Hello,
There are a number of different pin sizes, shapes, and diameters. This leads to problems sometimes which i'll describe here.
Most DIP chips can mount in PC board holes that are of a very very small diameter. Most sockets that hold DIP chips have similar pins on the bottom, so they can also mount in the same PC board holes. This allows us to use sockets when possible so we can exchange the chip easily.
I purchased a ZIF socket and expected the bottom pins to be roughly the same size as a regular DIP socket. But apparently they wanted to change the whole thing to something else, and who knows where they got the idea to go with a non standard shape/size/orientation. Let me explain in more detail.
A 'normal' 0.3 inch row spaced DIP socket or IC package has pins that are rectangular, but the long side of the rectangular pins is oriented along the LENGTH of the package. The ZIF socket does have rectangular pins, but they are larger than a standard socket and also are oriented along the WIDTH of the package. That makes it impossible to insert into a PC board that has holes drilled for a regular socket or IC package.
Any ideas why this is so? I am sure they can be made more standard one way or another. Why make then non standard? That makes it hard for a manufacturer to use a ZIF socket as an afterthought.
I am including a picture of the bottom of the ZIF socket (bottom of pic) and two DIP headers for reference, but you can look at a standard IC socket or package to see the more standard pin shapes and sizes. Note also that one of the DIP headers shown here also has non standard pin diameter where it is very much larger than a standard package so it will NOT plug into a machine tooled socket and maybe not even a dual wipe socket because the pins are too thick.
What it means for the ZIF socket is i have to use one of the headers to make an "adapter" for the ZIF socket, so it will fit into a standard socket or PC board drill pattern for a standard DIP package.
Any ideas?
There are a number of different pin sizes, shapes, and diameters. This leads to problems sometimes which i'll describe here.
Most DIP chips can mount in PC board holes that are of a very very small diameter. Most sockets that hold DIP chips have similar pins on the bottom, so they can also mount in the same PC board holes. This allows us to use sockets when possible so we can exchange the chip easily.
I purchased a ZIF socket and expected the bottom pins to be roughly the same size as a regular DIP socket. But apparently they wanted to change the whole thing to something else, and who knows where they got the idea to go with a non standard shape/size/orientation. Let me explain in more detail.
A 'normal' 0.3 inch row spaced DIP socket or IC package has pins that are rectangular, but the long side of the rectangular pins is oriented along the LENGTH of the package. The ZIF socket does have rectangular pins, but they are larger than a standard socket and also are oriented along the WIDTH of the package. That makes it impossible to insert into a PC board that has holes drilled for a regular socket or IC package.
Any ideas why this is so? I am sure they can be made more standard one way or another. Why make then non standard? That makes it hard for a manufacturer to use a ZIF socket as an afterthought.
I am including a picture of the bottom of the ZIF socket (bottom of pic) and two DIP headers for reference, but you can look at a standard IC socket or package to see the more standard pin shapes and sizes. Note also that one of the DIP headers shown here also has non standard pin diameter where it is very much larger than a standard package so it will NOT plug into a machine tooled socket and maybe not even a dual wipe socket because the pins are too thick.
What it means for the ZIF socket is i have to use one of the headers to make an "adapter" for the ZIF socket, so it will fit into a standard socket or PC board drill pattern for a standard DIP package.
Any ideas?