On Thu, 21 Mar 2002, George Kisslak wrote:
> Question for those of you who have built motmized-blacet kits: would you
> recommend using or not using the supplied IC sockets?
Recommendation of socketing is a complicated issue. For my own part, if
it is an analog (op-amp, OTA, analog switch) circuit, I omit sockets
entirely unless it is some $150 Burr-Brown part. Digital circuits tend to
get sockets on the CPU, RAM, ROM and programmable logic devices. When
replacing parts, I tend to place a gold-plated turned-pin socket where the
old part was so as to make future repairs much quicker.
I do not care for leaf-spring sockets. I've had a few fail on me such
that a pin was in the socket, but not contacting the spring.
Double-leaved are better, but nothing beats machined pins with circular
spring sleeves (lower capacitance, too).
I suppose it mainly depends on how comfortable one is with building
stuff without sockets. On a Prophet-5 voice board I once ranted about
their using sockets for the CA3280 (OTAs). Now I am happy they did: I
replaced all of the 3280s in 5 minutes instead of 5 hours.
YMMV,
Crow
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