Lots of sockets
Some of the many sockets I use on my keyboards and other projects.
Front row left to right:
Top left:
Top middle:
MillMax sockets are from Mouser. The width is important if using these with Pro Micro's. They also come in narrower 0.3" and 0.4" wide versions. You will see lots of part numbers and prices. The low profile ones cost more than standard. Gold contacts/full gold flash coating add cost over plain tin. Plain non-gold work fine. Gold is only worth it if you are concerned with corrosion.
The other sockets are from eBay or other electronics supply.
Close up of the SIP sockets. Besides "standard" and "low profile" they are made in many different heights. If buying from someplace like Digikey or Mouser they will have precise figures and mechanical drawings to reference. Buying from eBay you don't really know what you will be getting unless they list part numbers you can lookup.
Close up of the male and female pin headers. These are not IC sockets. They are board connectors for connecting two PCBs together. The male pins usually come with Pro Micros. The female receptacles you can order from electronics supply stores. They are very common on
Arduino shields.
Bottom of the MillMax sockets. The low profile socket has thicker pins that are hollow. The pins of the IC passes through to the bottom.
Snappable SIP (Single Inline Package) headers have notches where you can break them into smaller sections. They don't always break cleanly.
Peel-A-Way is a brand of frameless sockets. The thin kapton plastic holds them together while soldering, then you peel the strip off and only the pins remain. They also make DIP (Dual inline package) arrangements and have full height pins as well as the low profile ones.
These are hard to find. I got mine from an electronics surplus store, and they have no more. I see some types on eBay once in a while.
Keeb.io now has them for a really low price.
When
using sockets with a Pro Micro you may have to cut off some of the cross supports.
You could use the pin headers to make a Pro Micro removable, but they are very tall compared to IC sockets.
You do not want dual wipe sockets. They are designed for the thin flat pins of a DIP IC.
A few more sockets from EMC and Augat. These were purchased on eBay. New old stock.
The green socket is full gold flash coated. The blue has only the contacts plated in gold.
A MillMax socket on the left, a cheap eBay socket from China on the right. The cheap socket works fine, is a bit taller than the MillMax.
