Mmmmm.... wha'chu cookin'? ICs?!?

[MikeH]

Totally fried an IC today.  I accidentally put it backwards on my breadboard, and while debugging (because it obviously didn't work) I noticed a funny smell, and then noticed the backwards IC.  I cut the power and tried to pull the IC out, and then promptly screamed out loud because that sucker was molten-lava hot.  New smell: burnt IC and human flesh.  Not a good combination.  I then pulled it out with a pair of pliers only to notice it had gotten so hot it melted the plastic on the breadboard and made a nice mess of molten-plastic streamers all over the place.  The odor was not improving. 

Just to see I plugged it in the right way, and now I get the desired effect but the output is super, super low.  Which I assume is due to damage to the IC.  But I always assumed when you cooked an IC that it was just dead- no sound at all.  Is it possible to fry an IC and just have the result to be very little output?  It was a 4046 for the record.

[trendyironicname]

very possible, if it happened to you.   

I never thought so before either. 


I always thought the silicon was a lot more fragile than the plactic.

[tskullt]

its probably pooched, just get a new one.

very distinctive smell, which instantly translates (in my case, anyhow) to "uh oh,what did I screwed up???"
m.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

That chip might be a resistor now...

[gez]

...or an ornament.

[darron]

it's not much of a story without pictures (:

no advice for you though... sorry.

[MikeH]

I figured it was toast, I was just surprised it passed any signal at all. 

[David]

I figured it was toast, I was just surprised it passed any signal at all. 

The odor made its way to Fowlerville...

[MikeH]

I figured it was toast, I was just surprised it passed any signal at all. 

The odor made its way to Fowlerville...

Fowlerville, eh?  I've stopped at the gigantic, blue-roofed, gas station/restaurant on numerous trips to Lansing.  Assuming you're talking about fowlerville, MI.

[darron]

i find that most of the time when i've stuffed something up, if i really crank the amp hard enough i can hear my signal coming through. maybe it's compressed or tinny, but it's a bit of confidence for me (: