When evaluating IC socket suppliers for high-frequency testing, the market is divided between generic low-cost solutions and specialized, high-fidelity engineering tools. Globetek provides the latter, through Ironwood Electronics.
First things first: Let’s quickly show you the lay of the land here:
Ironwood BGA Socket Technology Table
| Feature | SBT Stamped Spring Pin | GT Elastomer (Silver Button) | SG Elastomer (Embedded Wire) | Grypper (LIF) BGA |
| Primary Advantage | Extreme Durability (180∘C, High Cycle Count) | Highest Bandwidth (94GHz) | Cost-Effective GHz Speed | Zero PCB Footprint |
| Best Application | Prototype and Development Testing especially at high temperature; Aerospace and Defence, Cellular & Mobile Communication ICs, SoC transceivers, Wi-Fi front-end modules (FEMs), | Prototype and Development Testing, RF and high frequency applications | Prototype and Development Testing, RF and high frequency applications | Tight real estate, Memory chips in consumer electronics. |
| Max Bandwidth | ∼31.7GHz (Typical) | 94GHz | 27GHz to 40GHz (Typical) | >40GHz |
| Max Cycles* | 50,000 to 500,000+ | 1,000 to 2,000 | ∼1,000 to 3,000 | ~100 |
| Min. Package Pitch | 0.3mm | 0.2mm | 0.3mm | 0.35mm |
| Temp Range | −55∘C to +180∘C | −55∘C to +160∘C | −35∘C to +125∘C | Varies by Series |
*At room temperature
Difference between Spring Pin and Elastomer IC Socket Technologies
The fundamental choice in high-performance sockets is between mechanical endurance and electrical speed.
- SBT Stamped Spring Pin Technology: Your priority is high volume, wide temperature range, and maximum insertion cycle count. The SBT contact is a mechanically robust stamped solution, maintaining reliable contact after hundreds of thousands of device insertions, making it critical for production ATE applications.
- GT/SG Elastomer Technology: Your priority is raw signal speed and signal integrity. These contacts use highly conductive silver particles (GT) or embedded wires (SG) to create an extremely short signal path. This design minimizes parasitic inductance and capacitance, enabling accurate, high-fidelity measurement well into the 94GHz range.
You can find more information on BGA socket options here: BGA Sockets – Ironwood Electronics
Which IC Sockets work best for High Frequency ((GHz)) Applications
For devices operating at (GHz) speeds, the best socket introduces the least signal distortion:
- GT Elastomer BGA Sockets: The undisputed leader. With verified performance up to (GHz), this socket ensures accurate, high-fidelity signal measurement for advanced RF and microwave devices. Not a preferred choice for applications/tests involving thermal cycling.
- SBT Spring Pin Sockets: The optimal choice when high frequency is needed alongside extreme durability. It delivers a good (31.7 GHz) bandwidth with 180 degree thermal stability, perfect for high-speed devices undergoing stress testing.
Talk to a Globetek IC Socket Expert.
IC Socket recommendations for prototype development and silicon validation
The recommended IC socket depends on the specific validation stage:
- For High-Speed Characterization (Speed Focus): Use SG Elastomer BGA Sockets. They offer excellent electrical performance at a more accessible cost than the premium GT series.
- For Extended Thermal & Reliability Testing (Cycle Focus): Use SBT Spring Pin BGA Sockets. Their high cycle count and extreme temperature range mean the socket remains reliable during extended functional and reliability validation programs.
- For Final Footprint Verification: The Grypper BGA socket allows you to test the BGA device directly on its final PCB land pattern, which is crucial for verifying board-level signal integrity with zero socket footprint.
Start Your Custom BGA Socket Design with us today
How much does an IC Socket cost for Aerospace and Defense industry applications?
IC socket costs for the Aerospace and Defense industry reflect extreme quality, precision engineering, and specialized manufacturing, often placing them in the high-value, specialized price tier.
The cost is justified by the socket’s proven ability to operate reliably from 55 degree C to 180 degree C and perform hundreds of thousands of insertions without failure. This delivers a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to using unreliable, lower-cost solutions that lead to costly test failures, rework, and program delays in mission-critical applications.
Let’s dive deeper into this:
For A&D programs, TCO is dominated by the cost of risk mitigation, not the initial purchase price. The investment in an Ironwood socket is the most effective way to eliminate future financial liabilities:
- Elimination of Downtime: The 500,000 insertion life of an SBT Spring Pin means the socket is not a maintenance concern. A cheap socket that fails frequently halts the entire ATE system, resulting in significantly higher operational expenditure than the initial socket savings.
- Guaranteed Reliability and Yield: A low-fidelity socket can cause false positives (passing a bad chip) or false failures (failing a good chip). In Defense applications, a false positive can lead to catastrophic mission failure, while a false failure dramatically lowers overall production yield. The high-fidelity connection provided by Ironwood sockets guarantees test accuracy, protecting both yield and safety.
- Rework and Board Scrap Prevention: Attempting to rework a failed, soldered-down BGA on an expensive military-grade PCB due to a poor test connection is irreversible and often leads to the entire board being scrapped. The non-destructive nature and precision of Ironwood sockets completely eliminate this risk and its associated astronomical cost.
- Obsolescence Management: In defense electronics, full board redesign cycles typically span several years. To avoid replacing the entire board when newer ICs become available, a more efficient approach is to develop interposer boards that adapt the updated ICs to the existing hardware interface, significantly reducing engineering time and system qualification effort.
To learn more about chip obsolescence solutions, visit: Chip Obsolescence Solution – Ironwood Electronics
Our IC Sockets offering
At Globetek, we offer a comprehensive suite of BGA and QFN sockets designed for superior signal integrity and unwavering reliability, which is especially crucial for advanced electronics manufacturing.
We want our customers to have access to the highest-quality, most technically advanced testing solutions. Ironwood’s expertise lies in overcoming the physical limits of device testing—specifically managing the challenges of fine-pitch spacing, extreme thermal gradients, and maintaining a clean signal path at multi-gigahertz frequencies. We are your local expert, providing the critical support needed to select, customize, and implement these solutions, ensuring your silicon validation, burn-in, and production test programs meet the most stringent requirements for high frequency (up to 94GHz) and high cycle life (500,000+ insertions).
We hope this guide offers some clarity and will help you in the next steps for your project. If you have any questions, or need a quote or assistance, please feel free to contact us.
