[sdiy] IC socket reliability/0.100 headers?

[David G Dixon]

> > I socket every IC, always, with machined-pin sockets, and have never had
one
> > fail.

> Have many of those ICs failed?
> In other words, was it worth the cost of the sockets to make the ICs
easily removable?

> Just being curious, not ironic! :-)

That's a very fair question.  The answer is that I've had several ICs fail,
mostly because I've done something stupid like plug the module in backwards
-- that's a great way to kill SSM2164 quad VCA chips.  I've also had some
"bum" logic chips which simply didn't work, and being able to replace them
without doing any desoldering and messing up the pads and/or traces is
great.  I've killed at least two opamp ICs as well.  Also, sometimes I'll
build a module and then find that I've run out of a chip, so it's nice to be
able to (temporariliy) pry one out of another module.

For the extra $0.50 or so per IC, I think it's totally worth it to use the
sockets.  Plus, I don't have to worry about my soldering technique when I
use them.