I have been experimenting with some of the dedicated stepper IC;s lately, and practically all come in a 28-and-up pin count, and SSOP ,
I don't know why all IC manufacturers appear to be attempting the smallest devices they can, in all cases.
Is subminiaturization really that necessary for ALL devices?
When using for stepper control, the IC still needs to communicate and integrate with the components of a much larger system!
SUB Miniature is NOT required!

 

OK, MAX, it all gets down to MONEY!!! the smaller IC die is cheaper as is the smaller IC device. and the smaller package uses less material so it i cheaper as well.
Also, although some deny it, there is the intention to make devices non-repairable. And using smaller active sections makes them more difficult to replace, or even to probe.
Besides those motivations, there is actually that deafening drumbeat to make things smaller to show how smart the creators are.

 

I thought it was so that you would drop it on the floor or blow it away with the hot-air soldering tool and then have to buy another because you can't find it.
But when you have a switched-mode IC that is a quarter of the size of the inductor that it needs, what's the point of one that's an eighth of the size? How useful is a gate drive in a VSOP-8 package for a bunch of TO-247 MOSFETs? How do you get adequate clearance between the pins for the voltage?
I have often thought for power supply ICs, "I'd really like to connect that with a thicker track".

 

I thought it was so that you would drop it on the floor or blow it away with the hot-air soldering tool and then have to buy another because you can't find it.
But when you have a switched-mode IC that is a quarter of the size of the inductor that it needs, what's the point of one that's an eighth of the size? How useful is a gate drive in a VSOP-8 package for a bunch of TO-247 MOSFETs? How do you get adequate clearance between the pins for the voltage?
I have often thought for power supply ICs, "I'd really like to connect that with a thicker track".

Totally correct!! It seems that some go far astray, failing at the engineers quandry: Just because I CAN do it, should I do it??

 

How do you get adequate clearance between the pins for the voltage?
I have often thought for power supply ICs, "I'd really like to connect that with a thicker track".

Exactly ! The present example I am working with is a stepper drive IC VSOP DVR8711, which requires a thermal pad on the PCT,
Most of the other components are larger, terminal strips, power Mosfets etc, ,
The IC handles power, but the IC connection traces cannot be more than 0.3mm !!

 

Exactly ! The present example I am working with is a stepper drive IC VSOP DVR8711, which requires a thermal pad on the PCT,
Most of the other components are larger, terminal strips, power Mosfets etc, ,
The IC handles power, but the IC connection traces cannot be more than 0.3mm !!

I hear your frustration Max. I had to go to 2oz copper on one project to get sufficient track copper at 0.2mm width for a 0.5mm TSSOP package to make it viable. And a decoupling capacitor across two adjacent 0.5mm spaced pins, even 0201 (0.6mm long), is too long (and too small for my eyes and/or hand-eye coordination). I try to avoid anything smaller than a 1.27mm SOIC but its getting harder; TSSOP & variants and the 32/48-pin VQFN seem to be becoming the norm... and don't even begin to think about BGA.

One thing I have used is to put a 0.4mm via each end of the pin and route a trace underneath as well to get enough copper to the pin... like this crude sketch...

 

Good idea, I have used a few similar tricks !!

 

I have always asked myself,
Is my eyesight becoming weaker or are the components becoming smaller?
SPOILER ALERT, both.

The very last project I made, I made a mess out of it. I am already seeing the writing in the wall, it is time for me to call it quits.
Although, I could always design thru-hole transistor opamps.

 

I have always asked myself,
Is my eyesight becoming weaker or are the components becoming smaller?
SPOILER ALERT, both.

The very last project I made, I made a mess out of it. I am already seeing the writing in the wall, it is time for me to call it quits.
Although, I could always design thru-hole transistor opamps.

Is the writing on the wall in tiny print?