Assembly Guide for the ProtoMate/PerfMate for XIAO

By Richard SavilleJul 11, 20250 comments

This guide will show you how to assemble your ProtoMate or PerfMate for XIAO and QT Py. Naturally, what you decide to solder to the board's proto area is up to you, however, this guide will cover a few basic pointers on orientation, header fitment and soldering order.

There are currently two versions in the ProtoMate/PerfMate range for XIAO/QT Py:

Parts Check

In the package, you will find the following two items:

Your PerfMate/ProtoMate PCB
2x 7-pin female 2.54mm header strips

You may also need (not included):

Assembly Tips

XIAO Mounting Options

You can fit your XIAO board to the PCB in a few ways, depending on how you plan to use it.

To create a simple socket to push a headered XIAO into, solder the included 7-pin female headers to the top side of the board. This is still a firm connection, but allows you to swap out your XIAO as and when you need/want to.

Another option is to solder your headered XIAO directly to the board. This is best for those looking to keep things as compact and low-profile as possible, but doesn't allow switching out the dev board later on.

Solder the XIAO headers last

If you're going down the header socket route, it's best to solder the female headers last. Otherwise, we find they get in the way when trying to fit and solder your circuit's components and wires.

PCB orientation

Normally, you will solder your components and wires on the rear/underside of the board (but it's your project, so do it however you like).

The rear/underside of the board can be identified in a few ways:

The 'REAR SIDE' text
The QR code (which you may find tricky to scan - we're improving that on the next batch with a simpler code!)
On the ProtoMate version - the gold bridges between pads are not on the underside (this allows you to cut top traces if you want to disconnect pads)

Also worth a mention - we added a 'USB' label and cut-out to make it super-clear which way your XIAO needs to be fitted - and if you're still not sure, check the product images.

Plan, plan, plan...then plan some more!

We can't stress this enough - plan where you want to fit components and wires before moving to the hot stuff! Use our black and white printable planning sheets to mark out where you want things to go:

The very last thing you want to do is get halfway through soldering components and wires, and then realise you've not left enough room for something (or just got your part placement wrong).

This is even more crucial with the breadboard-style ProtoMate boards, as the connected lanes need some careful forethought.

Mounting & Standoffs

If you want to mount your ProtoMate/PerfMate with standoffs, you'll need M2.5 fixings.

We offer M2.5 nylon standoffs in the store, along with M2.5 nylon screws. The Raspberry Pi uses M2.5 fixings, so any packs designed for them will work too.