Synertek 6502 chips, 1984 date-code - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

29 Jul 2002

...
 From: "Ross Archer" &lt;archer(a)topnow.com  
  I
have some Synertek NMOS 6502s from various weeks
in 1984, still in their (original?) Synertek static tubes.
(At least, "Synertek" is stamped on the tubes.)

A few "boy are these stupid" questions:

1. Does anyone have any cool Synertek lore they'd like to 
share with the group?  All I know about them is they made
the SYM-1 and were a 6530 second-source.  I guess it's safe
to conclude they were also a 6502 second-source.  :)

2. Is this a "Find" in any sense?  (I paid all of 30 cents
each for them.)  My motivation is to have enough replacement
parts to keep all my 6502-based hardware humming for years
to
come.  Though in this case I have several lifetimes' worth.
:)

3. Is there any reason to fear that these chips will "go
bad"
at any significant rate as they age?  Is there any way I
could
store them (reasonably, I mean, no vaccum or outer-space 
suggestions, please. :)  to maximize their lifespan? 
Hi
 Sitting in the tube, they should last for 1000's of
years. Moisture is about the only problem. Keep them
in a zip-loc with a packet a silca-gel and they will
out live you and your grandchildren's grandchildren.
Any temperature that a human can live in will have
virtually no effect on them.

...

My plan is to come into work some evening and suit up with
the full anti-static treatment at an EMI bench with my
little
SBC (retrofitted with a 40 pin ZIF socket to avoid bending
their machine-straight little legs), and test them all in
rapid-fire succession.  Is there anything inherently dumb
about powering them up? 
 If these are NOS and not test pulls, they should all be
functional. No need to test them unless you just feel
the urge.
Dwight

...

Okay, well enough dumb questions.  Just looking for 
any comments on any of the points, as the spirit moves you.
:)

-- Ross