EZK Daughterboard Installation

Start by taking the rear cover off of your EZK. Four screws, either T10 or Phillips hold it on. The row of 20 solder plugs next to the MCU (big square thing) will be our operating area for today.

Take the rest of the board out of the case. Note that because of the screw pattern it can’t be installed upside down. This way gives you more room to work and prevents any damage to the case. I have a magnetic circuitboard holder that I find extremely helpful for jigging the board up for soldering and desoldering.

With the board securely fastened, heat and remove (I use a solder sucker as pictured) the 20 solder plugs installed at the factory. The board fit is very secure so you cannot leave any solder remaining. On my iron setting 4 of 5 is sufficient. I press the iron into one side of the plug and the vacuum pump into the other and use the pump when I feel the solder plug melt. The tip of your iron will “center” into the hole on the board.

Here is the board with all plugs removed. Note how clean and consistent the holes are. I hold the EZK up to a light source to check my work. It may take a few tries with the vacuum pump for proper fit. You may want to clean the board after this phase with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab to prevent foreign object damage from any solder that was removed and not recaptured.

Here the daughterboard is mocked up for installation. It should be fully seated against the EZK, with the jumper position set to “MOD” to run on the software stored on your chip. The “OEM” setting uses the internal ROM on the EZK and may be useful for troubleshooting.

Next, solder in the daughterboard. Thinner leaded solder works best but please protect your lungs when doing this and keep your workspace well ventilated. For this you should turn down the heat on your iron from the previous setting if possible. I will not cover what makes a good solder joint here as that would be its own tutorial and frankly I don’t have all day to write these things up. If you do not trust yourself to come up with 20 quality solder joints I would recommend practicing on something that you do not use to make your car run.

For the final step before reassembly, cut down the daughterboard pins so the EZK can be reassembled correctly. I highly recommend cleaning the board one more time with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swap to prevent any foreign object damage. Dust and debris can short out board components and wreak significant havoc.

Finally, remember to install your chip. Chips and daughterboards are both marked for orientation. Make sure the notch on the chip and the notch on the socket line up. My chips additionally have an arrow for orientation seen here on the lower left. Incorrect installation may damage the chip.

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