Editing Zero insertion force (section)

== Design ==
[[File:AMD 754 - PGA ZIF demonstration - 2016.webm|thumb|Demonstration of a PGA-ZIF socket ([[Socket 754|AMD 754]]).]]
A normal [[integrated circuit]] (IC) socket requires the IC to be pushed into sprung contacts which then grip by [[friction]].  For an IC with hundreds of pins, the total insertion force can be very large (hundreds of [[newton (unit)|newton]]s),<ref name=MUELLER99/> leading to a danger of damage to the device or the [[circuit board]]. Also, even with relatively small pin counts, each pin extraction is fairly awkward and carries a significant risk of bending pins, particularly if the person performing the extraction hasn't had much practice or if the board is crowded. [[Low insertion force]] (LIF) sockets reduce the issues of insertion and extraction, but because of its lower insertion force than a conventional socket, are likely to produce less reliable connections.

Large ZIF sockets are only commonly found mounted on [[Personal computer|PC]] [[motherboard]]s, being used from about the mid 1990s forward. These [[CPU socket]]s are designed to support a particular range of [[CPU]]s, allowing computer retailers and consumers to assemble motherboard/CPU combinations based on individual budgets and requirements.<ref name=MUELLER99>Scott Mueller, ''Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Eleventh Edition'', Que, 1999, {{ISBN|0-7897-1903-7}} pages 87-88</ref> The rest of the [[electronics industry]] has largely abandoned sockets (of any kind) and instead moved to the use of surface mount components soldered directly to the board.

Smaller ZIF sockets are commonly used in chip-testing and [[Computer programming|programming]] equipment, e.g., programming and testing on EEPROMs, Microcontrollers, etc.<ref>Najamuz Zaman, ''Automotive Electronics Design Fundamentals'', Springer, 2015, {{ISBN|331917584X}}, page 35</ref>