jgb@prism.gatech.EDU (James G. Baker) (02/02/91)
I've done some work with my PS/2 prototype cards but need to do some serious
wire-wrapping. I've seen tools from $10 to $200. Some are cheap. Some look
cheap. Any suggestions for brand names or features like:
-point-to-point (daisy chain) wrapping
-turns index
-batteries *vs* AC
-size/cost of bits
-spool of wire on gun *vs* pre-cut wires
Although I don't want to waste money, I know all too well that you have to
get the right tool for the right job.
Email to jgb@prism.gatech.EDU and I'l post a summary if it warrants. Thanks!
--
BAKER,JAMES G - Undergraduate Lab Instructor, School of Electrical Engineering
____ _ _ Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
| | _ |_) uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!jgb
(_|. |_). |_). Internet: jgb@prism.gatech.eduberger@atropa (Dire Wolf) (02/08/91)
jgb@prism.gatech.EDU (James G. Baker) writes: >I've done some work with my PS/2 prototype cards but need to do some serious >wire-wrapping. I've seen tools from $10 to $200. Some are cheap. Some look >cheap. Any suggestions for brand names or features like: > -point-to-point (daisy chain) wrapping > -turns index > -batteries *vs* AC > -size/cost of bits > -spool of wire on gun *vs* pre-cut wires *---- I favor the Gardner-Denver W/W tools (especially over Oki, which also seems to get repackaged under other brand names). I recommend a rechargable w/w tool over A/C powered. The cord can be a real annoyance, especially when making corrections to a board that is already in place. I don't know of any w/w tools that do daisy chain wrapping (except the hard way of course). The bits are initially expensive, but you probably don't need more than one, a bit for 30 gauge modified wrap, and a sleeve. G-D has sleeves that work for several bits, so you could get a 26, 28 and 30 g. bit and just one sleeve. But really, anything but 30 gauge is pretty rare these days. Finally, avoid the spring loaded tools with over-wrap protection (Oki again). The G-D tools let you "feel" the wrap. The spring loaded tools actually take control away, and I don't think the spring does as good a job as my hand with continuous tactile feedback. The G-D tools (especially the older gray head models!) seem to go faster than the Oki and Ungar tools. I've used them for virtually an entire day (well, 12 hours at a stretch anyway) without getting tired. Pre-cut wires have no benefit in my book, and tend to be very expensive. The cost of 1000 pre-cut wires of any length runs about the same as 1000' of wire wrap wire on a spool. You get a lot less wire. You have to stock a lot of different lengths or you either end up cutting and stripping yourself anyway or using wire that is too long (which means sloppy routing on the board, harder to trace or fix later, noise, etc.). You also lose the benefit of color coding, unless you can afford to stock a wide variety of lengths and colors. I have no trouble with the wires I cut and strip myself - but be sure to get a good stripper made for the purpose. -- Mike Berger Department of Statistics, University of Illinois AT&TNET 217-244-6067 Internet berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu
jpexg@rice-chex.ai.mit.edu (John Purbrick) (02/08/91)
I've used the Gardner-Denver tools a lot, and they're good. I wouldn't be too dogmatic about battery versus plug-in; the tradeoff is a trailing cord versus a heavy tool (2 D cells in the handle). The AC models are a lot lighter. I agree that pre-stripped wire ends up being a nuisance more than a benefit. The Vector "Slit-n-Wrap" tool has some merits but not enough, IMHO, to beat a more conventional tool. It can do daisy chaining, and it's good for a whole row of grounds on adjacent pins for example, but the wire it uses has a thick soft insulation and ends up looking (and being) crowded. It also breaks wires occasionally and recovering from this is a major pain. To trim off the end of a run requires reaching down between the pins with clippers or leaving a flying end, both undesirable results. John Purbrick jpexg@ai.mit.edu
lamb@brahms.udel.edu (Richard E Lamb) (02/09/91)
I've used Vector Slit-N-Wrap for years. You can't beat it with a power wrapper for micro-processor work. Daisy channing address and data busses, especially through memory chip arrays, makes for simple wiring. I use a manual tool for "detail" work, tho a power winder would sometimes be nice. Depends on how much you are going to do, I suppose. Lately, we go straight to PCBs. With all the PCB layout software this has been fairly easy. Lots easier than handbuilding from scratch, usually. I got tired of building the same old IBM PC slot circuitry alla time, and wirewrapped a kinda snazzy IO card that has a bus extension port similar to the old Radio Shack TRS-80 Model III and 4 computers (data bus, control signals, and address bus). Since I/O space is a bit crowded on most XT/AT type machines, I added a register to expand the IBM PROTOTYPING CARD address range to 12 bits (it's kinda like playing virtual memory but with I/O ports). To try a new circuit now, I only build the "gadget" portion and graft it to the computer with a fifty pin ribbon cable. Easier and cheaper. Happy trails