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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Anyone still wire wrap?

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PhenixRising
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Joined: 07/11/2023
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: 10:43am 02 Oct 2024
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Can't believe that I didn't think of doing this for prototyping.
 
matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
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Posted: 11:17am 02 Oct 2024
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Not recently but........





The red kynar is at least 45 years old and still as good as new
 
Canada_Cold
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Joined: 11/01/2020
Location: Canada
Posts: 37
Posted: 11:51am 02 Oct 2024
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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.
 
Marcel27

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Joined: 13/08/2024
Location: Netherlands
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Posted: 12:33pm 02 Oct 2024
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I built once a IEC/IEEE bus interface with wirewrap in 1979 on an Eurocard. After that I forgot WW.
If you use AI, you lose your mind.
 
SimpleSafeName

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Posted: 01:29pm 02 Oct 2024
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I mostly just use the wire anymore.
 
PhenixRising
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Posted: 01:31pm 02 Oct 2024
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I love it   Duponts get messy.

Just ordered from AE  


 
PhenixRising
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Posted: 01:35pm 02 Oct 2024
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  SimpleSafeName said  I mostly just use the wire anymore.


Sure but sometimes I want a temporary but secure connection with male header and want to keep the wiring low/tight/neat.  
 
mclout999
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Posted: 02:02pm 02 Oct 2024
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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.
 
Volhout
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Posted: 02:36pm 02 Oct 2024
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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
 
PhenixRising
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Posted: 03:48pm 02 Oct 2024
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  Volhout said  At one time there was wire-wrap wire that you did not need to strip.
Volhout


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.
 
tgerbic
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Joined: 25/07/2019
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Posted: 10:02pm 02 Oct 2024
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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.
 
TassyJim

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Joined: 07/08/2011
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Posted: 11:32pm 02 Oct 2024
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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
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Solar Mike
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Joined: 08/02/2015
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Posted: 11:42pm 02 Oct 2024
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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...
 
grumpyoldgeek
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Joined: 30/07/2018
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Posted: 01:12am 03 Oct 2024
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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.
 
Mixtel90

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Posted: 06:23am 03 Oct 2024
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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

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Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
PhenixRising
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Posted: 09:41am 04 Oct 2024
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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
 
lizby
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Joined: 17/05/2016
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Posted: 02:22pm 04 Oct 2024
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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
 
tgerbic
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Joined: 25/07/2019
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Posted: 10:13pm 04 Oct 2024
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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.
 
PhenixRising
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Posted: 12:39pm 08 Oct 2024
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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  )


 
barewires
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Joined: 13/04/2015
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 30
Posted: 09:05am 09 Oct 2024
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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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