Xiao nrf52840 Surface mount

R_M · March 10, 2025, 4:02pm

Hello,

I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with surface mounting the XIAO nrf52840 to a PCB. I’m trying to use it for a wearable and so avoiding the thickness/height of headers would be good.

I’d also like to use the VBATT pads on the underside connected to the battery which will be VDD. Doing it this way because the NRF52840 can’t output enough current for what I have on the rest of the PCB so I was going to use the battery as Vdd and Gnd and connect these to the Vbatt pins so I can deliver appreciable current (~0.5A) from the battery but still make use of the charging circuitry of the XIAO nrf52840.

I’ve seen there’s a surface mount footprint for the board on the getting started page, I just haven’t seen anyone use it as surface mount so was wondering why.

Any info/ideas would be appreciated!

gmrck · March 10, 2025, 7:48pm

Check this out for some ideas:

https://fabacademy.org/2024/labs/charlotte/students/richard-shan/lessons/week4/rp2040/

PJ_Glasso · March 11, 2025, 12:45am

Hi there,

Oh’ you haven’t lived until you SMD solder the Xiao…
Totally fine, Keep READING buddy

here is some fresh ones, those are some older Pics.
and don’t do like the first one, from a user on here, was using a potato to solder.

The 3 channel EMG board it the grove EMG Board x3 (i squeezed it on there 45mm roundy round, the concept for adding the xiao directly on SMD pin Header receptacles.

The Evolution is to OVAL the Battery Pad Through holes and plated through also. a little bigger is better but not Wider the the Xiao’s PAD
AMA

HTH
GL PJ

Solder “Paste” is your friend.