Wirewrap and other Prototyping

[dknguyen]

I've recently become interested (again) in maybe getting some wirewrap equipment to prototype with. (I always seem to get lazy and layout a PCB and trying to route so many signals over a limited number of layers and then send it away only to find there were expensive irreversible mistakes).

Anyways, I thought this was neat:
http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcbwires.htm

But I don't quite understand the details. The person also seems to make a comparison to wirewrap but the translation is a bit floppy so I don't understand. Can anyone else make better heads or tails of it?

 

[kchriste]

Sounds like the advantage of using polyurethane UEW magnet wire is that you don't need to strip it and it doesn't have bulky insulation making it compact for SMD work. The only reference to wirewrap that I could see was that the author didn't use it anymore.

 

[JimB]

I think the point he is trying to make is that he uses point to point wiring, made with "solder through" enamelled copper wire.
He has also made himself a dispenser pen for his wire.
He has used an old pencil (0.5mm leads) to make the wiring pen.

Apart from that?

JimB

 

[3v0]

It is slick way of doing point to point wiring. He cuts all the component pins off flush with the board.

If you are doing 2 layer boards when you make a mistake you can cut traces and wires as in point to point.

What Cad package did you settle on ?

If you hand wire the board it puts you one step further away from a final layout.

 

[dknguyen]

Settled? I've always been using OrCAD for my personal projects.

THe main thing that's just really attractive about using wires in any way is that it soooo many layers to work with for the cost which are the two biggest problems I have with PCBs.

On the other hand, it is one step away from a final board, and all my boards are made to go on robots with high vibration (ground vehicles) or that can't tolerate high vibration (planes). I've been told that wirewrap is more vibration resistant but the piezo effects of Kynar are unacceptable in a lot of cases since I can't predict what will happen. THe power capability, inductance, resistance of wirewrap is also a problem since all my slow circuits are power drivers and all my logic circuits are fast or analog sensitive.

Also the surface mount issue...maybe I should just stick with PCBs. Just...so many layers.

 

[3v0]

The last guy I knew that used wire warp quit about a year ago. Wire wrap connections may not fall apart but their ability to conduct current can degrade with tme. At least that is what I have seen.

I forgot that you were using Eagle because you instructor would not let you use OrCAD.

 

[j.p.bill]

The cost of the wire and sockets makes it unattractive.