July 2005

BURNSVILLE, MN - July, 2005 - Ironwood Electronics is introducing LS-BGA-05 series products, a low cost and reliable adapter that turns GHz socket which needs mounting holes into conventional soldering options. The adapter consists of machined Phosphorous Bronze pins pressed into an FR4 wafer that has threaded insert on four corners. The adapter can be soldered to any thru-hole pattern using conventional methods. Ironwood GHz socket can be mounted on to this adapter using the screws that mate into the threaded insert. The solder balls from IC package come in contact with the top end of elastomer wire (GHz socket). The bottom end of elastomer wire contacts the metal pin in the adapter board.The bottom side of the metal pin is connected to the target circuit board via thru-hole soldering method and thereby makes an electrical path for the signal. Figure 1 illustrates this concept graphically.

If the target circuit board exists with an SMT pattern, an epoxy over molded Giga-snaP female socket receptacle is soldered to the target PCB using standard reflow soldering methods. The LS-BGA-05 BGA adapter, to which the user attaches GHz socket with BGA chip inside, is plugged into the female socket receptacle on the board, thereby the chip is interconnected and the system is ready to go. Figure 2 illustrates this concept graphically.

The Giga-snaP female socket receptacle have the same solder ball types as the IC they are emulating. The force to mate conventional adapters can exceed 200 pounds for a 2000 pin device. The Giga-snaP BGA Surface Mount Feet Adapters require half the force (95 pounds) for the 1936 pin device.

A complete description and drawings of LS-BGA-05 BGA Adapters can be found at:
http://www.ironwoodelectronics.com. Attached picture shows Giga spring socket mounted on LS-BGA324G-05 (which costs $144.00 at quantity 1 and is available immediately) and plugged on to Giga-snaP female socket receptacle.