Russ, there are several companies that make adapters or PCBs for mounting
SOIC, and SSOP style packages. SurfBoards by Capital Advanced Technologies
is very popular. See their site and Digi-Key at:

      http://www.capitaladvanced.com/
      http://www.digikey.com/

   Another good source of SOIC, SSOP, and other SMD styles to DIP adapters
is smt-adapter.com:

      http://smt-adapter.com/

   TI is also a source for SOIC, SSOP. MSOP, and other proto boards created
for their line of analog products but can be easily hacked and are fairly
cheap in small quantitiy. Check out their EVM boards at:

      http://focus.ti.com/docs/tool/list.jhtml?FamilyId=78&ToolTypeId=20

   There is still the problem of extra expense and one's ability to solder
these packages to a PCB... In this day and age, it really doesn't make sense
to provide a product in a DIP package but we could use reasonably priced
adapters and EVMs... I'll have to admit, I've passed up some products due to
the inability to prototype the IC. There's an Analog Devices DDS that's
sitting here that I really want to use in a product but I can't find an
adapter at any price other than a PCB run...

   - Tom

At 07:55 PM 11/28/00 +1300, Russell McMahon wrote:
>>    I fully understand the IC manufacturers choice in their use of super
>>    small IC packages, such as uMAX10 and 6 pin SOT23. BUT would it really
>>    hurt them to provide DIP equivalents for prototyping work.
>>
>>Are you willing to pay the same premium that (for instance) windowed eprom
>>versions of OTP parts command?  (10x or so?)
>
>
>Maybe there's a market for standard proto mountings that are easily used and
>that adapt the various super small packages to eg DIP or perhaps SO.
>
>These exist for do it youselfers but if manufacturers offered mounted ICs in
>them in small volumes at a suitably hefty price premium rather than the
>expense of making custom small volume large pkg size runs it may be worth
>their while.
>
>
>RM


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Handley
New Age Communications
Since '75 before "New Age" and no one around here is waiting for UFOs ;-)

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