  | **Step 3: Solder 10kΩ Resistor (R6)**<br>Find the resistor marked **brown, black, orange, gold** and solder it into the R6 position. | |
| 86 | +|  | **Step 4: Solder 22Ω Resistor (R5)**<br>This resistor is marked **red, red, black, gold**. Solder it into the R5 spot on the PCB. | |
| 87 | +|  | **Step 5: Solder 100kΩ Resistor (R3)**<br>The 100kΩ resistor has the color code **brown, black, yellow, gold**. Place it in the R3 slot. | |
| 88 | +|  | **Step 6: Insert LM358N IC (U1)**<br>Carefully insert the LM358N chip into the U1 position. Make sure the **notch or dot** on the chip matches the notch printed on the PCB. | |
| 89 | +|  | **Step 7: Solder Adjustable Resistor (VR1)**<br>Insert the blue adjustable resistor (also known as a potentiometer) into the VR1 slot. | |
| 90 | +|  | **Step 8: Solder Transistor (Q1)**<br>The transistor goes into the Q1 position. Make sure to align the flat side of the component with the flat side printed on the board. | |
| 91 | +|  | **Step 9: Solder Electrolytic Capacitor (C1)**<br>Pay attention to polarity! The longer leg is positive and should go into the hole marked with a plus (+). Also check the photo in the next step for orientation | |
| 92 | +|  | **Step 10: Check Capacitor Orientation**<br>Double-check that the negative stripe on the capacitor aligns with the negative marking on the PCB. | |
| 93 | +|  | **Step 11: Solder the Switch (S1)**<br>Insert the tactile switch into the S1 slot labeled "power". Make sure it is pushed in all the way before soldering. | |
| 94 | +|  | **Step 12: Place All LEDs**<br>Insert the LEDs into the board. Make sure to match polarity: the **long leg** goes in the **round hole (+)**, and the **short leg** in the **square hole (-)**. | |
| 95 | +|  | **Step 13: Verify LED Placement**<br>All 20 LEDs should now be in place. Double-check that all the long legs are on the correct side before soldering. | |
| 96 | +|  | **Step 14: Solder Battery Box**<br>Solder the battery box wires: red to + and black to - | |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +--- |
| 99 | + |
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