Redesigning for through hole components

So feedback I received regarding the Planck 6502 computer is that some people are not comfortable soldering surface mount components by hand. I originally used surface mount components to save board space and because I find the larger ones reasonably easy to solder. Also, they are cheaper than through hole components.

However, I understand that people with poor vision or little soldering experience may not feel the same way I do, which is why I decided to redesign all the board with through hole components.

Here is a before and after of the IO board for example.

Before :

After :

And (almost) everything fits. I had to reduce the parallel port slightly by removing one ground and one 5V pin, but otherwise, it’s exactly the same.

I carried out the same process for all the boards, but the IO one was by far the most difficult.

So there you are, if you are wary of surface mount soldering for any reason, the new version should alleviate this problem.

And by the way, I am planning on opening a Tindie store soon to sell this computer. So if you are interested in buying the Planck computer, please hang tight while I set the store up.