Breadboard quality

[akis]

Hi, I have been using breadboards for my project work, before I commit to a PCB. Unfortunately the breadboards I buy (from ebay) tend to be of lowish quality, the contacts are sometimes very stiff and it is almost impossible to use standard 0.6mm wires until the contact has been "conditioned" a dozen times to become looser. Do you know of any better quality breadboards to look for?

[Bored@Work]

There are some quality breadbord manufacturers like 3M.  But ... they are much more expensive than cheap Chinese stuff, but are not proportionally more robust than the cheap stuff. If you think "conditioning" a breadboard is a good idea then you are maybe abusing the board and a quality board would also not take that abuse well.

Treat cheap breadboards as consumables. And when they are "conditioned" you better assume they are past due date or the due date isn't very far away. Breadboards are unreliable and that is one of the reasons many professionals don't touch them. Another is that modern packages anyhow don't fit on a breadboard. 

[Architect_1077]

Excellent opportunity to pose a question on this issue:

What is the best bet to use for prototyping? If possible give some specific examples. 

[MikeK]

The best ones I've gotten seem to be the same (but from various sellers).  And RadioShack (in the U.S.) actually carries these good ones.  They're slightly creamy in color and hold components really well.

Here's what they look like: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2734155&filterName=Type&filterValue=Breadboards

And the ones I've gotten from Jameco (also in the U.S.) seem to be the same.

[Architect_1077]

Sorry, I didn't word the question properly:

As per Bored@work, breadboards aren't normally used by pros for prototyping because of various issues they have. So, my question is, what do people normally use for prototyping?

[Bored@Work]

So, my question is, what do people normally use for prototyping?

You lay out a PCB and get it manufactured. Similar to what Dave did in his PSU video series. Although he occasionally used a breadboard to demonstrate things and tried a few simple things. He could do that, because he originally started with through hole components. Would he have started with SMD components he would have to have a PCB right from the beginning.

[BravoV]

SMD breakout board was made & exist for a reason.

[nctnico]

I use veroboard aka stripboard with one pad per hole and enamel wire like this:
http://uk.farnell.com/roadrunner/rrp-a-105/wire-0-15mm-assorted-pk-4/dp/5017233

Because the enamel wire is so thin you don't lose oversight on the board and its easy to make modifications.

[ejeffrey]

Commercial PCBs are so cheap and so quick that for 'professional' use it is usually an easy decision to prototype to PCB.  For demoing / testing a chip before designing your board you get the manufacturer's evaluation board.  These boards are expensive, but in a professional setting it can be worth it.  If you are considering buying a buttload of chips you can probably get the eval board free anyway.  If you want to prototype a simple circuit fast you can etch your own.  It is a pain in the ass, but if you need it today and have good equipment you can get good results.

For hobby stuff breakout boards are a passable substitute, but if you can afford the cost of a couple of extra spins going straight to PCB is a lot nicer.

[akis]

I typically use the simulator extensively, then assemble on breadboard, then design a PCB and have it made by a professional company.

I have also used stripboard for permanent device with 6mm sleeved wires for connections. Even though the circuit was relatively simple, the wires underneath were quite cluttered.

Out of curiosity how do you solder enamel wire especially the thin ones? Or how do you strip off the enamel? On thicker wires I use a special file, but on thin ones it is a pain.

[codeboy2k]

You can also breadboard at home Manhattan style.  That's where you put all the parts on a ground reference plane and join the components together in the air or soldered on little standoffs (which you can cut square, or use a paper punch to make round ones)

This guy builds great stuff
http://aa7ee.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/the-wbr-a-simple-high-performance-regen-receiver-for-40m-by-n1byt/

pure artwork.

an example of his work is attached.

[nctnico]

Out of curiosity how do you solder enamel wire especially the thin ones? Or how do you strip off the enamel? On thicker wires I use a special file, but on thin ones it is a pain.

Soldering enamel wire is simple: the enamel melts by the solder. You have to put tin on the wire first though its not that the enamel melts by the slightest touch of the soldering iron. OTOH you can also start somewhere in the middle and connect a series of pins with one wire. I've attached some pictures of a parallel Xilinx JTAG programmer I hacked together in a hour or two:

[ejeffrey]

Out of curiosity how do you solder enamel wire especially the thin ones? Or how do you strip off the enamel? On thicker wires I use a special file, but on thin ones it is a pain.

As far as scraping tools go, cutting tweezers work pretty well.  However, that isn't the best way to do it.

On some wires the enamel will dissolve in solder.  Most general purpose magnet wire is like this.  Some more exotic wires may not have this feature. In that case you can soften the insulation with formic acid.  Then you can scrape it off easily with tweezers.  Formic acid is not terribly dangerous as these things go, be careful with it.  It smells like vinegar with a kick, and it will burn your skin.

[billclay]

Do you know of any better quality breadboards to look for?

Global Specialties makes quality breadboards.  Take a look here:

http://globalspecialties.com/premium-prototyping-boards/solderless-breadboard-premium.html

[pullin-gs]

Out of curiosity how do you solder enamel wire especially the thin ones? Or how do you strip off the enamel? On thicker wires I use a special file, but on thin ones it is a pain.

Burn it off!
I keep a BIC lighter handy just for that.   Just light it up until it glows orange, wipe off the ash with your fingers, and solder.  The whole process takes 3-4 seconds.
As far as solder melting it off, I've never seen that work before.

[bradleytron]

If you can manage to work with through-hole components and perhaps a few small SMTs then you can always use the method made famous by Bob Pease (rip) where he hand soldered the parts together as a three dimensional structure. You can google him to see examples. His book "Troubleshooting Analog Circuits", EDN Series for Design Engineers, has a great picture of one such example on the front cover.

[T4P]

Though i can't really make out what it is ...   

[SeanB]

The original 3D circuit designer.