procedure to define programmable IC marking

The way that the last two companies that I have worked for do is, as soon as the I.C is programmed it is marked with a either a gray or Yellow sharpie (just a small dot) in addition we always tried to make sure that this dot was at the end of I.C where polarity marking was at, just to help with any confusion to operators.

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On big chips, we use a tape printing device, I think it is a Brother PT1750. We have a small device, though, that is in an SO8 package, and the only thing we've come up with is to scratch a product letter code and the program date with a stylus. There's only a couple square mm that is not already marked on the device. Our next version of the product will have the serial PROM in an SSOP-8 package, and even the scribed number won't fit. No ideas on that, yet.

Actually, we are going to solder the SSOP-8 onto a tiny PC board so it can still be socketed, so we may be able to apply a label over the top of the adaptor board.

Jon

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