You know those ZIF sockets we have for DIP chips? Well these are just like that but for SMT parts! Yeah, that's right, now you can program and test out your favorite new parts in TSSOP packages. This test sockets is good for any 4.4mm / 0.147" wide TSSOP/SSOP with up to 20 pins.
Simply press down on the top, place the chip in carefully and then release to latch the chip in. The chip is held securely against gold 'fingers' in the socket. Please note the body of the chip you're trying to use and read the datasheet diagrams carefully - a chip with a body wider than 4.4mm will not fit!
The socket is soldered onto a pair of PCBs that turn it into, essentially, a 20 pin DIP with 0.6" spacing that can be breadboarded fairly easily. The breakout is larger than the chip, so just use the pins that exist for breadboarding.
The test socket is a high quality, Japanese construction fromYamaichi