Lab ICs

[Ashish Mishra]

I've just gone through some of the ICs in the chip cabinet, and found
several broken ICs, with missing and bent pins.

Read Carefully:

1.

There are IC pullers located at just about every bench in the Lab. Do not
pull ICs out of your speedwire board with your fingers!! It's very rare
that you can pull it out of the board and ensure all the pins remain
straight. Next you'll try to straighten the pins out, and that's how the
break. Lastly, you can damage the board as well.

If you want, use a small flathead screwdriver to leverage your ICs out of
the board. Otherwise use the IC pullers at the benches in the lab.

Now these ICs don't cost alot of money to replace, but there is a limited
supply of them here at the University, and if you break them, and we run
out, tough luck.

This will NOT be tolerated. This rule will be enforced.

2.

If you have an IC with a broken pin, or if you find a IC that does not
work properly, do not put them back in the chip cabinet!

There's nothing more annoying to your classmates (or the TAs and staff)
than having to wade through ICs with broken pins and ICs that don't work
properly.

For ICs with broken pins, throw them away, they are now garbage.

For ICs you think are bad, put them on the floor of the Chip cabinet,
where they can be collected for testing later.

3.

Lastly, when returning your parts, make sure you put the ICs back in their
correct box. Do not mix them up.

Take the time to keep your environment organized, and you and your
classmates will have a better experience in the labs. Conversely, abuse
the lab, and you will not only suffer as a group, but you will also be
held responsible as a class.

I'm sorry we have to take a hard stance on this, but *please* respect the
lab equipment.

Ashish Mishra
E&CE Staff