Socket vs. Precision Socket?

[Muzz73]

Hey, all...

 

I just ordered a Simple Stereo board for my 600XL, which is fully socketed (I think).

 

The board comes with a Precision Socket. How is this any better than the stock socket, and would it really make a difference for stereo POKEY stuff?

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[flashjazzcat]

Precision sockets are generally more durable and versatile, and far preferable to machine sockets in almost all situations.

[Marius]

FJC is right.

 

I could add this:

 

When you have not planned to do a lot of IC/PCB swaps on this machine, the regular (cheaper) sockets will do fine.

 

The precision sockets are more reliable indeed and will survive swapping pieces a lot longer.

 

On the other side: it is easier to swap IC's with the other type sockets.

[Muzz73]

Hmm... that's great to know, guys! Thanks!

 

I plan on putting the board in and leaving it there, until the machine goes ka-boom! Then I'll move it into one of my 800XL's and keep going.

 

Thanks again!

[BillC]

I know the standard socket used by Atari is the dual-wipe to keep cost down. What is the difference between machine and precision sockets, they appear the same to me?

[flashjazzcat]

 

 

The precision sockets have individual turned pins, and are a snug fit for adapter boards equipped (as most are) with round pins.

[+Larry]

But I've always wondered... If you put regular IC legs in a precision socket, you are putting "a square peg in a round hole" (almost literally). If you have a good dual-wipe socket (used to be able to get gold), don't you get better contact on an IC by way of greater contact surface? Probably sorting fly specks here, but just curious. (BTW, no question that precision is better if you are using round, machined header pins.)

 

-Larry

[flashjazzcat]

In theory perhaps there is greater surface contact with the dual-wipe sockets, but in practice I never had any contact issues with precision sockets, and in most cases they worked out better (since the old machine sockets suffer from oxidisation issues, broken pins, etc).

[BillC]

machine socket.jpg

 

precision socket.jpg

 

The precision sockets have individual turned pins, and are a snug fit for adapter boards equipped (as most are) with round pins.

The top image isn't of a machine socket, it's of a dual wipe socket.

[flashjazzcat]

The top image isn't of a machine socket, it's of a dual wipe socket.

 

What's a machine socket look like then?

 

EDIT: doesn't matter. I assume your question was designed to highlight my incorrect terminology, and it worked.

Edited July 11, 2014 by flashjazzcat

[Muzz73]

Hmm... well, my 600XL's motherboard is damaged, and I am starting over with a brand new one, but it sounds like the precision socket is the way to go. I'm going to have the monitor port installed and the RAM upgraded to 64K before I put it in, so I may as well have the precision socket installed as well.

[1050]

I always assumed a precision socket and a machine socket to be the same animal with different names. But I'm often wrong when assuming like I do, so don't go by me alone. Inside the round pin hole are gold plated spring fingers that make the actual contact, again my assumption.

[flashjazzcat]

I've been calling dual-wipe sockets machine sockets in conversation with Candle et al for years and was never corrected. That's my excuse. Anyway - machine/precision - they're the best.

[+poobah]

Just to muddy the waters, I've always called the sockets with round turned pins "Machine pin sockets"

=D

[sup8pdct]

I thought most XL's have single wipe sockets. They are a piece of c$#p. Many times they cause grief when doing upgrades or fault finding.

 

James