Metal Carrier DIP IC Socket

A double row metal carrier socket is a tool that allows the engineer to align and install DIP terminals onto a printed circuit board for soldering. These sockets come in standard row pitch (7.62 mm and 15.24 mm) for 8, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 40 pin applications, with 2.54 mm pitch. The metal carrier socket can usually accommodate DIP terminals with or without solder-sleeves, and are usually aluminium, whilst the DIP pins are brass with 0.75-µm gold plating.

For that special project when the IC requires extra ventilation, using DIP pins together with this metal carrier for alignment does a good job. It is ideal if you are building that vintage computer and have a chip in a ceramic package with gold pins to match.

The metal carriers come in all width sizes, and I used one of these a few years ago for a friend who was rebuilding an Intel 4004-based microcomputer for the museum. The chip is of course priceless so we figured only the best would do. This method is extremely useful if you need to keep the height profile to minimum, because after soldering the pins in place, the carrier removes easily and the IC connects directly onto the pins.

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