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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Anyone still wire wrap?
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PhenixRising Guru ![]() Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1071 |
Can't believe that I didn't think of doing this for prototyping. |
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matherp Guru ![]() Joined: 11/12/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 9730 |
Not recently but........ ![]() The red kynar is at least 45 years old and still as good as new |
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Canada_Cold Newbie ![]() Joined: 11/01/2020 Location: CanadaPosts: 39 |
Yes, I still do a lot of WW for prototo typing. Here is the HDMI interface I pulled together. ![]() ![]() The tools I use for small projects. The tool at the top of the picture is a an original OK Tool hand wrapper I still use most often. ![]() WW gun for larger projects ![]() The VGA board ![]() And a very old board when I started with the Picomite and an LCD. ![]() ![]() Wire wrap might require more time to build, however it makes good gas tight connections and is very easy to modify or pull apart. |
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Marcel27![]() Regular Member ![]() Joined: 13/08/2024 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 68 |
I built once a IEC/IEEE bus interface with wirewrap in 1979 on an Eurocard. After that I forgot WW. |
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SimpleSafeName![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 28/07/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 327 |
I mostly just use the wire anymore. |
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PhenixRising Guru ![]() Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1071 |
I love it ![]() Just ordered from AE ![]() ![]() |
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PhenixRising Guru ![]() Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1071 |
Sure but sometimes I want a temporary but secure connection with male header and want to keep the wiring low/tight/neat. ![]() |
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mclout999 Guru ![]() Joined: 05/07/2020 Location: United StatesPosts: 481 |
I have an entire kit with all the tools, headers, and spools of wire, but I haven't used that method in many years. I mostly used breed boards. |
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Volhout Guru ![]() Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 4671 |
At one time there was wire-wrap wire that you did not need to strip. The isolation was so flexible, the sharp edges of the square pins could protrude. So it was simply wrap-cut-wrap, wrap-cut-wrap. And the most expesive tools did the cutting for you. wrap-wrap (auto-cut) wrap-wrap.... I use the wire to solder it now (when it is not too much oxidized). Volhout PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
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PhenixRising Guru ![]() Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1071 |
Ah, yeah...I remember that. A few years ago, I was called out to a machine that was built in 1976. The PCB was wire-wrapped and they couldn't remember ever having a problem with it. The problem this time though, was that the PCB was on the inside of a horizontally opening panel door that also had pushbuttons mounted on it. When closed, the door was at the typical 45° of a control surface. They'd opened the door for some reason and when they let it slam-shut, most of the TTL devices just jumped out of their sockets ![]() I had no-chance of figuring out where each device was supposed to go so it remained dead. I remember the wire-wrapped PCB though and was darned impressed. |
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tgerbic Regular Member ![]() Joined: 25/07/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 56 |
I still use wire wrap both the strip and non-strip types. I have all the tools shown and quite a bit of wire, some on spools, plus lots of WW sockets, perf board and special pins/sockets for mounting parts. It can be easy and is reliable in my experience. If something requires heavier wire or many less connections I solder wire and use regular through-hole sockets. If I feel it is too complicated, I switch to a PCB design. Certain techniques are better for certain things. |
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TassyJim![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6180 |
Thank you for reminding me about wirewrap. I didn't use it much myself, I was more interested in putting lugs on 300mm2 cables. That requires a rather large crimping tool! I think wirewrap might be a solution to a problem I have so off to ebay... Jim VK7JH MMedit MMBasic Help |
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Solar Mike Guru ![]() Joined: 08/02/2015 Location: New ZealandPosts: 1147 |
Don't use wire-wrap now, but 40 years ago, used extensively constructing prototype boards for Z80 micro-control systems. Once working then pcb layouts were made using Bishop Graphic tapes and stick on pads on drafting film sitting over large light tables. Still have a few rolls of the teflon coated wire, wrapper and un-wrapper tools, battery operated wrapper with spool of wire. Memories... |
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grumpyoldgeek Newbie ![]() Joined: 30/07/2018 Location: United StatesPosts: 33 |
It's been at least 20 years since I picked up a wire-wrap gun. Before that, probably a dozen non-trivial boards, including a 80386 controller running at 25mhz and having a 50mhz oscillator. I miss wire-wrap - NOT. |
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Mixtel90![]() Guru ![]() Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7301 |
I've never used wire wrap (but seen quite a bit of it). I did a little Z80 board using Vero Wire, that's the closest I ever got. Nice little system in its own way. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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PhenixRising Guru ![]() Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1071 |
Yup, I go to YT and slap bang in the middle Identical to the kit I ordered. No matter what I do, it shows up on YT. Even my lousy song renditions if I play guitar near my Android device. Edited 2024-10-04 19:42 by PhenixRising |
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lizby Guru ![]() Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3236 |
From that link--the entire internet as of 1977. I recognize about half the nodes. ![]() NORSAR (connected by a squiggly line--"satellite circuit") and connected to it, London, are the only non-U.S. nodes (unless there's a Canadian node in there somewhere). I had to google NORSAR--"NORSAR is a foundation established in 1968 as part of the Norwegian-US agreement for the detection of earthquakes and nuclear explosions". Ah, nuclear explosions. And look now--"all growed up". Edited 2024-10-05 00:24 by lizby PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
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tgerbic Regular Member ![]() Joined: 25/07/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 56 |
This brings back memories of attaching through an acoustic MODEM to, I believe a "Silent 700 style" terminal, and a teletype back in 1975. Though the experience was really slow, it seemed so fantastically futuristic at the time. |
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PhenixRising Guru ![]() Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1071 |
Just for giggles, tested the new toy on a thin, round, IC socket pin. It certainly doesn't want to pull off and there aren't any corners to bite into. Does a perfect job, every time, no fiddle-farting at all. This is a great solution for some of the stuff I do. No-wonder it wasn't the typical AE price because the tool is an actual OK Industries device, in original packaging. Even liking the seemingly crude wire-stripper which I expected to hate (I'm a Knipex fool ![]() ![]() |
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barewires Newbie ![]() Joined: 13/04/2015 Location: United KingdomPosts: 31 |
I used a Vector Slit-N-Wrap tool with a bobbin on top in the 70s. It was great for daisy-chaining many bus pins on RAM and EPROM chips for my Altair 8800 (Intel 8080) proto boards. I also had a Gardner-Denver hand-squeez wrap tool. I used to travel North America fixing WW systems and regularly had to repair and diagnose circuits with my tools. https://ia801709.us.archive.org/21/items/manuallib-id-2597707/2597707.pdf Edited 2024-10-09 19:15 by barewires |
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