Andrew Warren wrote: > Dennis Crawley wrote: > > What is that kind of 'antenna' connected to the substrate? (the > > unconnected line in the middle) > > I don't think it serves any electrical function; I think it's just > there to help support the die and improve mechanical reliability. More to the point, it's the *only* support for the die until the plastic package has been molded around the lead frame following the wire bonding. I have to say, I'm a bit surprised that a "Principal Design Engineer" at a major chip manufacturer didn't have a definitive answer for this! -- Dave Tweed -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The list server can filter out subtopics (like ads or off topics) for you. See http://www.piclist.com/#topics