Can someone explain to me exactly how to use sockets?

[greekorican]

I don't quite understand how a socket works. I know you solder the socket onto the perfboard, but then what? Do you solder the leads of your component into the socket, or just put the leads in there? I don't understand what keeps the leads inside the socket.

I'm also wondering if there is any difference in sound quality when you use sockets vs just soldering it to the board. Does it make any difference? Also, does socketing a part make it likely that it will fall out of the socket?

What I'm thinking of doing is making a perfboard with the bazz fuss circuit and socketing absolutely everything. That way i can mess around with different parts and see how they affect the sound. When I find a sound I like, I could take those parts and just solder it to another board. I already have people asking if I can make them a pedal. If I have one where I can swap out all the parts, they could try it out and tell me what they like. My question is, are there any parts that you cannot socket?


Thanks

[axemurderforhire]

if you go to the npn boost beginner project (part 3 i think it is and look at the building of the pcb board) it will show you how a socket is wired up. its the first component aron sets in place

[bassmannate]

Friction holds the component into the socket. You simply solder the socket to the board and then push the component leads into it. Just make sure you have the right leads going into the right holes. There is no sound difference with sockets. The advantage of sockets is that you can easily swap out parts without a solder iron and see what those sound like. It's also helpful for beginners on sensitive parts such as ICs and transistors so that you don't accidentally fry the component with the soldering iron.

[Auke Haarsma]

I'd say: get a breadboard!

[JKowalski]

I'd say: get a breadboard!

Yeah. What you are describing creating is exactly what a breadboard is, and what they are used for. They only cost like 6-10 bucks, and you can create practically any circuit on them.

Sockets are usually designed with clip-type things in the holes - two metal tabs in a >< shape, with the bottom of the > connected to the socket lead. When you push a component in, the leads separate and the force from the bent metal "springs" holds the components in place. I have only used non-breadboard sockets for IC's, but you can be sure, if you put an IC in a socket, it ain't ever gonna fall out on its own. As for transistor sockets, I'm no expert, but I think they have almost as good a grip.

[Mark Hammer]

Some sockets provide a more secure and solid "grip" than others, and less expensive sockets will lose more of their grip with each insertion/removal.

Are there things to watch out for when using sockets?  Yes.  Not everyone who drills their own holes gets them all perfectly lined up, when the socket pins do not line up perfectly with the holes pins can bend under the socket when installing it.  Similarly, when inserting a chip into a socket, the chip's pins can occasionally bend underneath and not get inserted into the socket.  The first type of problem is less serious than the second, because you can see if the socket pin came all the way through on the copper side of the board, but you can't easily see when one or two pins out of 14 or 16 get bent underneath the chip.  Moreover, sockets are cheap and available everywhere,  Breaking the pins of a costly, or maybe even rare, chip is something you don't want to do.

While many transistors come with pins in a row, not all do.  You will often have to use round button-style or can-style transistors with sockets whose pins are in a row.  Works fine.  If you need to twist pins around to use a socket on a given board, it can often be a good idea to take some stripped wire insulation and slip it over one or two transistor leads so they don't short out against each other when you twist them around.

If there is insufficient grip between the pins and socket, it is not unreasonable to tin the chip/transistor pins a bit to "thicken" them.  Just make sure you don't overheat the device in the process.