Can the surface-mount CIAs used in the A4000 (and A1200) be removed and replaced with sockets for easier replacement in the future?
[Courtesy of Dale Currie of AmiTrix] “These sockets are sometimes called Ultra Low Profile SMT sockets for PLCC Packages. The ones we get are AUGAT PCS-SMU Series. I believe ASSMANN also make them now, called SMT-PLCC-sockets. There are probably others. They are only about half the height of a normal PLCC socket, and have flat pins turned underneath with slots in the bottom of the socket all around the inside edge, such that the pins sit on the SMT pads and you can solder them through the slots in the bottom of the socket. Needless to say, it’s a very delicate operation, requiring a good iron with a very fine tip, a steady hand, and quite often the assistance of a magnifying glass/lamp. Getting the CIAs off intact in the first place is another story. That requires some rather expensive gear (we use a PACE station, $1500-2000 CAN with all the attachments), but does a nice job. The only other way destroys the existing chips by cutting their pins and removing them one by one after the chi
