Despite having many advantages, such as reduced component dimension, and increased circuit board wiring density, SMT IC’s can be problematic for anyone prototyping circuits on breadboard or similar through-hole prototype boards. Repairing or populating a PCB designed to take through-hole DIP (Dual Inline Plastic) components can be impossible if an IC is no longer available in a DIP package.

This range of surface mount to through-hole DIP IC adaptors overcomes these problems by allowing a surface mount IC to be soldered onto the topside of the adaptor, whilst providing a one-to-one 0.1" (2.54mm) pitch DIP compatible layout on the bottom side. The adaptors can then be soldered onto a PCB as a direct replacement for a DIP IC in a legacy system or will allow a developer to plug the adaptor directly into any 0.1" pitch through-hole prototyping board (breadboard) and prototype the circuit as if using a standard DIP packaged IC.