Aligning IC Pins with DIP sockets

Thread Starter

bibble235

Joined May 29, 2018
57
Hi,

Simple question, bought a 6502 40 pin and the pins do not align with DIP Sockets.

I have seen something to bend pins but wondered what people normally do. I cannot be the first and nervous about doing it manually if there is a more certain repeatable way! It's the software engineer in me.

Thanks
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,708
New ICs have their pins spread at an angle for automatic insertion machines and the ICs don’t fall out when the PCB is turned upside down. You need to bend the pins so that they are at 90° to the IC body, i.e. the pins are straight down to align with the socket or PCB holes.

I straighten all pins on one row by holding the IC at 90° to the table top and pressing down on the table. Rock the IC gently to straighten all pins on one row. Turn the IC around and do the other row.

Wear a grounded anti-static wrist strap while doing this.
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
Some sockets are worse than others. New out of the box DIPs typically have their legs spread a bit to the outside. I gently roll them, on their side, on a hard smooth surface. This, if done right, keeps all the pins lined up parallel to the body. I gently put the pin on the socket to see if it lines up. If not, repeat until it does.

Mrchips beat me to it!
 

Boggart

Joined Jan 31, 2022
82
I use a cheap IC pin aligner, readily available, Jameco (assuming you are in the US) has them for around $8. It's really worth having a couple of these if you are going to be using ICs regularly.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
I straighten all pins on one row by holding the IC at 90° to the table top and pressing down on the table. Rock the IC gently to straighten all pins on one row. Turn the IC around and do the other row.
Same here. Before I retired I had tools available to align and seat DIP chips in sockets but when I retired those cool tools were no longer at my disposal. :(

Ron
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
You can use one of these to straighten pins:
1674749553172.png

Insertion tools for 40 pins are available. I have 2; one from Radio Shack.

Random picture from the internet. From Walmart of all places.
1674749639790.png
 

Thread Starter

bibble235

Joined May 29, 2018
57
You can use one of these to straighten pins:
View attachment 286127

Insertion tools for 40 pins are available. I have 2; one from Radio Shack.

Random picture from the internet. From Walmart of all places.
View attachment 286128
Did look on Jameco, Postage was $18 as I live in NZ. Looked on Amazon and Aliexpress but no joy. Will look around or suffer the cost but very grateful for your help and a new place aside from the above
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
Did look on Jameco, Postage was $18 as I live in NZ. Looked on Amazon and Aliexpress but no joy. Will look around or suffer the cost but very grateful for your help and a new place aside from the above
You can use long needle nose pliers to align the pins to facilitate insertion into a socket. Make sure you're properly grounded.
 

Thread Starter

bibble235

Joined May 29, 2018
57
How many 6502 chips do you need to insert?
That should determine if it is worth the expense.
Nothing serious in this reply just reflections

A philosophical question
- I starting out and old and (for me) this means success is important removing a barrier to that will mean more enthusiasm because of success
- Expense probably isn't a issue. Been really really luck to be in IT and be born in the western world
- I am half Scottish (casual racism warning) and my father would not like me to spend so much on carriage. Not here now to know
- Hopefully have a few years ahead despite my stroke last year so it will get used but I am a hobbyist so used is relative

I think if will probably attempt to bend as you suggest and go from there. If this works I will tut at people who waste money on such expensive things when you can do it yourself otherwise will buy one when my wife is not looking :)

Always remember Sam off "Cheers" when he lost his car and joined a self help group for people who had lost high performance vehicles. They find it at the end of the episode and leaves the group calling them losers. (Only seen it once so don't quote)

The real worth was finding another alternative to shop at if I need to.
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,708
Just a comment.

I would not spend money on a DIP IC insertion tool today.
6502 is 45 years old. Why are you playing around with 6502 when there are MCUs today that are 100 times more powerful?
Many modern MCUs no longer come in DIP packages.

What are you trying to do?
 

Ian0

Joined Aug 7, 2020
9,668
Either: (similar to @MrChips ) - put the device on a hard flat surface with the pins parallel to the surface and the body of the IC just a little off perpendicular. Force the body to a perpendicular state whilst keeping the pins flat to the surface.
Or: Put one row of pins into the socket but not pushed all the way in, then push the device sideways so that the other row lines up. Then push downwards.
Don't worry too much about it - you can still straighten the pins even if it goes wrong and they get quite mangled.
 

Thread Starter

bibble235

Joined May 29, 2018
57
Just a comment.

I would not spend money on a DIP IC insertion tool today.
6502 is 45 years old. Why are you playing around with 6502 when there are MCUs today that are 100 times more powerful?
Many modern MCUs no longer come in DIP packages.

What are you trying to do?
Looking at building a commodore 64. For me (common phrase in my posts because we are all different) it is to revisit memory lane. I started on one of these (commodore 64) and building an 8-bit computer. Never got a computer science degree left school so enjoying learning the theory behind something which I have done most of my life.

Dividing time between theory (FSM etc) and some fun FPGA, Pico.

Make sense?
 

MrSalts

Joined Apr 2, 2020
2,767
I just use my thumb and forefinger and work my way down. About pins are typically in the 85-95° angle but close enough to get guided into the socket because most sockets have sloped edges to guide the pins in. Using tools or the low mechanical advantage of doing a whole row on a table-top requires a bit of skill which comes from practice. I'm guessing that you don't have a stack of 40-pin ICs to practice with so, best to get a feel of the materials with your fingers.

also, your fingers allow a nice arc to form on the pin as you bend it like a willow branch. The table-top and most tools create a sharper angle. If you use those methods and goo too far (when the material suddenly yields and you realize that all the precautions to not bend them too far failed, you'll certainly crack off a few when you try to bend them back into position - see "work hardening" on Wikipedia to understand why the annealed copper only bends sharply one time.
 

MrSalts

Joined Apr 2, 2020
2,767
Looking at building a commodore 64. For me (common phrase in my posts because we are all different) it is to revisit memory lane. I started on one of these (commodore 64) and building an 8-bit computer. Never got a computer science degree left school so enjoying learning the theory behind something which I have done most of my life.

Dividing time between theory (FSM etc) and some fun FPGA, Pico.

Make sense?
Make sense? Not to me. I'd get a Raspberry Pi and thank all the people whose shoulders propelled me to this level and never look back (or look down). For $35 for the pi, $10 for an SD card and an old keyboard, mouse and monitor (or your spare TV), you can be up and running with 40-pins to interface with plus access to the internet, a web browser and more. I'd personally have more fun building something fun - like a wifi security system or a robotic arm or, not recently, an autonomous Lidar-guided tank to motor around - rather than building an ancient mini-computer from the 80's.
 
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