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How to avoid shorting when sampling signals on an IC

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Hgspine:
How does one put a probe tip on the leg of an IC to check a waveform without risking the probe falling in the space between two IC legs shorting them out together and causing damage?  Special probe?  Electric tape placed between the IC legs? Some other method?  Thanks. 

teksturi:

--- Quote from: Hgspine on October 31, 2019, 09:02:25 pm ---How does one put a probe tip on the leg of an IC to check a waveform without risking the probe falling in the space between two IC legs shorting them out together and causing damage?  Special probe?  Electric tape placed between the IC legs? Some other method?  Thanks. 

--- End quote ---

Maybe take your time and turn power off and insert hook. If it is your design you can anticipate and make testpoint for every pin you may want to look at. And one way is to probe else where. Signal has to go some other place also and maybe you can probe there without risking making short.

AndyC_772:
What kind of IC package?

For something like a 0.5mm QFP, I just use a good quality, sharp probe tip and a magnifying glass. If it's in an area where shorting adjacent pins really could cause damage, then turn off the power and solder a wire to the signal you're interested in, then probe that instead.

Someone:
There are accessory tips for some probes that align the sharp point. Lecroy, R&S, Keysight all call them "IC Cap":
https://cdn.teledynelecroy.com/files/accessories/pp007_pp008_accessorydiagram.pdf
Could be an interesting investigation to find the OEMs and produce a compatibility chart for different probe accessories.

MosherIV:
My tip is to use very sharp and hard probe tip, push the tip hard into the solder of the chip leg to leave an indentation. The indentation will help to stop the tip moving.
Not always possible though.

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