IC sockets not fitting tighly in breadboard

[CA Zuke]

Hi

I've recently started doing pic programming and I soon learned that I
need to keep the IC in a socket to protect those pins. Problem now is
that although it is easy to remove it from the pic programmer, the IC
socket doesn't fit tightly into my testing breadboard. It is not
making propper contact with all the pints unless I press it with my
finger. It seems like the socket pins are too thin for the breadboard.

Are there different kind of sockets or what can I do to remedy this?
It defies the purpose to remove the pic from the socket to fit into
the breadboard.

Regards
CE AUKE

 

[Tim Shoppa]

ceauke@yahoo.com (CA Zuke) wrote in message news:<ff8b1683.0410070131.4e76d13b@posting.google.com>...

I've recently started doing pic programming and I soon learned that I
need to keep the IC in a socket to protect those pins. Problem now is
that although it is easy to remove it from the pic programmer, the IC
socket doesn't fit tightly into my testing breadboard. It is not
making propper contact with all the pints unless I press it with my
finger. It seems like the socket pins are too thin for the breadboard.

Are there different kind of sockets or what can I do to remedy this?
It defies the purpose to remove the pic from the socket to fit into
the breadboard.

There are different types of sockets. What you have there is likely
a "leaf spring" socket where the pin is the same skinny material used
in the socket. Those socket leads are mechanically very weak too.

There are better classes of sockets called "machine pin" sockets that
tend to have round thicker pins on the bottom.

More extreme are "wire wrap" sockets that have square posts on the bottom
but putting them into your breadboard would probably deform your breadboard
contacts.

But if you're doing development you almost certainly want to go to
in-circuit programming for your PIC's and forget the concept of a socket
on your programmer. You'll never have to pull the PIC from the breadboard
again. I went to in-circuit programming years ago and never ever looked
back.

Tim.

 

[CA Zuke]

There are different types of sockets. What you have there is likely
a "leaf spring" socket where the pin is the same skinny material used
in the socket. Those socket leads are mechanically very weak too.

There are better classes of sockets called "machine pin" sockets that
tend to have round thicker pins on the bottom.

Thanks Tim, this is exactly my problem! At least now I know what to look for