[sdiy] When NOT to use sockets for chips ?

[Tim Daugard]

From: "Scott Gravenhorst" <music.maker at gte.net>

> obeyed.  There is no need to socket them unless you plan to abuse
them.  The
> odd IC that might fail (_extremely_ rare except for specific
devices with
> known issues) can be replaced an resoldered.
>
> Note that commercial equipment applies these rules as well, and
for the same
> reasons that Jim lists.  CPUs, RAM, and programmable option ICs
are the only
> ones that are socketed.

If was building commercial equipment, it would definetely be no
sockets. MIL SPEC is no sockets, confromal coated. But for my own
equipent it is always sockets. I have destroyed one IC four times in
a piece of test equipment I built. Soldering and unsoldering that
chip would seriously weaken the board after three repairs (high
humidity environment - every cycle adds more posibility of
contaniments into the solder and copper). I don't have any problems
with socketed chips, even in things built 15 years ago.

Tim Daugard
AG4GZ 30.4078N 86.6227W Alt: 12 feet above MSL
http://home.sprintmail.com/~daugard/synth.htm