PCB golden finger is a gold-plated contact point on a circuit board, usually used for electrical connections to other boards or components. Because goldfinger is often exposed, it is easy to accumulate dust, grease, oxides and other pollutants, which may affect its electrical conductivity and connection stability. Therefore, regular cleaning of the Goldfinger is an important step to ensure the normal operation of the circuit board. The following will detail the basic skills and methods of cleaning PCB gold fingers, as well as related precautions.
1. Basic tips for cleaning Goldfingers
1.1. Use an eraser
An eraser is a simple and effective tool for cleaning golden fingers. It does not contain chemical etchant and will not damage the gold coating on the surface of the goldfinger. When using the eraser to clean the golden finger, the following points should be noted:
• Choose the right eraser: Choose an eraser that is soft and resistant to slagging to avoid leaving a grainy residue on the surface of the goldfinger.
• Gentle wiping: Gently wipe the surface of the gold finger with an eraser to avoid excessive force causing deformation of the gold finger or the gold coating to fall off.
• Multiple wipes: For stubborn stains, you can wipe the surface of the goldfinger several times until the stain is completely removed.
1.2. Use a special cleaner
Special cleaning agents usually include washing board water, hydrogen peroxide, tenna water, etc., which have good decontamination and oxidation effects. When using a special cleaner to clean the golden finger, the following points should be noted:
• Dilute the cleaner: Dilute the cleaner to the appropriate concentration according to the instructions for use. Too much detergent may erode the gold plating on the finger.
• Use a soft cloth or cotton swab: Dip a soft cloth or cotton swab in diluted detergent and gently wipe the surface of the golden finger. Avoid using a stiff brush or rough cloth to avoid scratching the golden finger.
• Thorough cleaning: After wiping, clean the surface of the golden finger thoroughly with water to remove residual detergent. Then dry the finger with a clean cloth to avoid corrosion caused by moisture residue.
1.3. Use anhydrous ethanol
Anhydrous ethanol is a common organic solvent with good solubility and volatility. When using anhydrous ethanol to clean the golden finger, the following points should be noted:
• Choose anhydrous ethanol: Make sure to use anhydrous ethanol to avoid corrosion of Goldfinger caused by moisture.
• Use cotton wool: Dip a small amount of anhydrous ethanol into the cotton wool and gently wipe the surface of the golden finger. Avoid using too much ethanol, so that the liquid can penetrate into the circuit board and cause short circuit.
• Natural volatilization: After wiping, let anhydrous ethanol volatilize naturally. No need to clean with water, because anhydrous ethanol volatilizes without leaving residue.
2. The advanced method of cleaning the golden finger
2.1. Use a stain remover
Decontamination powder is a powdered detergent with decontamination effect. When using detergent to clean the golden finger, the following points should be noted:
• Preparation solution: Dissolve an appropriate amount of detergent powder in warm water to form a uniform solution.
• Soak the golden finger: Soak the golden finger in a detergent solution so that the solution fully touches the surface of the golden finger. However, pay attention to the soaking time should not be too long, so as not to corrosion the golden finger.
• Gently scrub: Gently scrub the surface of the finger with a soft brush to remove stains and oxides. Do not use too much force when brushing, so as not to damage the golden finger.
• Thorough cleaning: After brushing, clean the surface of the golden finger thoroughly with water to remove the residual detergent solution. Then dry the finger with a clean cloth.
2.2. Use a washboard for grinding
For gold fingers with a thick oxide layer, the oxide layer can be removed by washboard grinding. However, this method has certain risks, because excessive grinding can damage the gold coating on the surface of the goldfinger. When using washboard grinding, should pay attention to the following points:
• Choose the right washboard: Choose a soft texture, not easy to damage the goldfinger washboard.
• Uniform grinding: Place the golden finger on the washboard and evenly grind the surface of the golden finger with appropriate force. Avoid over-grinding in the same position to avoid damaging the golden finger.
• Check the grinding effect: Check the grinding effect of the gold finger regularly during the grinding process to ensure that the oxide layer is completely removed and the surface of the gold finger is smooth.
• Follow-up treatment: After grinding, clean the surface of the golden finger thoroughly with water to remove the debris and residue generated during the grinding process. Then dry the finger with a clean cloth and check that it is smooth and free of damage.
2.3. Electroplating treatment
If the oxide layer on the goldfinger surface is difficult to remove by conventional methods, or the goldfinger has been severely damaged, you can consider electroplating treatment. Electroplating treatment can form a new layer of gold coating on the surface of the gold finger, thereby restoring its electrical conductivity and connection stability. However, electroplating requires professional equipment and operating skills, and the cost is high. Therefore, before electroplating treatment, its necessity and economy should be fully considered.
3. Precautions for cleaning golden fingers
1. Avoid using corrosive cleaning agents: corrosive cleaning agents such as strong acid and alkali will corrode the gold-plated layer on the surface of the gold finger, resulting in a decline in the performance of the gold finger or even failure. Therefore, these cleaners should be avoided when cleaning the golden finger.
2. Avoid using a hard brush or rough cloth: A hard brush or rough cloth is easy to scratch the surface of the gold finger, resulting in a decline in the performance of the gold finger. Therefore, when cleaning the golden finger, soft tools such as soft cloth and cotton swabs should be used.
3. Avoid excessive wiping or grinding: Excessive wiping or grinding will damage the gold layer on the surface of the gold finger, resulting in a decline in the performance of the gold finger. Therefore, when cleaning the golden finger, the strength and time of wiping or grinding should be controlled.
4. Pay attention to anti-static measures: When cleaning the golden finger, pay attention to anti-static measures. Because the goldfinger is a sensitive component on the circuit board, static electricity may cause damage to it. You can use tools such as anti-static wristbands and anti-static pads to prevent the generation and accumulation of static electricity.
5. Pay attention to ambient humidity and temperature: too high ambient humidity or too low temperature may cause condensation or corrosion on the surface of goldfinger. Therefore, when cleaning the golden finger, attention should be paid to the control of environmental humidity and temperature.
6. Regular cleaning: The cleaning of the golden finger should be carried out regularly to ensure that it is always in good working condition. The specific cleaning cycle should be determined according to the use of goldfinger and environmental conditions.
4. Case study of Goldfinger cleaning
Case 1: Server motherboard Goldfinger cleaning
In a server environment, the goldfinger of the motherboard often accumulates a lot of dust and oxide due to high load operation and frequent plugging and unplugging. These pollutants not only affect the performance of the server, but also may cause server crash or data loss. Therefore, it is essential to regularly clean the golden finger of the server motherboard.
Cleaning steps:
1. Power off and remove the motherboard: First, make sure the server is completely powered off and remove all cables and components from the motherboard. Then, remove the motherboard from the case for better access to Goldfinger.
2. Identify the goldfinger position: Carefully check the goldfinger position on the motherboard, including the memory slot, processor slot, and PCI-E slot.
3. Use special cleaning agent: Select the special cleaning agent suitable for the server motherboard goldfinger, and dilute it according to the instructions. Then, using a soft cloth or cotton swab dipped in the diluted cleaner, gently wipe the surface of the golden finger.
4. Check the cleaning effect: After wiping, carefully check whether the surface of the golden finger is clean and free of stains. If necessary, the wiping step can be repeated until the surface of the goldfinger is completely clean.
5. Drying and installation: Place the motherboard in a ventilated place to dry naturally and ensure that there is no residual moisture on the surface of the gold finger. Then, reinstall the motherboard back into the case and connect all the components and cables.
6. Test the server: Before starting the server, make sure all connections are properly installed. Then, start the server and test it to make sure it works properly.
Case 1: Video card gold finger cleaning
The gold finger of the video card is also prone to accumulation of dust and oxides after a long time of use, which may affect the performance and stability of the video card. The following is a case study of video card gold finger cleaning.
Cleaning steps:
1. Power off and remove the video card: First, make sure the computer is completely powered off and remove all cables and screws from the video card. Then, remove the graphics card from the motherboard.
2. Identify the gold finger position: Carefully check the gold finger position on the video card, which is usually located in the interface part of the video card.
3. Use an eraser or special cleaner: For minor stains, you can use an eraser to gently wipe the surface of the golden finger. For stubborn stains, you can choose to use a special cleaner for cleaning. When using the cleaner, make sure to dilute it according to the instructions and wipe it with a soft cloth or cotton swab.
4. Check the surface of the golden finger: After wiping, carefully check whether the surface of the golden finger is clean and free of stains. If necessary, the wiping step can be repeated until the surface of the goldfinger is completely clean.
5. Drying and installation: Place the graphics card in a ventilated place to dry naturally and ensure that there is no residual moisture on the surface of the gold finger. Then, reinstall the graphics card back to the motherboard and connect all the components and cables.
6. Test your computer: Before starting your computer, make sure all connections are properly installed. Then, boot up your computer and test it to make sure the graphics card is working properly.
5. Common problems and solutions of goldfinger cleaning
Question 1: There are scratches on the surface of the goldfinger
The solution: Scratches are usually caused by wiping the golden finger with a stiff brush or rough cloth. To avoid this, it is recommended to wipe with a soft cloth, cotton swab, or special cleaning tool. If there are already scratches on the surface of the goldfinger, consider using electroplating to repair the gold plating.
Question 2: Residue on the surface of the goldfinger
Solution: Residue can be caused by improper use of detergent or incomplete cleaning. In order to avoid this situation, it is recommended to choose a special cleaner suitable for goldfingers, and follow the instructions to dilute and wipe. At the same time, after wiping, it should be ensured that the surface of the gold finger is completely dry to avoid corrosion of the residue on the gold finger.
Question 3: The golden finger does not improve after cleaning
Solution: If the performance of the goldfinger does not improve after cleaning, it may be because the oxide layer on the surface of the goldfinger is too thick or the goldfinger has been severely damaged. In this case, you can consider using a more efficient cleaner or electroplating treatment to restore the performance of the goldfinger. At the same time, you can also check other factors that may affect the performance, such as memory modules and processors.
6. Golden finger cleaning precautions
In order to extend the life of the goldfinger and reduce the frequency of cleaning, the following precautions can be taken:
1. Regular maintenance: Regular maintenance of the computer or server, including cleaning the finger, replacing the radiator, etc. This helps to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner and to prevent further failures.
2. Use a dust cover: When the computer or server is not in use, you can use a dust cover to cover it to reduce the accumulation of dust and pollutants.
3. Pay attention to the number of insertion and removal: minimize the number of insertion and removal of the gold finger to reduce the risk of wear and oxidation.
4. Use an ESD bracelet: When inserting and removing the gold finger, use an ESD bracelet to avoid damage to the gold finger caused by static electricity.
5. Choose the right detergent: When cleaning Goldfinger, choose the detergent suitable for its material, and follow the instructions. Avoid using corrosive cleaning agents or over-wiping the surface of the goldfinger.
7. Conclusion
Cleaning the PCB gold finger is an important step to ensure the normal operation of the circuit board. By choosing the appropriate cleaning tools and methods, and following the relevant precautions, the stains and oxides on the surface of the gold finger can be effectively removed, and its electrical conductivity and connection stability can be restored. At the same time, regular cleaning of the gold finger can also extend its service life and improve the reliability and stability of the circuit board. Therefore, in the maintenance and maintenance of the circuit board, attention should be paid to the cleaning work of the goldfinger.
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