Unidentified chip -- Spoiler for HP 1260-0339

[tony duell]

> 
> It doesn't even shunt across; it's just 16 pins in a DIL package
> "floating"? Strange. If it were a manufacturing test, one wouldn't expect
> it would show up in production machines?

Yes. It is just 16 pins unconnected to each other.

As I mentioned some messages ago it is used as a connector. It's soldered to the board
so you can fit one of those 'IC Test Clips' on top and pick up 16 signals. I came across it on
the test board for the HPIB interface for the HP9830 (where it has the HPIB signals wired to the
pins). Another place you find it is on the test board for the HP Logic Comparator (you know, the
tool that compares a reference IC signals with those on a chip on a PCB). The Logic Comparator
has a test clip to fit onto the IC on the board under test in normal use, to test said Logic Compator
there is a test board with a bit of logic wired to one of these empty 16 pin packages that you 
put the Logic Comparator test clip on.

-tony