Help with TO-220 package

[alby]

I want to experiment with an Integrated Circuit made by National that comes in a 11-lead TO-220 Power package. That is basically two rows of pins, each one separated 0.067 inches.

I would like to use a typical breadboard, so obviously it does not work.

Do you guys have any suggestions other than soldering a wire to each pin? This does not look too robust. Is there any kind of connector-adaptor, similar to those for SMD to DIP, that can work in here?

Thanks,

al

[Robert Reed]

Have no idea on the physicals of your chip, but when confronted with your situation, I have used SIP sockets to adapt. In your case you might want two rows and your leads would have to be long enogh for flex and heat sinking of case. Adapter sockets for this (if found) can be ridicuosly expensive.

[Chris Smith]

Standard plastic headers on cables work well. One or two single row, double row. I think the old RS232 type socket in the old serial and parallel ports works as well.

Just find one that works from a VCR or what ever, cut the leads to about two inches each and work from there.

Solder the ends of these wire leads, plug them directly in,.... hard wire the leads, ......or jumper these ends to another standard .1 pin 8/16 etc spacing socket? [What ever your Board uses as a standard]

[philba]

what is the part number of the national chip?

[alby]

It is an LMD18201.

This is a H-Bridge.

[philba]

ok. the two rows of pins have double the pitch (.134, not .067). This is one of those packages that I would just bite the bullet and make a board for. Not only because of the wierd pin spacing but also due to the fact that you are going to be pushing a lot of current though it. You could solder wires to the pins and it would work.

I ran into a similar problem with the L298 and wound up making a PCB. the staggered row format is a real PITA to prototype with.

If you are doing this to get familiar with HBridges, you might want to start with a smaller package like the L293D. That is one beefy chip.

[jwax]

These boards may help- http://www.onepasinc.com/

[philba]

the problem here is the two rows of pins have a .134" pin pitch. It appears that those boards have .1" pitch. Also, the two rows are .2" apart.

I think the best thing for him to do is just solder wires to the pins. Better would be a simple adapter board but that may be more effort than he wants.

[alby]

Thank you all for your suggestions. Soldering the wires and then, maybe, building the board seems the best way to go.

Thanks again,

Al

[MrAl]

Hello,

I dont know if this will work here, but when i had to deal with
a 5 pin TO220 package i was able to 'fan' the leads out a little
thereby creating pins that would almost stick into 0.1 inch spaced
holes. I had to drill out the center pin but that was it.
Might be harder to do here, but it could help to fan out the leads
a bit to make more room in between them. They may be able to
be bent (carefully) to fit into the 0.1 inch spaced holes of the board.