Hey,

The ZIF socket on my EEPROM Programmer is broken but I may be able to fix it if I knew how it was built. When I press the lever in the lock position, one of the teeth doesn't shut. Does any one have any knowledge about how these are put together?

 

Assuming you have a Textool ZIF (it says TEXTOOL and is a pretty sea foam green).

Each pin has a metal tab, one end wide (that's what you see), it narrows down to the thru pin on the bottom, then the same shapes are folded over so you get two wide flaps that hold your device pin. The socket has a moveable slot around the pin so when you close the handle the two sides of the tab are pressed together on your device pin.

ALWAYS leave them open when you are soldering them least solder or even flux wicks up the tab and leaves it always closed.

The do have a finite lifetime, and one side of the tab can break off. If you have another pin you might be able to unsolder the unused guy and get it into where the broken one is. Note that one side of the tab is different from the other and reinsert the same way.

It's been a few years but I think I have pulled them apart and got them back together again but it isn't the worst thing to do. Back off the two screws on top first. If you get resistance you need to go under and remove the nuts (which are only sometimes there). Once screws are out gently lift off the top deck and leave the underthings where they are. Look at all those fiddly bits and make a sketch of the handle and the metal brace before you remove them.

Now just lift off the middle moveable deck and you have access to all the pins.

Assembly is the reverse of disassembly.

 

Assuming you have a Textool ZIF (it says TEXTOOL and is a pretty sea foam green).

Each pin has a metal tab, one end wide (that's what you see), it narrows down to the thru pin on the bottom, then the same shapes are folded over so you get two wide flaps that hold your device pin. The socket has a moveable slot around the pin so when you close the handle the two sides of the tab are pressed together on your device pin.

ALWAYS leave them open when you are soldering them least solder or even flux wicks up the tab and leaves it always closed.

The do have a finite lifetime, and one side of the tab can break off. If you have another pin you might be able to unsolder the unused guy and get it into where the broken one is. Note that one side of the tab is different from the other and reinsert the same way.

It's been a few years but I think I have pulled them apart and got them back together again but it isn't the worst thing to do. Back off the two screws on top first. If you get resistance you need to go under and remove the nuts (which are only sometimes there). Once screws are out gently lift off the top deck and leave the underthings where they are. Look at all those fiddly bits and make a sketch of the handle and the metal brace before you remove them.

Now just lift off the middle moveable deck and you have access to all the pins.

Assembly is the reverse of disassembly.

My socket doesn't say TEXTOOL, it's 3M but it is sea foam green. The same principals apply?

 

Textool is a trademark owned by 3M.

 

Buy another one,these are not that much costly...