MOTM

Yes, I did my homework and searched the message archives and I found
no specific references to these questions, so here goes:

1.- I am now building a MOTM-420 which uses the SSM2220.  Is this part
or any MOTM part rare enough that I should be buying spares?

2.- I have not been putting any of the gerden-variety ICs in sockets,
just soldering them into the PCB.  I mean a 555 is worth what, $0.50?
 But what about the comparatively exotic SSM chips?

Am I unduly concerned?

PLL, BFG

The SSM2220 is still in production (analog devices) so it's not 
really an exotic chip. Just solder it in. But if they discontinue it, 
then grab a few spares.

At 7:17 PM +0000 2005/05/21, Greg Amann wrote:

>Yes, I did my homework and searched the message archives and I found
>no specific references to these questions, so here goes:
>
>1.- I am now building a MOTM-420 which uses the SSM2220.  Is this part
>or any MOTM part rare enough that I should be buying spares?
>
>2.- I have not been putting any of the gerden-variety ICs in sockets,
>just soldering them into the PCB.  I mean a 555 is worth what, $0.50?
>  But what about the comparatively exotic SSM chips?
>
>Am I unduly concerned?

Well, you are receiving this email from the "IC sockets are rarely worth the 
complications" president :)

The SSM2210/2220 are standard, off-the-shelf parts.

No one (dead or alive) can convince me putting a chip <$25 in a socket is "worth 
it" unless it has firmware in it.

I laugh at putting a 20 cent chip in a socket. The excuse is *always* "I want to 
easily replace it when it fails". But ALL (yes, all) data will show the IC 
socket will fail or add to failure something like 30 *times more* than if you 
soldered it in.

It's *not that difficult* to solder in a new part.

Paul S.

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Greg Amann" <greg.amann@...>
To: <motm@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2005 2:17 PM
Subject: [motm] Two newbie questions


> Yes, I did my homework and searched the message archives and I found
> no specific references to these questions, so here goes:
>
> 1.- I am now building a MOTM-420 which uses the SSM2220.  Is this part
> or any MOTM part rare enough that I should be buying spares?
>
> 2.- I have not been putting any of the gerden-variety ICs in sockets,
> just soldering them into the PCB.  I mean a 555 is worth what, $0.50?
> But what about the comparatively exotic SSM chips?
>
> Am I unduly concerned?
>
> PLL, BFG
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>

Paul S. writes:
>>I laugh at putting a 20 cent chip in a socket....
It's *not that difficult* to solder in a new part.<<

It may not be difficult to solder in a new part, but having to completely dismantle an motm card, try to unsolder and remove an old chip, and reassemble the whole thing can be one major pain in the ass.  When my dot.com ADSR had a bad chip, I just reached into the back of my case, pulled it out and pushed in a new one.  Took just seconds.

-Elhardt