Ever see an IC fall out of its socket?

[Taylor]

I'm very much interested in the reliability thing right now, and have previously heard mention that road-ready pedals should not have their ICs in sockets, because (so the warning goes) they will work their way out of the socket over time, especially if the component side of the board is face down inside the pedal.

On the other hand, it goes against the serviceability part of reliability to have the ICs soldered in, because desoldering an IC is a pain.

I'm curious if anybody - particularly those of you do a lot of repairs - have ever actually seen an IC that worked its way out of its socket.

[MmmPedals]

I have never seen it but you could always drop a tiny amount of glue (maybe watered down) just so it wont slip out but a good tug would pull it loose.

[R.G.]

Yep.

More often the ICs just get loose and the inevitable dust, dirty, condensing tobacco tars, humidity, and so on rot the contacts.

But they do fall out. This was one of the motivators in the development of the multi-contact spring fingered machined-pin socket. Memory systems used to socket all the memory of mainframe computers - sometimes thousands of chips worth in each machine.

[The Tone God]

I have seen in other equipment ICs falling out of sockets but the common characteristic is the socket was a cheap spring leaf style. I haven't seen many IC failures with the "cup" style socket so in builds that I want to be able to replace the IC I use these.

One trick I like with the cups sockets is you can solder the IC pins to the socket after the socket is soldered to the board. I solder either one or maybe two IC pins, on opposite corners of the IC, to the socket to hold the IC in. If I need to replace the IC I can either de-solder the pin(s) which is easy enough or cut the pin(s) off at the IC's body then de-solder the pins from the socket so its ready for a new part.

I'm waiting for someone to quote the Apple III service manual.

Andrew

[therecordingart]

I think a drop of super glue would probably be the easiest to deal with should you ever need to replace an IC.

[R.G.]

I think a drop of super glue would probably be the easiest to deal with should you ever need to replace an IC.

It's simpler to note that most ICs are around the same price as the IC you'll put in them. Just solder the IC in. IF it's broke, clip it out and replace it.

[amptramp]

The component side is face down? Excellent!  Use a piece of closed-cell foam (like the pink stuff the IC probably was in when you got it) and glue it to the lid directly under the IC and build it up so the thickness gives the IC a gentle push into the socket.  It will be held in as long as the unit is assembled but can come out when it is opened.  Unlike glue, it does not have to be reapplied each time you pull the IC.  And +1 on the circular machined contacts - it's the only way to go.

[pjwhite]

I've never seen an IC work loose from an Amp socket, but there are plenty of stories about cheap sockets having problems.

For example:  http://www.analogrules.com/MCIred.html

[earthtonesaudio]

Ultra paranoid reliability-obsessed DIYers would also include heatsinks for all components that might need it, especially ICs.  Just make your heatsink serve doubly in mechanical reinforcement by using it to clamp the IC down into its socket (be sure the board under the socket is supported too).

[Mark Hammer]

Unless it is a static-sensitive chip, or you're reckless with the iron, nothing wrong with thickening up the pins with a bit of solder.  You can make the socket tighter, or you can make the pins fit more snugly.

[Philippe]

Only once...by an individual who kept R & R-ing the ICs on his home-built TS.  The socket contacts must have stretched-out or something. Same thing could probably occur on those transistor sockets especially if someone continues changing transistors back & forth on their FFs.

[therecordingart]

I think a drop of super glue would probably be the easiest to deal with should you ever need to replace an IC.

It's simpler to note that most ICs are around the same price as the IC you'll put in them. Just solder the IC in. IF it's broke, clip it out and replace it.

Very true. I'm just super paranoid about burning up traces on an old PCB, but soldering a couple of legs to the socket seems pretty cool.

[Paul Marossy]

I'm curious if anybody - particularly those of you do a lot of repairs - have ever actually seen an IC that worked its way out of its socket.

I've worked on several old ADA Flangers, all of which had the IC chips in a socket. None of them were even close to coming out, and these pedals were all at least 20-25 years old. If an IC chip ever comes out of the socket, then the pedal must have taken a tremendous fall or a hit hard enough to smash the enclosure. Even then I doubt that the IC chips would fall out of their socket.

[Nasse]

I have Atari ST computer and did search info for it. I found nice text, but part of it did claim that old Ataris did have a problem chips poppin out of sockets because temperature variation (computer on/off?)

The guy told that if your Atari fails, first thing you should take a sturdy flat table or floor, and slam your Atari flat on it upside down using as much force as you have the courage. And while you are afraid not to do it, realise that this is the frst thing they do for it at service anyway, and it does cost you 50.  Never had a hardware problem with atari, but thought it must be a joke. Solidly built machine it is.

[Ronsonic]

Who was it that always had the little loop of string tied around the socket and IC?

I haven't seen a problem in the small DIP sockets we use, but with crappy single side sockets it is possible.

[phector2004]

I have Atari ST computer and did search info for it. I found nice text, but part of it did claim that old Ataris did have a problem chips poppin out of sockets because temperature variation (computer on/off?)

The guy told that if your Atari fails, first thing you should take a sturdy flat table or floor, and slam your Atari flat on it upside down using as much force as you have the courage. And while you are afraid not to do it, realise that this is the frst thing they do for it at service anyway, and it does cost you 50.  Never had a hardware problem with atari, but thought it must be a joke. Solidly built machine it is.

same problem with old macs

doubt the heat in a stompbox could cause that much expansion though!

[tiges_ tendres]

Who was it that always had the little loop of string tied around the socket and IC?

I haven't seen a problem in the small DIP sockets we use, but with crappy single side sockets it is possible.

I've seen cable ties used like the string you described.  Cant remember where though.

[deadastronaut]

concrete?....lol...

[petemoore]

  For my socketted IC's, it takes enough grip with grippy needle nose or other pliers that I think there's a risk of chipping or crushing the chip.
 Then the pliers slip off the chip when I try to pull it out.
 IOW, not like the chips gonna fall out...anytime soon.
 Given the amount of pressure Vs. size, Vs, weight, Vs, leverage, Vs the amount of heating/cooling...tubes...they can easily escape the sockets given enough heating cooling cycles or extreme heating.
 Glancing view [thinkin' it through..lookin' for other fish to chew] didn't prompt any deeper thoughts, those chips aren't falling out, I offer a limited guarantee on it.
  All that said, the answer is no all the time except 1 near fallout, a few "Wonder if all the pins connect"...but these were cases of the soldering going very badly after having to be redone, or re-using an old socket...the pins get sideway or come out if you melt and pull on the molded part long enough.

[Paul Marossy]

I can't see an IC chip falling out of any modern socket under normal use. Maybe if you threw a pedal against a brick wall as hard as you could. Maybe.