Description

These little adapter PCBs allow you to fit standard DIP-8 ICs into circuit boards in place of obsolete TO-99 “metal can” ICs. A lot of older vintage synths and other vintage gear use op amps (741 for example) and 3080 OTAs in this package and this makes replacing them with new ones much easier. You can also use them the other way around: if you want to install or test a TO-99 in something with a DIP footprint.

We are selling them in groups of 9 because it’s a nice little square and selling them one at a time would be absurd! They can just be snapped apart like a chocolate bar.

We find the easiest way to use these is to start by snipping the top (actual IC part) off of the TO-99 metal can IC while it is still soldered into the instrument’s circuit board, leaving as much of the original pins as possible, then slide the adapter board down onto the pins and solder them in. Then, solder the new DIP-8 IC in place from the top. Re-using the original TO-99 pins and maintaining their original placement prevents you from having to fuss with lining new pins up with the TO-99 holes, and allows the board to easily accommodate hand-drilled boards (like in the ElectroComp EML-100 and early 101s) where the TO-99s’ pins are not evenly spaced or in anything like a real circle.

The IC in the photo is not included and is just shown for size reference.