I also have the same problem, I bought a couple of 18F8720's and then tried
tto make a prototype voard using Boardmaker, but the resolution is not good
enough! I am thinking of creating a footprint 4X full size and getting it
reduced photographically to make a dip header.I suppose it is really time to
change my pcb program.

George
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian McLean" <ianmm@OPTUSNET.COM.AU>
To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2003 4:15 PM
Subject: [EE]:SMD chip prototyping


> Hello everyone,
>
> It has been some time since I have been on the PIC List, so g'day to
> everyone.
>
> I would appreciate any bright ideas that anyone has for prototyping SMD
> chips.  I have been using, for example, the FT232BM USB chip from FTDI on
my
> latest PIC designs (with great success I may add, they work great !), but
> boy are they fiddly to prototype with.
>
> My method has been to epoxy them right side up to a veroboard (actually I
> don't use "veroboard" as such, but the boards with copper donuts on the
> holes only and make my interconnections with Kynar and/or plain wire
> traces).  I then run thin Kynar wires stripped of their insulation to the
> pins of the SMD chip and solder with a needle point and a magnifying
glass.
> I can then run the Kynar to appropriate spots on the veroboard for
> interconnection.  Whilst this works, and looks pretty neat, it is horribly
> time consuming.
>
> I would like to proto chips like the PIC18F8720, but the thought of using
> the method above on chips such as this scares the hell out of me.  The FT
> chip is only 0.8mm spacing, but I can see my method not working when
getting
> down to 0.5mm pin spacing.
>
> Does anyone make "header" boards for these chips, something like a solder
> pad for the chip with tracks out to pads for prototyping, if you get my
> drift ?  I cannot find any such thing from local suppliers.  I have
however
> found sources of ZIF sockets for some TQFP and SOIC chips, but they are
> outlandishly expensive.  I also remember a friend doing this with a HC16
> chip and they are not exactly "zero insertion force" anyway, he had to use
a
> vice to get the damned socket closed over the chip with no real guarantee
> that all pins were making good electrical connection to the socket.
>
> Any ideas will be greatly appeciated.
>
> Rgs
> Ian.
>
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