Chip storage - Was: 40 pin DIP chip tubes?

[Eric Smith]

Ian wrote:
 > Yes, and it's especially bad on the ceramic packages with the
 > fragile side-attached legs - not the ones that exit the package
 > and then bend 90 degrees down, but the ones that are simply
 > attached to the side of the chip body. Don't know what they're
 > called or how better to describe it...

"Side-brazed".

However, when the leads break off or fall off due to corrosion, at least 
you can (relatively) easily come up with a replacement.  When the leads 
break off of a DIP with a normal lead frame, it often is right at or 
even inside the point that the lead exits the package body, and is much 
more difficult to replace. Through carelessness with a logic analyzer 
probe I accidentally broke off a lead from an ASIC in an old system, and 
there was no way to get a replacement other than to buy another used 
machine. A friend surprised me by succeeding at repairing it with 
conductive epoxy.

Eric