27 Aug
2004
27 Aug
'04
10:16 a.m.
It was a lot of fun. It also rather spoiled me for breadboards, as the
breadboards we used were _really_ _nice_. Instead of being the
wish-board style, plastic grid with metal connectors below it that you
That sort are totally unsuitable for any high-speed work (too much stray
capacitance and indcutance). And remember the 'speed' mentioned here is
not your clock rate, it's the rise/fall times of the signals, so if
you're using modern chips you _have_ to use proper high-speed
construction techniques, even if you're only clocking at a few Hz.
I've had so many problems from such breadboards that I rarely use them
any more [1]. I find it quicker to solder the thing up and/or wire-wrap
it (WW will go to quite a high frequency if used on a groundplane).
[1] THe main use I put it to now is as a die to crimp IDC DIL plugs and
2-row transition plugs in a vice. Yes, I know I should buy the right tool...
-tony