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Step 30Required Assembly: Insert IC into Socket
Welcome to the final step of assembly.
This step will adjust the pins to smoothly and easily fit into the IC sockets we installed earlier. It is very important that this step be done with care, to avoid damaging the expensive chips. Go slow, use light pressure, and take your time. It's better than having your haste cost you a $13 PIC.
When you first receive just about any DIP IC, such as the PIC, the legs will not be parallel to the main chip body. The will bend out slightly. In my experience, it is best to adjust them before trying to insert into the IC socket. It is possible to my a tool that will automatically do this for us, but we can accomplish it with just a pair of needlenose pliers.
Grasp as many legs of the PIC with the needlenose pliers as you can. You want the edge of the pliers closest to the PIC to be parallel with the PIC, and right at the point where the pins go thin. We want to bend the pins at the same time so they bend right where the pins change from wide to thin. Bend the pin where it is thin, NOT where it is thick, or you will risk breaking them off. When the pliers are grabbing in the right place, use a slow, steady, and even pressure to bend them all at once until they go straight down from the chip. Repeat for the other half of the pins on that side, and then twice more to get the rest of the pins on the other side.
Take a moment to verify which pin is pin 1, on both the chip, and the socket it will be placed in. All chips use some sort of indentation or marker for the first pin, or at least the end of the chip the first pin can be found at. You should have a similar marking or indentation on the IC socket you installed earlier. Make certain to take a moment to line those up now.
Once you have the chip orientation, we can begin installing it. Rest the row of pins fathest from you lightly into the socket. You want to be able to look under the chip at the row you are placing. The goal here is NOT to insert them into the socket! For now, we want to make sure we have them in the holes properly. Adjust the chip as needed to get each of the 20 pins on the far row seated, ready to press down. If there are any pins bent out of line and not seating in the socket, use a small flat blade screwdriver to individually push the pin where it needs to go. Once all 20 are in, use a very slight presure to nudge them in just a little. We want them to not pop out of the holes while we set the other half, but we still need enough play to be able to set the other half.
Lightly rest the other half of the pins down. Take a look at each one; our goal is to have each pin in the hole directly, so that when we press down later to fully seat the chip, the pins will go down the hole. If they aren't in place already, pressing on the chip to seat it will bend it, and you'll have to start all over. Using a small flat blade screwdriver, nudge the pins one by one until they are in the holes fully.
Now that all 40 pins are in the proper holes, apply a slight steady pressure in the middle of both ends of the chip. Take it slow, and watch to see if any pins catch and refuse to go in the holes. Adjust them as needed. As soon as you're certain they're all going in as planned, increase pressure until it won't go down any further.
If you took the Piggyback option, you will have an additional IC to place in a socket: the 4066N analog switch. The directions and precautions are all identical to inserting the PIC. It is just easier since it has only 14 pins. Adjust the pins, match the orientation, insert one side, get the other side in the holes, and slowly press down.
This step will adjust the pins to smoothly and easily fit into the IC sockets we installed earlier. It is very important that this step be done with care, to avoid damaging the expensive chips. Go slow, use light pressure, and take your time. It's better than having your haste cost you a $13 PIC.
When you first receive just about any DIP IC, such as the PIC, the legs will not be parallel to the main chip body. The will bend out slightly. In my experience, it is best to adjust them before trying to insert into the IC socket. It is possible to my a tool that will automatically do this for us, but we can accomplish it with just a pair of needlenose pliers.
Grasp as many legs of the PIC with the needlenose pliers as you can. You want the edge of the pliers closest to the PIC to be parallel with the PIC, and right at the point where the pins go thin. We want to bend the pins at the same time so they bend right where the pins change from wide to thin. Bend the pin where it is thin, NOT where it is thick, or you will risk breaking them off. When the pliers are grabbing in the right place, use a slow, steady, and even pressure to bend them all at once until they go straight down from the chip. Repeat for the other half of the pins on that side, and then twice more to get the rest of the pins on the other side.
Take a moment to verify which pin is pin 1, on both the chip, and the socket it will be placed in. All chips use some sort of indentation or marker for the first pin, or at least the end of the chip the first pin can be found at. You should have a similar marking or indentation on the IC socket you installed earlier. Make certain to take a moment to line those up now.
Once you have the chip orientation, we can begin installing it. Rest the row of pins fathest from you lightly into the socket. You want to be able to look under the chip at the row you are placing. The goal here is NOT to insert them into the socket! For now, we want to make sure we have them in the holes properly. Adjust the chip as needed to get each of the 20 pins on the far row seated, ready to press down. If there are any pins bent out of line and not seating in the socket, use a small flat blade screwdriver to individually push the pin where it needs to go. Once all 20 are in, use a very slight presure to nudge them in just a little. We want them to not pop out of the holes while we set the other half, but we still need enough play to be able to set the other half.
Lightly rest the other half of the pins down. Take a look at each one; our goal is to have each pin in the hole directly, so that when we press down later to fully seat the chip, the pins will go down the hole. If they aren't in place already, pressing on the chip to seat it will bend it, and you'll have to start all over. Using a small flat blade screwdriver, nudge the pins one by one until they are in the holes fully.
Now that all 40 pins are in the proper holes, apply a slight steady pressure in the middle of both ends of the chip. Take it slow, and watch to see if any pins catch and refuse to go in the holes. Adjust them as needed. As soon as you're certain they're all going in as planned, increase pressure until it won't go down any further.
If you took the Piggyback option, you will have an additional IC to place in a socket: the 4066N analog switch. The directions and precautions are all identical to inserting the PIC. It is just easier since it has only 14 pins. Adjust the pins, match the orientation, insert one side, get the other side in the holes, and slowly press down.
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