17 Nov
2006
17 Nov
'06
6:37 a.m.
Me, too. The most recent example I can think of is
removing an
INS6120 12-bit CPU from a DECmate III board and sticking the chip into
an SBC6120. I needed the chip right away, but I wanted to replace the
soldered 40-pin DIP CPU with a machined-pin socket for the day when I
wanted/needed to run that board in a DECmate chassis.
Be careful when pulling chips - you just can not do this willy nilly
and expect nothing to happen. Everytime a chip goes thru a heat cycle
like soldering (or unsoldering) you damage the chip. There is no way
around this. Even the first cycle, when the chip leaves the tube (or
tape) for the first time, to be stuck to the board, the chip takes a
beating internally. Obviously the manufacturers make the chips to get
thru this first heat, but generally not any (or many) other cycles.
In the real world, a tech that unsolders chips and reuses them tends
to be shown the door quickly by the QC guys.
--
Will