SV: [sdiy] NC pin on ICs

[John Alex Hvidlykke]

Hi David

> Thanks to all for your interesting and varied responses.  I'm not sure I
> have a clearer idea now than I did before, but at least I know
> not to assume
> that NC strictly means "not connected" in every case.

> The problem arose from the fact that I was trying to lay out a
> board where I
> could have used either the HFA3128 or five discrete TO-92 PNP's, all with
> common emitters, and four with common bases.  The way I lay out
> circuits (by
> hand on Excel with strict 0.1" spacing all around), I was going to have to
> bring the emitter trace out from under the chip through the NC
> gap.  I would
> have simply cut off the NC pin, I think.

I must admit never even having thought about connecting a "NC" pin (even
though I have always soldered the non-connected pins up nicely, thank you).
But it would make it *much* more tricky to decipher the workings of the
circuit by looking at the board - five years from now ;-)

\John