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Mac Plus Socket the 68000

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BobDaAggie

6502
Hello, I posted in another thread that I have recently gotten into Vintage Mac hardware. I have been emulating the classic Mac for years and was very active on the E-Maculation forums years ago.

I have purchased a Romunator kit for my Mac Plus and it is time for me to solder the wires on the 68000 processor. My question is, should I install a CPU socket for the processor first?

I have been reading the forums and there seems to be some development on swapping a Raspberry Pi into the CPU to do shenanigans and it sounds like fun. Also I don’t really want to potentially screw up a vintage CPU.

I am looking for advice as I am new to this hobby.
 
It's certainly something you can do and shouldn't effect anything when done properly, but you will want to be very comfortable desoldering and resoldering if you want to do this.

I would also highly recommend a desoldering gun so help with the process.

People have socketed CPUs on the SE and SE/30 a bunch, so that might be a good thing to look into so you can see what the process looks like even if it's a different form factor CPU.
 
Go for it. Unless you plan to install an upgrade board which clips over the 68000, in that case the added height might interfere
 
Welcome back to the vintage Mac scene. I reccomend installing a socket, it's what I did for my machines. It's really a non destructive modification that allows for flexibility with future upgrades especially if you are upgrading processors like a PiStorm style thing. A socket can just make the process way more convenient. It also offers good protection as well.

You'll want a 64 Pin DIP socket ideally machined pin sockets.

Make sure to use a good quality desoldering pump and clean those pins well.
 
Do you have a recommendation for the DIP socket? When I am searching I find a bunch of Amiga parts. While I am sure that they will fit there seems to be many options
 
I use these. That's a Digikey key link but I'm sure you can find them on Mauser. In reality any 64 pin DIP socket works but I prefer machined pin sockets
 
That should work just as well. For me it depends on plastics used and pin quality. With the same description I am sure it will do great
 
Yep, the plastic should be the same. The main thing I check is the gold plating; the Mill-Max is 30.0µin (0.76µm) thick, and the Preci-Dip is only 29.5µin (0.75µm). So you are getting 0.01µm less gold on the Preci-Dip part, but saving $4. I wonder what the margin of error is on that measurement ;)
 
I hope so too. I ordered a desoldering gun to help me remove the 68k processor. I have built some 3d printers but my soldering skills are weak. I tried to build a Rominator but that hasn't quite worked yet. I cannot get the board to sit flush with the chips. I have ordered new pin headers and will desolder the existing pin headers and try again.
 
BobDaAggie said:
I hope so too. I ordered a desoldering gun to help me remove the 68k processor. I have built some 3d printers but my soldering skills are weak. I tried to build a Rominator but that hasn't quite worked yet. I cannot get the board to sit flush with the chips. I have ordered new pin headers and will desolder the existing pin headers and try again.
Click to expand...
Consider picking up a random garbage board from the same era and practicing on that first. It would be a shame to damage the Plus board, even though it would be tough to do too much damage removing the CPU and installing a socket. If you have an electronics recycler near you they probably have old stuff for cheap, like network cards.
 
I wish that I had a recycler close by. I am out in the middle of rural Idaho. SLC is 3 hours south and Boise is 3.5 hours north. Those would be the best bet.
 
Desoldering through-hole parts with lots of pins is tough to do without damaging the board. The best tips I can think of are:

- Use flux (like activated rosin) and good desoldering braid/wick. If you have crappy desoldering braid, it works a lot better with flux added to it :)
- Use the biggest (largest thermal mass) soldering iron tip that will fit. If you're still having trouble conducting enough heat, adding a little bit of fresh solder between the tip and the part can help. Think of it like thermal paste--it fills the gap between the iron and what you are trying to heat, and gives you more surface area though which to conduct that heat.
- The most important part is having patience and resisting jamming the soldering iron tip into the board with too much force. That's how you damage the board. This part (being patient) is also where I struggle the most!
- You don't have to remove all the solder! You just have to be able to wiggle the pin around in the hole, even if the pin and/or hole still have some solder on them. If you think one is close to coming fully loose, heat it while wiggling with tweezers (or even just pushing the pin back and forth with the soldering iron tip) and that may be enough.

Good luck!
 
I had a damn hard time getting the 68000 out of my Mac Plus, and I have a desoldering gun! I really hope it was just my particular board... I'm having to do trace repairs before installing the socket. :(
 
If you are too hasty operating the vacuum pump/sucker and it doesn't remove all the solder, just add fresh solder and try again.

Seconding everything obsolete said, too.
 
Well I am going to practice on my Rominator board first. I already lifted a pad on it trying to reset the pins for my Mac Plus. I ordered a new one so I now have practice material
 
Use enough flux, wick, and a wide chisel tip. Soldering gun will help and you can preheat the board for better results as well as reflowing the solder before removing it. Use a snug nozzle on dip pins, and also wiggle the chip when you are done and don't pry, as it can rip pads off. Remove the processor and make sure each pin is clean of excess solder. More flux, tack two opposite corner pins down and drag the iron along each pin to attach each pin. If you want to take it slower you can work in groups and solder 3-5 pins at a time. Keep the tip clean for good heat transfer, make sure you have flux, avoid cold joints and just practice if you can. That is all I can think of. Good luck!
 
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