Abstract: An aligning socket for an IC that provides an aligning bar that aligns and secures IC leads to the corresponding socket contacts (6), and where the bar has extensions or ears (42) that extend toward the row of IC leads (38). The ears have chamfered edges that, as the bar is forced toward the IC leads, guide the IC leads to mate with the socket contacts. For more fragile gull-winged leads, a rail 18 is provided to support the under side of the leads and the alignment bar ears are designed to fit over the ends of the rail. When the bar and socket contacts are forced toward the IC leads, the bar ears overlap the ends of the rail and force any mis-aligned IC leads to move such that alignment of the leads and the socket contacts is achieved.

Abstract: A system for protecting a gull-wing IC providing a carrier (5) that mates to a programming socket (21) and to a development socket (40). The IC need not be removed from carrier throughout the handling, test/burn-in, programming, and final assembly on the PC board. Moreover, the footprint of the output electrical contacts on the development socket match the footprint of the IC leads, so that the etched PC board pads will accept the IC leads or the development socket output contacts, wherein the assembler may mount the IC using the carrier and the SMT socket or not.

Abstract: A bus bar assembly including an elongated insulative base member and a plurality of modular insulative unit pieces attached to the base member and having contact receiving openings, conductive bus bars in an enclosed region defined by the base member and unit pieces, contact pins of the bus bar extending upward into insulative tubular members extending downward from and centered within the openings, insulative fins supporting the bus bars above a bottom wall of the base member, an insulative divider wall between adjacent bus bars extending upward from the bottom wall, mounting holes in the upper and lower walls, and an insulative shield between the region between mounting holes and the bus bars.