Assembling the Dragon Rider 500 for use with the AVR Dragon

Step 8 Header Sockets - Interface with AVR Dragon

The Dragon Rider interfaces with the AVR Dragon through dual-row sockets whose housings are on the bottom side of the Dragon Rider and have their pins soldered on the top side. The AVR Dragon has the ability to use High Voltage programming (setting it apart from many other programmers). To take advantage of this feature you need a 2x10 pin header and pin header socket, both available in the advanced parts package.

Two words of advice
We will be soldering pins on to the AVR dragon which is a sensitive (and not cheap) device.

• When in doubt, take a break, walk away! Leaving a hot soldering iron in place too long is the most likely way to mess this up. If the solder won't flow, let things cool down, re-tin your tip and try again later.
• Beware electrostatic discharge. I've never lost anything from electrostatic discharge. That may be because I take the precaution to use an anti-static wrist strap and a grounded soldering iron.

1. Properly align the sockets and pin headers for soldering.

• In the advanced parts kit put the 2x10 pin header and the 2x10 pin header socket together. Place the Dragon Rider upside down and insert the pins of the socket into the board as shown in the picture below.
• Locate the 3 pin header sockets in the basic parts kit and insert them onto the pin headers that are already soldered on the AVR Dragon.
• Turn the AVR Dragon upside down and carefully place it over the Dragon Rider so that the socket pins find their holes in the Dragon Rider PCB and the 2x10 pin header pins find their holes on the Dragon. This is also pictured below.

2. Solder the 2x10 pin header to the AVR Dragon

• Solder one pin of the 2x10 pin header to the AVR Dragon.
• Check once more that the sockets and pin headers are flush to the board and properly aligned. Solder the rest of the pins.

3. Reposition the assembly

• From the basic parts kit find the white bump-on feet and place them on the four corners of the AVR Dragon.
• Carefully turn the entire assembly over, remembering that the sockets are not yet connected to the Dragon Rider.
• Rest the assembly on the four bump-on feet you just stuck to the bottom of the AVR Dragon. The Dragon rider should be level with the socket pins still sticking through the holes (pictured below).

4. Solder the pins of the sockets to the Dragon Rider PCB.

• Solder one pin from each header. Check that the sockets are flush to the PCB and still properly aligned.
• Solder all remaining pins.

5. Separate the AVR Dragon from the Dragon Rider before continuing the assembly process.