To socket or not to socket?

[Martin Czech]

:::I have found that CMOS chips need socketing if you build at my skill
:::level and that some opamps run close to their physical threshold.  Stuff
:::you build breaks unless you are one of the building king dogs (there are
:::good ones on this list). If you seat a chip in a socket properly it will
:::do fine.

A ESD table math (sp?), a wrist strap, ground connector and soldering
iron grounding will cost no more then 20-40 Euro. This way you
should see no problems when soldering ICs. 

In contrary to the common feeling, also bipolar ICs suffer from
ESD a lot, but a 7815 is not to be compared with a CD4046...


m.c.