PCB vs wirewrap, was Re: SBC6120 (a build-it-yourself PDP-8

DWT was still actively discussed as late as 5 years ago. DWT has two distinct advantages over traditional PCB. One of which is shorter interconnect length; the other is lower crosstalk. I think it's declined only because of the relatively slow production process and the gradual phase-out of through-hole component mounting. Several years before the 8080 debuted, I set about building my own computer, severely under-estimating what it was going to take in terms of time, etc. At the time, DIP was very new, so most ICs were packaged in TO-100 cans or flatpacks. Rather than resort to fulll PCB with a technology that I was unfamiliar with, I etched a single-sided PCB with pads for both types of ICs and interconnected them with #24 enameled magnet wire. I got as far as building a working 8-bit ALU with 2 registers, but lost interest when I realized I didn't have a good solution for memory. For a time, I toyed with getting a drum (used on aircraft, I think) from Meshna, but never got around to it. By that time, the 8008 had made its appearance and I was trying to figure out the best way to build a system based on that chip. I wound up with a MITS 8800 evenually. Cheers, Chuck