AVR-Chat

Good question.

One alternative already suggested is an adapter such as a "surfboard" 
or similar.  The problem is tha amount of square inches required for 
the conversion from smt to 0.1 spacing pins.  All those pins take up a 
huge amount of space!!!!

I just do not see how I can reliably solder all those tiny SMT 
connexions.  I would have to use my loupes for sure.  ALso a new iron 
with the 1/64" tip....

What I have done for my current project is to use a Mavric development 
board piggybacked to what will be my custom PCB which has the voltage 
regulation and glue logic and other specific devices to interract with 
the development board.  So, I am using the development board as a very 
complex (expensive) adapter for the 128, so all I need to do is 
concentrate on the application specific hardware.

Probably I will also make the power supply/regulation separate too.

However, I can see the need to use a socket for a 128 processor to cut 
costs.  Unfortunately the support hardware for the processor is an 
issue as well.

I may well end up using an Olimex board which is square and about 1.5" 
on a side or so.  It has most of the support hardware for the 128. 
(i.e. JTAG, crystals, etc.  It does not appear to have entirely 
adequate AVCC handling from what I saw.   I do not think it has the 
filtering recommended by Atmel.

-Tony


--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Alex De Lara" <alex_de_lara@y...> 
wrote:
> I just landed on the backyard of the ATmegas and the first prototype
> is already on my sight.. however, as experience has taught me it is
> always good to assemble hardware prototypes in sockets.
> It happens that these ATmegas use 64 pins on MLF and TQFP which 
> there is no easy fit around. Needless to say that it's impossible
> to fit this IC on a protoboard...
> 
> Anyone has had such a hard time like this ? 
> 
> Thanks.