I am prototyping a 84 pin CPLD. I need a prototyping board which can convert from the PLCC package and individual leads. I have one which converts from PLCC to DIL but it is too large for my needs. I have seen boards which convert from PLCC to protoboard.
The Schmartboard ones look like they could meet your requirements
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Schmartboard seem like an awesome company!
I'm not sure how Schmartboard recommend that you solder those, but if I was going to do it I would definitely use a technique similar to the "Solder a QFP" free videos at my site
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I've soldered may PLCCs this way. Solder joints for PLCCs use alot of solder, so load up the tip of the iron fairly generously with solder before dragging across the fluxed up pins.
By the way, what CPLD are you using? Xilinx XC9500 / XC9500XL?
I am using the Xilinx XC9500. They have 5V logic input/output and quite versatile. I have the ordered the through PLCC. Does Schmartboard work with these as well?
Hi Joseph, I believe you could use Schmartboard with XC9500. As Andrew also suggested the PLCC84 sockets are a good way to go. If you have already orered the through-hole PLCC sockets, then I think you will be fine with that.
Some time ago I prototyped an XC9500 (XC9536 and XC9572) in a PC44 package. I used a PLCC44 through-hole socket pushed into an array of snap-off wire wrap socket pins. The wire wrap pins were pushed into veroboard / matrix board. Then I wirewrapped the circuit...worked nicely. However, I'm not necessarily recommending wirewrap - it was just something I did at the time.
If you put your PLCC socket into some vero stripboard, on the bottom of the stripboard you can remove the copper around every second pin on the strip rows, so that your pins are not shorted. Use a spot-face cutter (or a quarter inch drill bit) just rotated on the stripboard holes. Of course, do that before you insert & solder the PLCC socket to the stripboard:)
Another alternative to wiring up is to put the device in the PLCC socket, then mount it upside down on top of some veroboard. Maybe just held in place with a tiny little blob of silicon sealant right in the centre of the chip. Then you can wire out from the bottom of the socket to the veroboard. This is kind of the "dead bug" technique where the chip is mounted upside down on the PCB & looks like a dead bug with it's legs in the air:)
Don't forget to put your ceramic decoupling capacitors as close to the power/ground pins as possible. Kind regards, Anthony Burch
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