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Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 17:08:37 -0700
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Subject: Re: [geda-user] PCB BGA (ball grid array) Package/Footprint
From: Russell Dill <Russ DOT Dill AT asu DOT edu>
To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
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On Fri, Jul 19, 2013 at 10:23 AM, Dave Curtis <davecurtis AT sonic DOT net> wrote:
> On 07/18/2013 03:33 PM, Lilith Bryant wrote:
>>
>> On 2013-07-19 01:19:25 AM, Rob Butts wrote:
>>>
>>> Has anyone done a PCB using the new chips with the BGA (ball grid array)?
>>> If so, how did you define the footprint?  As through-holes?  Fab shops
>>> must
>>> be capable of accommodating these ICs otherwise they wouldn't exist.
>>>
>>> I'm thinking they must be easy to solder since it would simply fall into
>>> it's position with either pre-soldered holes or pre-soldered pins/balls.
>>>
>> I have just finished a paying job using an iMX6 processor (624 ball
>> 0.8mm),
>> FPGA (256 ball 1mm), and 4xDDR3 (96 ball 0.8mm).    However, even for
>> personal use prototypes, I wouldn't even try doing it myself.
>
> What do you end up paying an assembly house to attach of those on a one-off
> basis for a prototype?

When I looked for a board I was doing with 1 96-ball 0.8mm, 1 784-ball
1mm, and 5 100-ball 1mm components (as well as many other components),
It was cheaper for me to buy an oven, a controller for it, a hot air
gun, a steel stencil, parts for a vacuum pen system, a set of small
test boards for developing a process, paste, and still have money left
over to re-do in case things get screwed up. There certainly is a lot
of upfront investment in tools and time learning, but for me, assembly
is part of the hobby.

If you already do boards with 0.5mm qfn/qfp and 0402's, 0.8mm and 1mm
BGAs are not a big deal. If you haven't already, I'd recommend trying
your hand at a stencil+reflow process without BGA first. It really
comes down to how valuable your time is, and if you consider assembly
part of your hobby or if you want to skip past that. I know several
other hobbyists who do BGA at home, and enjoy doing it.