Zero Insertion Force

Zero Insertion Force (ZIF; German: ZIF socket or ZIF socket ) is a name for a socket for wired electronic components, in which to insert or remove the component no pressure or tensile forces are required.

In a normal IC socket contact pins of the component to be clamped by spring contacts of the socket, accordingly, a force must be applied at the onset to push the pins into the contacts. To remove the component again, an even higher power is usually needed. For complex circuits, such as processors with hundreds of contacts for this very high force is required ( per pin about 0.5 to 1.6 N ), corresponding to the component, the socket or the circuit board increases the risk at the onset damaging or removing the component.

In the ZIF socket and the contact springs are mechanically opened before the onset of the IC, so that the pins can be inserted without force into the socket. When closed, the contact springs are pressed to the pins, thus ensuring at the same time for the electrical contact and mechanical support.

Since ZIF versions are costlier than normal IC socket, they are particularly used for expensive ICs, such as microprocessors and ICs that must be changed frequently. For PCs ZIF sockets have the older so-called low insertion force sockets (LIF ) completely replaced since the mid- 1990s.

On the motherboard simpler, more affordable versions are preferably used which are suitable only for a few mating cycles. For test and programming devices are available in accordance with robust but more expensive versions that can withstand several 10,000 mating cycles.

Test Sockets

The ZIF socket for components in DIP packages are also known under the popular brand names textool base of 3M. Correctly is the general term test or programming base, such bases are also manufactured by various other manufacturers.

Programming socket are mainly used in test and programming equipment (eg for microprocessors such as the AVR family or the PIC family ), since normal IC socket would wear out too quickly there because of the high stress and also the connections of the components should be first directed, since the terminals are slightly outward from the factory. There are also versions that housing sizes of DIP48 down contact to DIP8 can, adapters for different housing types are not so necessary.