IC Sockets and Headers

IC sockets and headers are board-mounted, female connectors that serve as carriers for integrated circuit (IC) chips. They are made of metal or plastic and contain one or more rows of contacts, conductive elements that mate with corresponding elements to provide an electrical path. Many types of IC sockets and headers are available. Solderless sockets are compression-mounted devices that sometimes lock into place with a bolt or screw. By contrast, zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets use a cinching lever. For more permanent connections, IC sockets and headers are mounted with either surface mount technology (SMT) or through hole technology (THT). SMT adds components to a printed circuit board (PCB) by soldering component leads or terminals to the top surface of the board. By contrast, through hole technology (THT) mounts components by inserting leads through holes in the board and then soldering the leads in place on the opposite side of the board.