4 ms·
But CPU spring connectors don't last forever. If you want to ensure the CPU stays reliable for a good long time (at today's clock rates), you're going to have
by bronson 11y ago
But CPU spring connectors don't last forever. If you want to ensure the CPU stays reliable for a good long time (at today's clock rates), you're going to have to solder it down.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- detaro 11y agosource for that claim? Never heard of that, and outside of laptops or SFF boards it's really unusual to solder CPUs in.
- jacquesm 11y agoContacts are a source of trouble, especially in devices that are subjected to vibration. That's why they're sometimes soldered down. For stationary devices this is much less of a concern, the long term killer there is contact oxidization. Since CPU contacts are made of gold this is not usually a source of concern. Even circuit boards made in the 70's with regular sockets still function fine today, the 'bad' parts are usually electrolytic capacitors (they dry out) and tantalum ones (they like to change into miniature fireworks).
- bronson 11y agoI got a great score on an exotic DMM from the 80s where the only problem was a weak ROM socket. Machine pin sockets might be OK (if you're always inserting a brand new IC) but dual wipe definitely wears out. Gold plating only works for expensive parts, and only if you have the same plating on both parts. The 10u gold alloys on flashy audio equipment looks great but they aren't likely to be any more reliable than tin. A gold socket can't save a tin balled CPU: http://www.te.com/documentation/whitepapers/pdf/p316-90.pdf http://www.te.com/documentation/whitepapers/pdf/p316-90.pdf
- bronson 11y agoJust google, there's massive amounts of industry data. One term is "insertion cycle", another is "loss of force". A typical soldered PCB connection will always last longer than a comparable mechanical one. (comparing cheap to cheap and exotic to exotic, so no fair comparing a corroded solder joint in a throwaway greeting card to the backplanes in an FA/18). I don't know of a good overview but here's a specific example: http://www.mouser.com/pdfdocs/Molexlga2011brochure-3.pdf http://www.mouser.com/pdfdocs/Molexlga2011brochure-3.pdf The term "Mechanical Durability (min.): 30 cycles" means that this socket is only guaranteed for 30 insertion/removal cycles and they don't specify a lifetime. Is that lower than you were expecting? Making connectors is hard! Amusing that my comment is factual and at -1.
- JohnBooty 11y agoWhile CPU performance has increased by an order of magnitude, "today's clock rates" aren't any faster than the clock rates we had 10 years ago.
- bronson 11y agoTrue. I just meant clock rates faster than 50MHz or so, so you need tiny pin/ball arrays instead of something huge and overengineered.