The lid determines how the device is brought onto the contacts – and therefore how gently contacting happens and how quickly changeovers can be made. We offer five standardised lid designs. All have a round port 15 mm in diameter through which temperature-controlled air can be directed onto the surface of the IC – the prerequisite for using a thermal streamer.
- Clamshell lid – for manual applications such as characterisation and failure analysis. Two-stage sequence: first the lid is closed, then the pusher is screwed down, pressing the device perpendicularly onto the contacts without lateral forces. The lid is bolted onto the socket.
- Vertical compression lid (VCC) – a clamshell lid without the second actuating movement: the device is pressed onto the contact pins directly as the lid closes, with defined contact force.
- Clip-on setup lid – clipped onto the socket at the sides, without a screwing movement of the pusher. Very quick to swap between sockets; since the device can shift while being clipped on, it is primarily intended for automated environments with occasional manual tests.
- One-piece bolt-on lid – the simplest approach for the smallest quantities. The test condition is established via fixing screws; ideal for long test times and few changeovers.
- Integral lid – permanently attached to the socket, a simple design for manual test applications, optionally with special features such as multiple pushers.
In short
The clamshell lid stands for the cleanest, gentlest contacting, the clip-on lid for maximum changeover speed. Which one is right depends on whether you want to protect sensitive devices or swap sockets quickly.
Accessory: stiffener
Every socket with a high pin count needs a stiffener – a reinforcing plate on the underside of the load board, clamped with the same screws. It absorbs the cumulative force of the spring contacts (with 2,000 pins at around 34 g each, already some 68 kg) and prevents the PCB from flexing. Without a stiffener you risk uneven contacting, intermittent failures on the edge pins and, in extreme cases, cracks in the solder joints.
