# UbiSwitch baseboard, connector swap? **URL:** \ **Category:** BotBlox Hardware\ **Tags:** ubiswitch\ **Created:** [February 23, 2024, 1:08am UTC](https://forum.botblox.org/t/ubiswitch-baseboard-connector-swap/155 "2024-02-23T01:08:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![malman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@malman](https://forum.botblox.org/u/malman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 1:08am UTC](https://forum.botblox.org/t/ubiswitch-baseboard-connector-swap/155/1 "2024-02-23T01:08:02Z")
Would like to ditch the heatsink on the ubiswitch stack, and use the case wall as heatsink. But the base board connectors will then hit the wall. By pictures it looks like the pcb has features for optional through hole connectors. Would it be possible to desolder and replace the existing smd ones with through hole ones, mounted on the other side of the pcb? That would allow us to package the unit into a smaller, neater footprint into our space constraint application. ---
**Author:** ![josh\_elijah](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.botblox.org/josh_elijah/32/568_2.png) [@josh\_elijah](https://forum.botblox.org/u/josh_elijah)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 1:13am UTC](https://forum.botblox.org/t/ubiswitch-baseboard-connector-swap/155/2 "2024-02-23T01:13:08Z")
Using the case as the heatsink is perfectly acceptable as long as you can get a decent thermal coupling between it and the main chip on UbiSwitch (we are actually creating a product like this at the moment) Forgive but I’m not sure exactly which baseboard connectors you mean to remove. Can you clarify (a photo would be very helpful) ---
**Author:** ![malman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@malman](https://forum.botblox.org/u/malman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 1:28am UTC](https://forum.botblox.org/t/ubiswitch-baseboard-connector-swap/155/3 "2024-02-23T01:28:52Z")
If i ditch the heatsink and mount the stack upside down flat towards the case wall, i beleive that all base board connectors (the mating ones) for power and ethernet and so on, will interfere with the case wall… thats why i was thinking of swaping side for all those connectors. From the design drawings and pictures it looks like there is room for through hole picoblade connectors instead of the pico clasp ones… I guess that i could place a riser block under the relevant ic, to increse the room for connectors, but they would still be a litte bit akward to acces… thats why i was thinking of reversing side of them… ---
**Author:** ![josh\_elijah](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.botblox.org/josh_elijah/32/568_2.png) [@josh\_elijah](https://forum.botblox.org/u/josh_elijah)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 1:42am UTC](https://forum.botblox.org/t/ubiswitch-baseboard-connector-swap/155/4 "2024-02-23T01:42:51Z")
Oh, yes that’s possible. The footprints for the power, ethernet, LED breakout and UART connectors have through holes so you could solder Molex PicoBlade connectors on the other side of the board. Bear in mind this will reverse the connection order though, so you’ll need custom cables. ---
**Author:** ![malman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@malman](https://forum.botblox.org/u/malman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 1:55am UTC](https://forum.botblox.org/t/ubiswitch-baseboard-connector-swap/155/5 "2024-02-23T01:55:28Z")
Ah… great… New cables is not a showstopper. 🙂 Some renderings ![UbiSwitchStack1](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/uploads/botblox1/original/1X/81ef2be7c4591d748d6869becedeb540b660879f.png) ![UbiSwitchStack2.PNG](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/uploads/botblox1/original/1X/2e4512ca108e8d4b4ec74a530f700d8d11e2b791.jpeg) But maybe 4.6mm + some thermal pad’s is enough for the mating connectors and room for cables… ---
**Author:** ![malman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@malman](https://forum.botblox.org/u/malman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 2:04am UTC](https://forum.botblox.org/t/ubiswitch-baseboard-connector-swap/155/6 "2024-02-23T02:04:19Z")
Oh… its just me overthinking it… there is room… the mating connectors don’t add that much at all… ![PicoClasp height](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/uploads/botblox1/original/1X/ddacd26ad10927c7e5c7cdfe23cee450701e4fd1.png) But ok, the connector access issue is stil vaild… Thanks for the quick response… ---
**Author:** ![josh\_elijah](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.botblox.org/josh_elijah/32/568_2.png) [@josh\_elijah](https://forum.botblox.org/u/josh_elijah)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 2:09am UTC](https://forum.botblox.org/t/ubiswitch-baseboard-connector-swap/155/7 "2024-02-23T02:09:17Z")
Welcome, yeah looks like you should be fine. The bend rad on the cables is pretty tight because there’s no shield or sheath.