Socketing the Atari XE

Entry posted by flashjazzcat December 2, 2010

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Enforced stasis with various projects encouraged me to fit a stereo upgrade in my VBXE machine today and while I was about it I decided to socket (as well as POKEY) the CPU and GTIA. The OS ROM, ANTIC, MMU and various other ICs were already socketed.

Here's the IntSDX (socketed), with GTIA ready to come out:

Today's was probably the smoothest desoldering session I've yet managed. I use a 15W iron and a solder sucker. To those inexperienced: the key is patience, and not pressing down too hard with the iron. Also: MORE solder is your friend where stubborn IC legs are concerned. And I like to flip the board over and prize the legs free of the holes with the tip of the iron: they nearly always stick to the plating even after most of the solder's been sucked out.

The three large ICs prised out with slight encourangement from a flat jeweller's screwdriver.

There's a lot of kit already fitted to this board, so I labelled up all the wiring before temporarily disconnecting everything: