# How to fix SparkFun Qwiic SHIM for Raspberry Pi


I love Raspberry Pi with the [Qwiic connect system](https://www.sparkfun.com/qwiic) for playing with I2C devices. I've been using [SparkFun Qwiic HAT for Raspberry Pi](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14459) in a while and I have no issue. It is nice and easy. So this time I wanted to try [SparkFun Qwiic SHIM for Raspberry Pi](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/15794), but it was disappointedly unusable. I will talk about how I fixed it.

## Excitement

More than the low price (US$1), I was very curious about how the catalog described the product.

- a small
- easily removable
- allows you to plug directly to the Pi's I2C bus with no soldering required
- uses a unique friction-based connector that wedges itself onto the GPIO header for a secure, solderless connection

Particularly the word "friction-based" intriegued me and I was excited about using it. 

## Disappointment

But as soon as it arrived, I was disappointed.
There is no friction at all. The connection is so flaky that it is almost unusable.

## Fix

So I decided to fix it. I wanted to make the Qwiic SHIM as reliable as the Qwiic HAT. Thankfully it worked out. Here is what I did.

**Extras**

- [GPIO Header for Raspberry Pi HAT - 2x20 Short Female Header](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2243)

**Tools**

- Solder iron
- Solder wire
- STANLEY 10-499 Gray,Carbon Steel Utility Knife
- Sandpaper or nail file

**How-to**

- Cut the GPIO Header in a way one end has 6 pins.
- Clean the edge with a knife and a sandpaper
- Solder

![20210614_171626](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/7563926/121975641-16e33980-cd50-11eb-8400-43c10d3da188.jpg)

![20210614_181447](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/7563926/121975627-0fbc2b80-cd50-11eb-86ea-25de26a312cb.jpg)

![20210614_181458](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/7563926/121978115-8576c600-cd55-11eb-9033-0e001d6f64d3.jpg)

Now the connection is just as tight as Qwiic HAT!

## Final thoughts

It is pretty disappointing that the catalog description is misleading. If one really does not want to solder, s/he should get a Qwiic HAT in the first place. I am hoping this informs somebody.