A PCB is a non-conductive board with printed circuits and component housings. A PCB socket is used to mount integrated circuits onto the board, allowing for easy replacement without soldering.
A printed circuit board, commonly referred to as a PCB, is used in computers, cell phones, televisions, and many other devices that work electronically. The PCB is made of a rigid, non-conductive material. The circuits are then printed on it with special machines, using the appropriate layout for the particular board being made. Along with the conductive lines that connect the different parts of the board, the PCB has housings for components to be mounted directly on the board. In many situations a PCB socket is used to provide a mounting location on the board for various integrated circuits, often called integrated circuits or chips.
A PCB socket has rows of pins on the underside. Different sockets have different numbers of pins, depending on the type of integrated circuit it is to be used for. On the top side of the socket are rows of holes that correspond to the pins. The socket is made of non-conductive plastic. Each of the holes allows access to the pins underneath, so that when a chip is inserted into the PCB socket, each of its legs will be touching one of the legs of the socket.
The PCB socket is mounted directly to the printed circuit board by inserting each of the socket legs into a hole in the PCB. These holes are connected to other components on the board via circuit boards. Once the socket is mounted to the board, it is soldered into place, either by hand or by machine.
After the PCB socket has been soldered to the printed circuit board, it is ready to receive the integrated circuit. Each pin of the IC is carefully aligned with the holes on the socket, then the chip is pushed into place. Once the chip is in the socket, it works as if it were plugged directly into the circuit.
In the PCB manufacturing stage, using a PCB socket adds an extra step to the process, but it serves an important purpose. If the IC needs to be replaced for any reason, whether due to a breakdown or an upgrade, it can simply be pulled out of the socket and a new chip placed in its place. If the PCB socket is not used, replacing a chip requires that the old chip be unsoldered, which can cause damage to the circuit board, and the new chip must be soldered. The PCB socket is much easier to use and carries almost no risk of damaging the printed circuit board, as no soldering is required.
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