8 Pin DIP ZIF source?

[dano12]

I'm looking for a standard 8 pin DIP zero-insertion-force socket for an opamp project.

Did a lot of searching but can seem to narrow it down? Anyone have a possible source?

Thanks!

[Mark Hammer]

I doubt they are made.  Just buy yourself some of those special chip-puller pliers/tweezers made for pulling chips without bending the pins.  They work great.  Even Radio Shack sells them.

[Peter Snowberg]

I don't think there are ZIF sockets for 8 pin devices. 14 is the smallest I've seen.

I would just use a machined pin socket if you expect to be changing chips.

[dano12]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm interested in this from the standpoint of a way to engineer a board that would allow customers to swap op-amps. Most DIY folks can pretty easily pull and re-insert an 8 pin DIP and observe polarity.

But for a commercial unit, the average customer would screw it up.

As I'm working on DIY building, I'm also very interested in the production aspects. Given enough time and money, I could build amazingly complex pedals with all sorts of configurability and options. But how does that translate to turning that prototype into a production unit? I guess I'm strange, but I find that topic as fascinating as overall DIY building.

So if I wanted to build a Tube Screamer clone that allowed switching of op-amps (let's suspend our disbelief for a moment as to whether or not different opamps make that much of a difference in a TS), the user would have to unhook the pedal, open up the back, find the chip, pull it out, bend the pins, curse, put it in backwards, and then send the unit back for warranty repair .

Of course, a more interesting approach would be digital switching. MohoMods (http://www.mohomods.com/store.htm) have a TS9 clone that allows you to switch between *three* different opamps with just a knob. Now that is pretty cool.


-dano

[TELEFUNKON]

get a 14 pin zif like Peter mentioned
and dummy up the 6pack of unneeded pins
with goop
or cut that part off

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

If you are going commercial, then make teensy sub-boards with different chips on, that you can plug into a socket easily on the main board. Then people have to buy the chips from you!!!! (to justify this, make it impossible to plug in the chip board the wrong way around).