APA102-2020 not RoHS capable? Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit

[zerkman]

Hi All,

We're going into manufacturing with the APA102-2020 (dotstar LED).

https://www.adafruit.com/product/3587

Our manufacturer pointed out an interesting tidbit from the datasheet.

Even though these LEDs may be RoHS compliant, the reflow temperature profile listed in the datasheet seems to indicate that they're not actually RoHS compliant. The datasheet actually lists two different max temperatures. The table lists Tsldr as 235+/-5, but the diagram lists a range of 210-230. Our manufacturer is wanting to get up to 250 for all the other components on our board.

Does anyone have any experience using these LEDs in a RoHS process in manufacturing?

Thanks,
-Mike

[adafruit_support_mike]

We use a standard lead-free process for them.. no special equipment, materials, or techniques are necessary.

The exact heating profile you use depends heavily on the on the board you want to reflow, so you’ll need do a few test runs to find what works. It shouldn’t be too hard though.

Datasheets only list the conditions where the manufacturer feels comfortable guaranteeing successful performance. The physical parts themselves can tolerate a much wider range of conditions, but it’s up to you to do your own testing if you go outside the suggested profile.

[zerkman]

Thanks for the helpful feedback!