Prototyping with surface mount devices

postor...@my-deja.com

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Apr 3, 2000, 3:00:00 AM4/3/00

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Hi!

I have a couple of surface-mount IC's that I would like to play with in
a prototyping environment. Are there any carriers that make it easier
to breadboard or point-to-point? I need something to stick the SMD onto
that lets me bring the leads out so I can get to them.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rick Post
po...@ameritech.net.BADSTUFF (remove .BADSTUFF to mail me!)

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Before you buy.

RBailey

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Apr 7, 2000, 3:00:00 AM4/7/00

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The product you are looking for us called "SurfBoards" I have a few here
from years back but cannot remember the name of the company. Seemed like it
began with a "G" like global or something.

Some web searches should find it.

Good luck,
Let me know if you find it.
Richard

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bertram

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Apr 8, 2000, 3:00:00 AM4/8/00

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"Surfboards", made by "Capital Autocad Technologies inc." (?!), stocked by
DigiKey, for one.

Holger Bruns

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Apr 8, 2000, 3:00:00 AM4/8/00

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I saw some prototyping boards with soldering pads on it, suitable for
SMD. If you can't get them, you can easy produce it for your own, if
you know how to make a printed circuit board.

Holger

CooperJim

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Apr 12, 2000, 3:00:00 AM4/12/00

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Hi Rick

The SurfBoards are great, but cost much more than the chip. If you have them,
use them. It seems that I never have any on hand when I want them and dont
want to wait. (When I order some for the lab stock, they usually are used up
when I need them.)

I cut a pattern using an exacto knife into a scrap piece of blank PCB, then tin
it with solder and put the SMD down on it. Run out the leads to larger pads so
you can solder to it. I find that it takes about 5 minutes to cut and install
a 16 pin SOIC.

This is an acquired skill and taste. It requires a lot of ZEN type
concentration that I find restful. I do get a lot of ribbing from my
co-workers, but my breadboards work and dont fall apart even in tough
environments.

I strongly suggest using nothing smaller that 1206 discretes and SOIC 50 mil
1.27 mm lead pitch parts (even with PCBs). I have made patterns and placed
parts with 25 mil lead pitch, but my success rate was bad.

Good luck and have fun. If nothing else, working with SOIC makes the DIP chips
look ****BIG****.

73
Jim Cooper NE6O
Coop...@aol.com

postor...@my-deja.com

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Apr 12, 2000, 3:00:00 AM4/12/00

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Thanks everybody!

The answer looks to be SurfBoards. I even found them in my Digikey
catalog. Thanks again for steering me in the right direction.

Rick

In article <8calm0$fpi$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
postor...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Hi!

>
> I have a couple of surface-mount IC's that I would like to play with
in
> a prototyping environment. Are there any carriers that make it easier
> to breadboard or point-to-point? I need something to stick the SMD
onto
> that lets me bring the leads out so I can get to them.
>

> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>