×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

(OP)
I'm looking for inexpensive test clips for SSOP/TSSOP packages, starting at 14 pins in size and going up.  I've found plenty of SOIC clips for decent prices ($10-$20), but the leats expensive SSOP I've found was by Pomona at nearly $300!  I've also looked at Emulation Technology clips at roughly the same price range.

I don't need Ghz range clips... these are for programming processors already on PCBs that run in the 20MHz range.  At that low of a clock, it should be obvious the slew rates aren't going to be that high, so claiming GHz range on clips for a higher price doesn't do me any good.

Anyone know of some?

RE: Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

Hi, you need to route the programming pins to a conventional socket or edge connector, I know that's not much help if you have made the board allready. A similar situation exists if you need to attach test gear such as logic analysers to your board, same solution. Moral is to plan ahead.

RE: Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

(OP)
The larger boards have this, but several products have minimal size as the leading goal (hence the use of SSOP).  Even with the 2mm pitch the larger boards use, a 5-pad bare board connector would increase board size by at least 10%... that's a definite no-no.

Unless somone is able to provide me with a useful and inexpensive socket, I'll be forced to kludge it.  Even though looking for a socket for SMD chips is somewhat pointless, I did it anyway, just in case.

If I can find something with the same pitch, I may be able to finagle something together.  I was thinking about some board-to-board connectors by Logical Systems with the same 0.65mm pith as SSOP.  The females are only 3mm inside rather than the typical 5mm of SSOP, but maybe a good dremel tool cut down the center and some extra plastic would do it up nice.  For a couple of $, it may be worth a try.

I'd still pay the extra dough for a quality, purpose-built connector any day, just not $300 worth of extra dough.

RE: Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

Hi, an alternative is to have a standard edge connector, once you have programmed the processor you cut the edge connector off, not too good if you need to upgrade later.

RE: Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

(OP)
It's upgrades that I'm working with here, unfortunately...

RE: Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

In that case as it's just a small board why not replace the whole board.

RE: Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

(OP)
Expensive components, and any replacement board would need to be the same size, so if another upgrade comes along, I'm in the same position.

RE: Need inexpensive SSOP test clips

If all the boards are identical, then find available traces to make contact to, measure carefully the locations, buy some small pogo pins, use a piece of delrin, and make a simple pogo pin fixture.

You might also be able to use zebra-strips to a contact board directly above the chip to make contact to the pins. Again, careful positioning and fixturing may be required. Just a quick idea I've never tried myself.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources