Even for professionals, sometimes. I am currently struggling to weld on 2 LEDs and a pushbutton onto a chip with 0.5mm pin spacing in an existing design, as the new PCB is not justified until I prove I am able to make them working in software. Of course I am able to put a (legged) SMD chip onto a PCB if any available...

The next step is the leg-less chips (BGA, MLT, CSP and similar), which also tend to have increasing popularity, due to lower mass-production cost. Then, even the professionals of smaller enterprises will have to rely largely on 3rd party service to get their prototypes and rework done.


While there might be similar available, I am working on it already (reasons see above). Hold on, I'll provide details when it will be ready. Although I'd not call it 'industry', rather, small scale service for the amateurs.


To a certain degree, yes; but in this case it is the same die which worked in DIP40 already... And many chips are slow enough, it's just the unavailability (or unattractivity) of the package. Of course, adding a decoupling cap or two is easy.

JW